New to boating

[Sailfree]

Hi,

I am a regular on here but mostly sailing.

I have our Jeanneau 43DS in Nazare Portugal.

A friend here in Portugal is intending to start Boating.

He has no experience of MoBo's but accepts that his crew, SWMBO, will only assist in mixing the G &Ts so a sailing boat is not an option.

He is currently considering a Beneteau Swift Trawler- either a 34 or 35.

He is starting the day skipper course and VHF course.

As a newbie to MoBo' s any advice regarding his choice of boat and his best learning curve.

He will join YBW as well but not a member yet.

 

[Bouba]

The advantage of a ST is that it’s the most boat that you can fit into that size footprint. But it’s not for everyone.
It’s quite common for old sailors to go for a ´boaty’ look when they transition….trawler or Nelson style or Scandinavian

 

[Bouba]

PS…it’s also common for them to be obsessed with fuel burn…so at least put them right on that issue before they start boat shopping

 

[Sailfree]

PS…it’s also common for them to be obsessed with fuel burn…so at least put them right on that issue before they start boat shopping

Sorry can you clarify your comment about put them right

 

[Bouba]

Sorry can you clarify your comment about put them right

The adage of the Motorboat sub forum is not to be concerned about fuel coats....because these will be the least of your worries

 

[Sailfree]

Just gone through his RYA day skipper on line course and am surprised how limited it is in scope.

Covers tides, and navigation but less of the background basics. I did the yachtmaster course so probably more comprehensive.

Any there any more general books that you would recommend?

 

[Boathook]

Just gone through his RYA day skipper on line course and am surprised how limited it is in scope.

Covers tides, and navigation but less of the background basics. I did the yachtmaster course so probably more comprehensive.

Any there any more general books that you would recommend?

The RYA competent crew one starts at basics or would it be too basic for your friend ?

 

[Alicatt]

Just gone through his RYA day skipper on line course and am surprised how limited it is in scope.

Covers tides, and navigation but less of the background basics. I did the yachtmaster course so probably more comprehensive.

Any there any more general books that you would recommend?

When I did the Powerboat level 2 the training company sent me most of the course material for the Day Skipper and the navigation stuff from the coastal and YM courses, it kept me busy while awaiting the practical course. The course is quite basic, it was a great introduction for my wife who, up to that point, had held the helm of a sloop on a Dutch canal for about 10 minutes... that was when she realised she liked boats, the PB2 gave her a good level of confidence and enough insight to say to me "We need a bigger Boat"

I did the Day Skipper shorebased exam yesterday and got the pass notification a couple of hours later. Practical is in a few weeks at the end of the month. It is mostly common sense though I did do some extra navigation exercises on plotting courses etc as I had a little difficulty in getting the same answers as in the course. Now the course I did was for sail and it is more years than I can remember being on a sailboat on the water, the questions about sailboats had me thinking hard ... what is a jack stay???? then I remembered a vide I had seen explaining the bits of the stick and rag brigade.
This is something I wanted to do for a long while, finally getting round to it, next step is either Motor Cruising or Costal Skipper, once I get a bit more experience.

As for books, I started with Coastal Navigation by Gerry Smith, that was in the early 1990s. This time I got the RYA's Navigation Handbook by Melanie Bartlett and the associated RYA Navigation Exercises by Chris Slade (includes training charts 3 & 4)
I also have 2 DVDs Introduction to motorboat handling and advanced motorboat handling.

 

[Sailfree]

In trying to help him I am concerned that the sailing course might cover more than is necessary for the Power Boat course.

He has found it confusing what is required eg a Day Skipper is not qualified to do night sailing but in the RYA day skipper practical you are required to do 4hrs night sailing!

Not wanting to give him wrong advice, I have suggested he contacts the RYA direct in addition to becoming a member of this forum and asking his own questions direct.

 

[Bouba]

Since most yachts have engines…as do most dinghies….the skill set transition isn’t that great
Much harder the other direction

 

[Sailfree]

You misunderstand, it's not me changing from sailing to power boat but a friend that's effectively starting looking at power boat ownership.

My understanding is that he has done powerboat level 2 years ago as part of his diving course and he owned a day boat in Dubai for a few years but is going about it in a thorough way wanting to do all the necessary RYA exams and courses for a power boat day skipper qualification- I assume this will give him an ICC.

 

[Bouba]

You misunderstand, it's not me changing from sailing to power boat but a friend that's effectively starting looking at power boat ownership.

My understanding is that he has done powerboat level 2 years ago as part of his diving course and he owned a day boat in Dubai for a few years but is going about it in a thorough way wanting to do all the necessary RYA exams and courses for a power boat day skipper qualification- I assume this will give him an ICC.

