R.Y.A at it again!

[CLB]

Did night hours on my YM exam too, that was back around 2004, the same time the jersey skipper did his.

 

[capnsensible]

Agree, it's clearly part of the prep.

But my question was, is it part of the test? I don't think it is.

If I'm right, and very happy to be corrected, it seems strange that in the RYA's own words: "Offshore is competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage during which the yacht is no more than 150 miles from harbour."

Dom, at the risk of repeating myself again, night time navigation is absolutely part of the examination for both Coastal and Offshore. Now I dont know what 'some bloke in a marina' told you, but Ive been involved in training candidates for those exams for over twenty years. I must have put several hundred through. A number have failed because their night pilotage fell short.

For offshore, the exam lasts ten to twelve hours for each candidate. Night hours must be done.

If you tell me what is strange about the 150 mile limit for Offshore, I will be happy to explain.

 

[Daydream believer]

I want to just book a practical exam; ( YM Offshore)but with a 31 ft yacht & small cockpit, there just is not room for an examiner & lots of crew. The examiner will be in the way most of the time. Actually I prefer not to have a crew, but I will take one only because I have to, not because I need one.

From others experience, will that be Ok. I do not want to do it on a chartered yacht due to cost, plus I know my own boat backwards.

 

[capnsensible]

Yes, you can; that's what I did. The schools like to hide the fact, making out you have to do a course with them first, or to do a theory 'exam' in return for loadsamoney. (in fact, the practical examiner does the one that matters while it's just you, him, the cockpit and the stars). Just book a YM Offshore examiner on the RYA website. Costs about £140. Specify your boat and location and provide certain of the info. The rest of the qualifying info, they check first thing when you meet onboard. They'll know if you are bullshitting.

[Edit:] here it is:
https://www.rya.org.uk/training-support/Documents/Exam_application.pdf
https://www.rya.org.uk/courses-training/exams/Pages/yachtmaster-offshore.aspx​

Mine was mid-morning until around midnight. Certainly enough for a few hours' night sailing (particularly as dusk turned into RYA-induced fog).

I do wonder if the examiner Dom's colleagues saw arriving back in port in the afternoon was actually examining Dayskipper candidates and not YM? Perhaps an actual examiner such as JM will come along to inform us.

Couple of things if I may.

There is no exam for Day Skipper Practical.

A short test maybe carried out for ICC as an option.

Every UK school makes available training courses but no one 'hides' the fact that you can simply look at the RYA site, complete the requisite qualifying sea time and get yourself and your boat ready. Many succesful boat owners do so. But a large number of people dont own their own boats and enjoy the RYA scheme via schools.

Im sure you will recommend to people that studying and practising on your own boat and then being succesful in the exam is very rewarding after all the effort you need to put in. :encouragement:

 

[capnsensible]

I want to just book a practical exam; but with a 31 ft yacht & small cockpit, there just is not room for an examiner & lots of crew. The examiner will be in the way most of the time. Actually I prefer not to have a crew, but I will take one only because I have to, not because I need one.

From others experience, will that be Ok. I do not want to do it on a chartered yacht due to cost, plus I know my own boat backwards.

I would suggest after previous controversy, a call to Mr. Falk to check your boat is OK to take the exam on first may save heartache.

Two crew is enough, the examiner generally sits at the stern out of the way as far as possible.

Application form here gives more details:

https://www.rya.org.uk/training-support/Documents/Exam_application.pdf


I can thoroughly recommend having a good trawl through 'The Yachtmaster Handbook' by James Stevens, a former RYA training Manager. It discusses in depth how the exam is conducted, what to practice beforehand and a bundle of other tips. I have made it required reading for anone Ive prepared over the last years since it was published. Every single one praised the contents and
found it great value.

Should you decide to go the school route for the exam however, its normal to have 4 or 5 days being put through the wringer so you are right on top form for the exam, the wear and tear is someone elses problem and you get crew!

Whatever you choose, good luck. :encouragement:

 

[Nico]

Your £45 keeps a couple of young things employed at RYA Towers, down Hamble way.

Like ALL organisations, the larger they get, the larger they want to get. It has long since ceased to have its roots in 'yachting'; it is now a self-appointed 'governing body' that the MCA and the Home Office tolerates 'cos it's simpler and cheaper so to do. You need to go to a couple of their cocktail parties and suss out the guest list to get a feel for what they're about.

It has appointed itself, and it appoints its own 'in crowd' of Council members from among school friends, cronies and neighbours of neighbours.

The rest are simply 'the drones', the worker bees.

You can't have it both ways, they are either drones or workers. Drones don't work, as P G Wodehouse knew when he named Bertie Wooster's club "The Drones". The Simpsons have a lot to answer for.

