Qualifications

[Allan]

I got my day skipper theory certificate some years ago and I plan to do my yatchmaster theory if my club does the course this year. What else would I need to add to have a qualification that I could use to get work in sailing?
Allan

 

[sarabande]

First Aid (workplace) four day course. Essential

Food hygiene / handling (one day course)

The RYA diesel engine course.

RNLI liferaft (one day course)

 

[l'escargot]

You need to get the practical qualifications and get them commercially endorsed.

 

[Allan]

How does one get "them commercially endorsed"?
Allan

 

[snowleopard]

If by "yachtmaster theory" you mean a shorebased course completion certificate, it counts for nothing on its own. You will have to have the certificate of competence which is only given following the practical exam. What you need beyond that depends on what work you want to do. You might need for example some instructor's qualification for anything involving teaching. For charter skipper, the Yachtmaster plus loads of experience. For superyacht work there is a separate scale of qualifications.

 

[snowleopard]

How does one get "them commercially endorsed"?
Allan

You need a 'boatmaster's medical' obtainable from a GP plus a completion certificate from a sea survival course, then you send them with your certificate and the fee to the RYA. If you're lucky you might even get the certificate back.

 

[flaming]

For charter skipper, the Yachtmaster plus loads of experience.

don't believe the experience thing. I've seen guys getting work as charter skippers less than 2 weeks after completing the zero to hero course.
Doubt it would happen at the moment though, loads of good skippers fighting for very little work...

 

[oceanfroggie]

If by "yachtmaster theory" you mean a shorebased course completion certificate, it counts for nothing on its own. You will have to have the certificate of competence which is only given following the practical exam. What you need beyond that depends on what work you want to do. You might need for example some instructor's qualification for anything involving teaching. For charter skipper, the Yachtmaster plus loads of experience. For superyacht work there is a separate scale of qualifications.

Agree 100%. There has always been some confusion or even wishfull thinking about the status of mere theory course attendance certs. They are not a cert of competancy and there is no exam as part of a shorebased theory course, yet they have great value as part of the learning process. Only passing the "real" practical exam on the water along with the other pre-requisits can confer a "Yachtmaster" certificate of competance. On anecdotal evidence and from speaking to some theory schools it seems a minority of folk who attend theory courses ever go on to do and pass the proper exam. YM Certs are mere "hobby" or leisure pieces of paper with zero statutory status unless later commercially endorsed.

 

[Doghousekeeper]

You need a 'boatmaster's medical' obtainable from a GP plus a completion certificate from a sea survival course, then you send them with your certificate and the fee to the RYA. If you're lucky you might even get the certificate back.

Don't send the Sea Survival certificate, just a photocopy. The usual medical fitness report is a ML5 (form from RYA website, exam by any doctor), but you could get an ENG1 (from a list of acceptable docs - available from MCA, but more expensive). You also need a valid and up-to-date First Aid certificate for the commercial endorsement.

Although you don't need it for the comm end, a radio licence would be handy.

Good plan would be to get YM commercially endorsed, and also the suite of 4 x STCW modules, then you're in a pretty good position to compete for work

 

[Cornishman]

I cannot answer your question, but as a former examiner of some 33 years experience before retiring a few years ago I was often asked this and other similar questions. My answer was always, "Obtain the latest edition of the RYA booklet G.15 for sail or G.18 for power cruising. Read it carefully and you will find the answers to all your questions there."

 

[Daedelus]

Agree 100%. They are not a cert of competancy and there is no exam as part of a shorebased theory course,

Both day skipper and Coastal skipper/Yachtmaster shorebased theory courses have an exam at the end of them.

The commercial endorsement is merely £15 (may have changed) to the RYA, Yachtmaster practical cert and a medical from your GP. Check now if you might be colour blind as that fails you on the medical and it's cheaper to know now.

 

[oceanfroggie]

When I did CS and YM theory some years back now there was no exam, just assignments during the 22 week winter evening course and one test on the colregs, and a "course attandance cert" issued at the end. It was not a competancy cert. Had to do the proper water based practical exam for that

 

[fireball]

did our CS/YM theory a couple of years ago - and there were proper sat down, written exams at the end... seriously marked and you only passed if you got your papers right.