Ok…I understand now. The good news is that he is not a newbie…he’s a (previous) boat owner that wants to upgrade to a bigger boat. This is the normal evolution…Doing courses and gaining qualifications is the way to go….and when he finally buys a bigger boat he can get own boat tuition which will give him a huge amount of confidence

 

[Alicatt]

You misunderstand, it's not me changing from sailing to power boat but a friend that's effectively starting looking at power boat ownership.

My understanding is that he has done powerboat level 2 years ago as part of his diving course and he owned a day boat in Dubai for a few years but is going about it in a thorough way wanting to do all the necessary RYA exams and courses for a power boat day skipper qualification- I assume this will give him an ICC.

I did the shore based Day skipper sail course, and not been on a sailing dingy since I was a kid, there is a little about sailing in it, not a lot, I went with a local training school in Belgium that offered the Day Skipper course, their only option was for the sail course, the practical I will be doing is for the Motorboat Day Skipper when I come back to Scotland.
The PB2 will already give you the ICC for a boat up to 10m, I, and my wife, did the PB2, and I also did the CEVNI course and I applied for the ICC which I have for motorboats up to 10m and also on the inland waterways, at the end of the PB2 course I did the VHF short range certificate as there was a discount for doing it at the same time as the PB2.

 

[Bouba]

I did the CEVNI which includes the ICC at a RYA approved course in France…it was a day course on a canal or river (can’t remember which) this was helming, general seamanship (knots extra) followed by a test.
Well worth it
I then did various French exams for using a boat at sea

 

[Alicatt]

The handbook for the Sail course has a couple of extra pages in it about the parts of a sail boat and about tacking, it is not deep, the book also has all of what is in the motor day skipper course, that is why I was not bothered about it being "sail only" the shore course does not teach you how to sail, it is more about safety, navigation, tides and the rules of the road which is applicable to both. I did talk it over with a couple of training schools first before I went with it, Though in light of the experience I had I would rather have gone with a different school.

Ardent in Scotland have an excellent and up to date course, I should have gone with them, they do both the motor and sail day skipper courses.

 

[Little Ricky]

Hi,

I am a regular on here but mostly sailing.

I have our Jeanneau 43DS in Nazare Portugal.

A friend here in Portugal is intending to start Boating.

He has no experience of MoBo's but accepts that his crew, SWMBO, will only assist in mixing the G &Ts so a sailing boat is not an option.

He is currently considering a Beneteau Swift Trawler- either a 34 or 35.

He is starting the day skipper course and VHF course.

As a newbie to MoBo' s any advice regarding his choice of boat and his best learning curve.

He will join YBW as well but not a member yet.

Hi there, the ST is a meaty boat, does he have children or will it be more him and the missus, 'cause there are plenty of single engine 30' cruisers out there that might fit the bill.

 

[Hot Property]

The adage of the Motorboat sub forum is not to be concerned about fuel coats....because these will be the least of your worries

Having just forked out for my River Hamble mooring fees I confirm fuel burn is a rounding error for me. (And I do more boating miles than most).....

 

[Irish Rover]

For single handing on a mobo it's well worth considering a power cat. They're so easy to handle and the g&t mixer will love the space and the accommodation. Something like a FP MY37.

 

[Little Ricky]

For single handing on a mobo it's well worth considering a power cat. They're so easy to handle and the g&t mixer will love the space and the accommodation. Something like a FP MY37.

Power cats def look the business, but the cabins are a bit silly in size and usability on anything under 50 feet, plus you've got the marina manager cursing you for having a beam as wide as two boats.

 

[Irish Rover]

Power cats def look the business, but the cabins are a bit silly in size and usability on anything under 50 feet, plus you've got the marina manager cursing you for having a beam as wide as two boats.

My 43' has 4 decent sized double cabins with a double bunk in each and 2 decent heads where you can have a stand up shower without drenching the toilet. Ideally I would have preferred an owners version with one hull given over to the master cabin but after 2 years of looking we comprised and bought a 4 cabin. We generally don't have guests in the hull where we sleep and my wife often opts to sleep separately in the second cabin to avoid being disturbed by me getting up before dawn and my frequent trips to the loo. Having your guests in the opposite hull affords a huge level of privacy as well. My previous 34' powercat had 2 x double and 2 x single cabins. I converted the single on one side to a walk in dressing room. The extra space in the salon, galley etc plus the outside social space on the flybridge and aft cockpit plus sunbathing areas on the forward deck more than compensate for any qualms you might have about the cabins. If you haven't done so take your wife (if you have one) to view a powercat and see what she thinks.