 

[Nico]

I can thoroughly recommend having a good trawl through 'The Yachtmaster Handbook' by James Stevens, a former RYA training Manager.

£19.50 from the RYA, or £13 odd from Blackwells.

 

[alant]

The qualifying passages includes night sailing as well as does it not.
Presumably one can just turn up & take the exam- Is there any reason one cannot, provided one has done the qualifying passages beforehand?

Not if on a YM Prep Course.
Instructors have this peculiar habit of checking candidates out first, just to confirm they are up to standard.

 

[alant]

Yes, you can; that's what I did. The schools like to hide the fact, making out you have to do a course with them first, or to do a theory 'exam' in return for loadsamoney. (in fact, the practical examiner does the one that matters while it's just you, him, the cockpit and the stars). Just book a YM Offshore examiner on the RYA website. Costs about £140. Specify your boat and location and provide certain of the info. The rest of the qualifying info, they check first thing when you meet onboard. They'll know if you are bullshitting.

[Edit:] here it is:
https://www.rya.org.uk/training-support/Documents/Exam_application.pdf
https://www.rya.org.uk/courses-training/exams/Pages/yachtmaster-offshore.aspx​

Mine was mid-morning until around midnight. Certainly enough for a few hours' night sailing (particularly as dusk turned into RYA-induced fog).

I do wonder if the examiner Dom's colleagues saw arriving back in port in the afternoon was actually examining Dayskipper candidates and not YM? Perhaps an actual examiner such as JM will come along to inform us.

"Examiners" do not examine DSkippers.

 

[Daydream believer]

Not if on a YM Prep Course.
Instructors have this peculiar habit of checking candidates out first, just to confirm they are up to standard.

How do you check someone out first? ( look on this forum? Oh dear !!!!!! I have NO chance. Just needs JM to turn up & i will go home there & then:ambivalence
The rules do not (as far as I am aware) say that you have to do any pre course training prior to YM exam, just state that you have done the requisite sailing trips, day & night

 

[capnsensible]

How do you check someone out first? ( look on this forum? Oh dear !!!!!! I have NO chance. Just needs JM to turn up & i will go home there & then:ambivalence
The rules do not (as far as I am aware) say that you have to do any pre course training prior to YM exam, just state that you have done the requisite sailing trips, day & night

I put the link to the application form on here earlier especially for you! ^^^^

 

[BelleSerene]

"Examiners" do not examine DSkippers.

Yes, my mistake.

 

[CLB]

Even the DS syllabus has night hours included.

 

[Kwik Decision]

I want to just book a practical exam; ( YM Offshore)but with a 31 ft yacht & small cockpit, there just is not room for an examiner & lots of crew. The examiner will be in the way most of the time. Actually I prefer not to have a crew, but I will take one only because I have to, not because I need one.

From others experience, will that be Ok. I do not want to do it on a chartered yacht due to cost, plus I know my own boat backwards.

A key part of being a YM Offshore is being able to manage crew, and hence during the exam you must have some crew (min 2) to manage. It is worth talking to the RYA, as Capnsensible suggests, before applying as they will give you chapter and verse.

 

[Daydream believer]

I put the link to the application form on here earlier especially for you! ^^^^

With the greatest of respect, that is just a tick sheet & like i said, provided one has done the qualifying trips & got the first aid & VHF cert, there is nothing the examiner can do pre-exam to suss out the applicant. So do you not think that the answer to " How do you check someone out first?"( which in fairness I asked Alant) should really have been--- " they cannot"?

 

[capnsensible]

Mmm, I believe I answered the second part of that post......

Obviously there is nothing an examiner can do beforehand.Nor should there be, Not sure why this is an issue?

With the greatest respect, of course..........

 

[alant]

How do you check someone out first? ( look on this forum? Oh dear !!!!!! I have NO chance. Just needs JM to turn up & i will go home there & then:ambivalence
The rules do not (as far as I am aware) say that you have to do any pre course training prior to YM exam, just state that you have done the requisite sailing trips, day & night

I didn't say "you had to", but those who do take a YM Prep course (either to learn more or brush up their existing skills) will be assessed by the instructor. If someone is obviously not ready to take the exam, they are advised of that. Then, it is their choice to go ahead or not.

 

[alant]

With the greatest of respect, that is just a tick sheet & like i said, provided one has done the qualifying trips & got the first aid & VHF cert, there is nothing the examiner can do pre-exam to suss out the applicant. So do you not think that the answer to " How do you check someone out first?"( which in fairness I asked Alant) should really have been--- " they cannot"?

Any examiner, will have a good idea of capability, within a short time, they are usually good judges of a candidates attitude & capability, allowing the candidate to confirm this when given the usual tasks required. They do not condemn out of hand & help as much as allowable.