DS theory was attendance based, but did have a test at the end - the joke with that one was that if you didn't get the answer right you were invited to redo the question - often with a tip on where you went wrong - didn't go back to that college - wouldn't let the "instructor" on my tender, let alone on the big boat - I think he was dangerous!

 

[oceanfroggie]

On YM theory shore based courses, are we confusing the extensive written assignments with an exam? The only proper test I can remember was the colregs where we need 80% to pass, but the written assignments being lengthy and many, were not given marks, just corrected as part of the learning process.

It amazes me how many folk actually think they have a YM ticket just because they attended a theory course.

 

[snowleopard]

Are we confusing the extensive written YM theory assignments on a shore based course with an exam?

When I took my shorebased theory course (in about 1992 though I imagine it's still the same) there was indeed an exam at the end. All it got me was the little completion slip to paste into the logbook. I presume this is what is referred to when people say 'I've got the yachtmaster theory'.

As several people have pointed out, it is not a qualification any more than passing the theory driving test, merely a useful step on the way.

 

[Cornishman]

When I did CS and YM theory some years back now there was no exam, just assignments during the 22 week winter evening course and one test on the colregs, and a "course attandance cert" issued at the end. It was not a competancy cert. Had to do the proper water based practical exam for that

You should have done chartwork and general final assessments on your Dayskipper theory course, and chartwork, IRPCS, and meteorology final assessments at the end of the CS/YM theory course. IRPCS was the only one which had actual marks. Upon these your tutor would decide whether to award you a certificate of successful course completion. This is a bit different from just a course attendance certificate, don't you think? None of these are qualifications to do anything but they do help the examiner to understand what you have done and should know when it comes to a practical examination for a CS or YM Certificate of Competence.
I rarely had to deny anybody the end of course certficate, but there were just a few.

 

[lw395]

Work in sailing.

I get the impression that actual paid work in sailing falls into a few boxes:
Dinghy instruction. Casual and low paid.

Yacht instruction. Casual, hard to actually make a living full time. The best well known people with lots of experience get first choice of all the work.
Powerboat instruction ditto.

Delivery work. Casual, rates can be good for the best, but work mostly goes to known people. A commercially endorsed YM will only get you low paid crew work.

Yacht management. Full time, tending towards 24/7. Can be more cleaning than skippering. Money sometimes not bad for young people who don't have a mortgage etc.

Yot Journalist.....fill in according to your prejudices?

Yot photographer: everyone who is made redundant wants to do this, to the extent they end up taking pictures of each other!
Average takings probably about equal to fuel expended for many.

What have I missed?

 

[Doghousekeeper]

What have I missed?

I'd include crewing. There is work available on superyachts for suitably qualified people - rates of pay can be pretty good, and tips from wealthy charterers can be very very good. A friend of mine paid off his student loan with a summer's work out of Antibes, just walking the dock to find work

 

[slipknot]

I get the impression that actual paid work in sailing falls into a few boxes:
Dinghy instruction. Casual and low paid.

Yacht instruction. Casual, hard to actually make a living full time. The best well known people with lots of experience get first choice of all the work.
Powerboat instruction ditto.

Delivery work. Casual, rates can be good for the best, but work mostly goes to known people. A commercially endorsed YM will only get you low paid crew work.

Yacht management. Full time, tending towards 24/7. Can be more cleaning than skippering. Money sometimes not bad for young people who don't have a mortgage etc.

Yot Journalist.....fill in according to your prejudices?

Yot photographer: everyone who is made redundant wants to do this, to the extent they end up taking pictures of each other!
Average takings probably about equal to fuel expended for many.

What have I missed?

Away from home alot, rubbish weather, no income at all in the winter (UK). The cost of maintaining qualifications, insurance, medical checks etc etc etc etc etc.

What have I missed.......

 

[scotty123]

Don't send the Sea Survival certificate, just a photocopy. The usual medical fitness report is a ML5 (form from RYA website, exam by any doctor), but you could get an ENG1 (from a list of acceptable docs - available from MCA, but more expensive). You also need a valid and up-to-date First Aid certificate for the commercial endorsement.

Although you don't need it for the comm end, a radio licence would be handy.

Good plan would be to get YM commercially endorsed, and also the suite of 4 x STCW modules, then you're in a pretty good position to compete for work

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ML5 is only good for 60miles offshore.
For YM, you need ENG1. Not more costly, just valid for a shorter time.