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johnstop

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having just bought my first boat I was wandering about training.I have a competent person willing to spend time with me but will I need to have some form of recognised formal training? for insurance purposes etc.


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Training is not compulsory but yes you should do some and you will get more out of your boat as a result. The best way I found starting out ten years ago or so was going along to my local further education centre and signing up for one of the RYA courses. Surprised to find it available in deepest landlocked Shropshire! Very cheap and enjoyable - I did the yachtmaster shorebased certificate over 6 months of weekly evening classes with homework in between. I'd reccomend day skipper as a minimum.
Good luck with your new boat - what have you got?


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On the other hand, we went on a local night school course and hated every minute. Almost none of it was relivent to stinkies. After six months of course, all I can remember is cardinal marks!!

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>It's flog a flag day.<font color=red> Today.<font color=blue>

Haydn
 
I think alot of it is down to the instructor. I did the day skipper evening course at the local college, and the instructor was a raggie - but he managed to present the course with relevance to both groups. I certainly learnt a lot from it.

Just got to get a boat now ;)

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Had a friend who did a shore based thingy, and he found the instructor very raggie biased, to the point of being almost anti powerboat! Obviously it does depend who you get I guess.

I can see the point of shore based instruction for learning navigation, but surely from the point of view of boat handling (which was what the initial query related to) shore based instruction is about as useful as trying to learn to drive a car at a classroom desk? OK you can learn the rules of the road, but you can't learn to actually drive the thing!

I think most boaty areas will have someone that can instruct you afloat on your boat, if you can give us your boat location I'm sure someone on here can point you in the right direction...

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I'd recommend taking 4 day, Day Skipper course which includes ICC cert.
(dont even need any real knowledge of helming but some does help).

CGN Sun Coast

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.suncoastmarine.co.uk>Sun Coast Sea School & Charter</A>
 
I did day skipper. The bloke could not comprehend anything that went faster than 4 knots.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>It's flog a flag day.<font color=red> Today.<font color=blue>

Haydn
 
Whilst we did the shore based day skipper theory course over one intensive week the subsequent day skipper theory which we were able to combine with a delivery trip to our new cruising ground proved invaluable. This is not to deminish the benefit of the initial shore based course as the practical would have been far harder without some theoetical knowledge.

For us we would not have had to confidence nor the ability to set out to sea without formalised tuition which was also a lot of fun.

Feel free to PM me should you require more info as we have done both courses over the last six months or so.

Nick

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/Nick2>http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/Nick2</A>
 
I am pretty new to this as well (bought first boat nine months ago).

Firstly did Powerboat level 2 course, this gave me confidence in boat handling and also gave my crew (family) confidence in me. In addition to the course curriculum it also gave me the chance to ask lots of questions about relatively minor issues to an experienced instructor which I may have been too embarrased to ask a fellow boat owner (for example, I did not know how to empty the holding tank so I did it for the first time with the instructor as part of my exercise for mooring alongside).

My next step is to do the Day Skipper theory course at night school from September. As I have the practical experince now, I am not too worried if there is a raggie bias, I need to learn navigation, tides etc which is the same for all of us.

I think I will then follow this us with a Day Skipper practical, just really to put the theory into practice.

I would also recommend one other source of learning - this forum. Despite the banter the experienced hands on this site have always been very helpful whenever I have posted a question that concerns me.

Hope you are enjoying your boat as much as I am mine

<hr width=100% size=1>Martyn
 
Re: boathandling using the holding tank

Ooh, i had never thought of this. An excellent idea for mooring staboard side-to, as the outlet is on the port side, and i must say it seems quite a decent pump too.

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Re: boathandling using the holding tank

Could it be converted into a jet propelled bow thruster for Gludy??

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>It's flog a flag day.<font color=red> Today.<font color=blue>

Haydn
 
Re: boathandling using the holding tank

It made sense to me when I wrote it :-).

For clarification, I moored too alongside the pump-out pontoon using the engines - and then pumped out the holding tank!! So sadly no, I have not discovered a new inexpensive bow thruster



<hr width=100% size=1>Martyn
 
Reckon with a name like Medreamer you orta do you DS practical in the Med/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.suncoastmarine.co.uk>Sun Coast Sea School & Charter</A>
 
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