RYA ?

[Phoenix of Hamble]

The biggest growth in membership over recent years has been in dinghy racing and cruising, sportsboats and RIBs, with increase in training activities in those areas also growing. Add to that the pressure from government to increase participation in sport and youth and entry level through financial incentives and it is not surprising that the RYA emphasis has moved in that direction.

Cruising is not a growth area - probably in decline plus it is more difficult to identify effective ways of promoting it so its main concerns are more to do with those intangibles I mentioned earlier. It is an activity which in a sense does not lend itself to organisation and control, indeed many take it up specifically to avoid such things. So perhaps there is little benefit for cruisers to join if they are looking for positive engagement, but who else is there to carry out all that behind the scenes work of representing their interests as a whole? We, collectively seem to take a lot of things for granted, whereas in fact it is lobbying activities that are responsible for a lot of our freedoms. You only have to look at the restrictive legislation in many other countries in Europe to see what can happen.

Surely a matter of chicken and egg?

Speaking to my sailing friends and marina neighbours, very few of them are RYA members... so while, I agree that cruising is probably slowly shrinking as a pastime, the membership opportunity for the RYA must remain large.

They HAVE positioned themselves as the representative body... they either are, or they aren't. The can't have their cake and eat it!... if they don't want to do it, then step aside, and let some one else take it on... and let the RYA become the UK arm of ISAF. Cruising still needs an organisation to deal with MCZs, eBorders, Coastguard closures etc etc... In truth, I suspect the RYA does plenty on the quiet, but it cuts its nose off to spite its face by being very poor at communicating this.... yet is very effective at communicating with the dinghy community..... why?

 

[Sybarite]

Qualifications are only routinely asked for by one or two European countries. Until you have an incident. At that stage, you may be asked to prove your competence.

An ICC will do, and so will an equivalent national certificate. With national certificates, to help things along, it's useful to carry a translation of key sentences - type of boat and scope of sailing covered.

If you have neither ICC or national certificate, I have received a report of an owner being told to take a local test before his boat papers would be returned after an incident causing some damage - with consequent delays and costs.

So, not a scam, but a cheap convenience which is not compulsory

WRT French inland waterways, and IIRC, the use or acceptance of the ICC instead of the CEVNI is a tolerance rather than a right. So it pays not to rock the boat if you are being controlled.

 

[Tranona]

Surely a matter of chicken and egg?

Speaking to my sailing friends and marina neighbours, very few of them are RYA members... so while, I agree that cruising is probably slowly shrinking as a pastime, the membership opportunity for the RYA must remain large.

They HAVE positioned themselves as the representative body... they either are, or they aren't. The can't have their cake and eat it!... if they don't want to do it, then step aside, and let some one else take it on... and let the RYA become the UK arm of ISAF. Cruising still needs an organisation to deal with MCZs, eBorders, Coastguard closures etc etc... In truth, I suspect the RYA does plenty on the quiet, but it cuts its nose off to spite its face by being very poor at communicating this.... yet is very effective at communicating with the dinghy community..... why?

Well, what about the reports on those subjects in every issue of the magazine to inform members, regular reports in the boaty press, two pages in this month's YM updates and information papers on the website.

No shortage of information for anybody who is interested - but in reality most cruising sailors are not interested. As Carruthers says in the YM article much of the success in influencing occurs at proposal stage or through consultations before legislation. Difficult to make exciting material about things that don't happen, but might have. Equally difficult to communicate with people who show no interest and even members who often boast here of throwing the magazine away without reading it.

Lets face most people seem quite happy to let others do the work while they reap the benefits and then criticise the organisation for not being responsive to their apparent needs.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Lets face most people seem quite happy to let others do the work while they reap the benefits and then criticise the organisation for not being responsive to their apparent needs.

I think it is asking a lot for people to appreciate sooooper sekrit benefits which nobody is allowed to know about and ignore perceieved detriments. Sorry, but "Trust us, we're the RYA" is not a great selling point.

 

[BlackPig]

I have two links with the RYA as a dinghy sailor, they have been up at our club helping us to develop it and could not do more.

As a biggish boat sailor the head office has been appalling changing rules as they go along. ( http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?409389-RYA-move-the-goal-posts&highlight=blackpig )

 

[GrahamM376]

I no longer sail in UK waters but still support the RYA and RNLI.

The "free" ICC costs more to members than non members as we have to pay 5 years subs to get it free but, as mentioned above, the RYA do a lot of work behind the scenes and hopefully will continue to persuade government not to introduce compulsory registration and training as we see in other countries. Just how long the pillocks in Brussels will keep their noses out, we don't know.

 

[nickf]

Well, what about the reports on those subjects in every issue of the magazine to inform members, regular reports in the boaty press, two pages in this month's YM updates and information papers on the website.

No shortage of information for anybody who is interested - but in reality most cruising sailors are not interested. As Carruthers says in the YM article much of the success in influencing occurs at proposal stage or through consultations before legislation. Difficult to make exciting material about things that don't happen, but might have. Equally difficult to communicate with people who show no interest and even members who often boast here of throwing the magazine away without reading it.

Lets face most people seem quite happy to let others do the work while they reap the benefits and then criticise the organisation for not being responsive to their apparent needs.

+1
These fora do seem to attract negative posts - I guess that's the nature of the beast. You do not have to use the RYA to get a ICC, there are other organisations in the UK who are able to issue them. OK arguably they are even more specialist or "niche" bodies than the RYA but they are there. You do not have to use the RYA. Personally I am happy to do so and feel that they do a good job in supporting/defending/promoting a wide spectrum of water craft users.

 

[Retired in Crete]

If it was a genuine RYA exam with an RYA examiner then the certificate would have been issued by RYA UK. I have done exams 'overseas' but the paperwork and the certificate still gets processed by the RYA HQ.
You say that the 'examiner' issued the certificate. As an examiner I don't ever issue certificates. All I do is write a report and make a recommendation to the awarding body.

Is this correct?
I have a RYA/DoT Coastal skipper non-tidal certificate which was issued some years ago by a sailing school in Turkey. I received nothing from the RYA HQ.

Is my certificate a "Turkish con" & worthless?

John

 

[Tranona]

I think it is asking a lot for people to appreciate sooooper sekrit benefits which nobody is allowed to know about and ignore perceieved detriments. Sorry, but "Trust us, we're the RYA" is not a great selling point.

As I have said elsewhere there is no secrecy nor any lack of availability of information on the RYA activities. If it bothers you so much then just get out there and find out - not difficult to read or access website.

Of course as we see here many times it suits some people to claim ignorance as it supports their prejudice and no amount of publicity or explanation has any effect on their attitude.

 

[GrahamM376]

Is my certificate a "Turkish con" & worthless?

John

An email or phone call to the RYA will tell you.

 

[Jonmendez]

"Is my certificate a "Turkish con" & worthless?"

Not it's not worthless, schools issue certificates of course completion which is what you have. The RYA issue certificates of competence to candidates who have been examined and passed. The differences is one is examined and the other a sailing course completion. Sadly as they have similar names it causes massive confusion.