Sail to power "conversion" training / familiarisation

[mcanderson]

Ah yes, the point about a full handover is very valid. You wouldn’t want to arrive in your first anchorage on your delivery journey and not no how to stop the engines or start the generator. You could feel a complete idiot calling the broker and trying to get help.

I’m not saying this happened to us....

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I would imagine an afternoon with an instructor getting used to 2 engines and parking will be more than sufficient.

also do get the dealer / vendor to do a full walk through of the boat. I suspect that a Mobo has more kit on it than a sailing boat and it is really useful to know where it all is when it stops working !

Great idea. There's definitely going to be some kit that we don't have at all, and some that's (very) different.

Ah yes, the point about a full handover is very valid. You wouldn’t want to arrive in your first anchorage on your delivery journey and not no how to stop the engines or start the generator. You could feel a complete idiot calling the broker and trying to get help.

I’m not saying this happened to us....

Hoho

 

[Ian h]

If I talk to Martin he'll sell me a Hunton. And there are two on his website for silly cheap money at the monent so it's a serious risk....!

Well on another thread you have said Mrs Scala was taken by the Hunton . Go on speak to Martin you know you want 1 :encouragement:

 

[Sticky Fingers]

It makes no sense at all but it’s got some strange attraction..!

 

[Ian h]

It makes no sense at all but it’s got some strange attraction..!

It makes lots of sense

 

[Sticky Fingers]

It makes lots of sense

... said the man with one for sale!

 

[Paul&Ness]

Any decent RYA School will be able to assist you with this. Speak to them and outline your experience and qualifications, they will work with you to get you to where you want to be. If trying to gain your YM (Power) via a YM (Sail) to Power conversion course you will be expected to have a very good level of boat (twin engine) handling. If in doubt why not ask for an assessment of your boat handling skills! You may find that you have the core skills and all you need is some coaching too get you to the required standard. Even if you decide that you don't need the RYA Qualifications some training on your new boat can only be a good thing.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

.... If trying to gain your YM (Power) via a YM (Sail) to Power conversion course you will be expected to have a very good level of boat (twin engine) handling. If in doubt why not ask for an assessment of your boat handling skills! You may find that you have the core skills and all you need is some coaching too get you to the required standard. Even if you decide that you don't need the RYA Qualifications some training on your new boat can only be a good thing.

I think it's likely to be my (our) boat handling that will be the weakness. Theory and practical aspects of sailing I'm fine with. If I take some training for the conversion it would have to focus on the handling. I think I'm going to wait til we've bought something then arrange it on own-boat basis.

 

[mcanderson]

One thing I have found useful is the Motor Boat and Yachting how to videos. Worth a watch and there are some great tips I / we have used.

Here is a link to one https://youtu.be/DBzNAmd0kXE

 

[petem]

One thing I have found useful is the Motor Boat and Yachting how to videos. Worth a watch and there are some great tips I / we have used.

Here is a link to one https://youtu.be/DBzNAmd0kXE

And https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XxED9N_JEg&list=PLzuE6AGzwmIkqEEMwDAUUVgN8eGX7mAAo&index=13

 

[Sticky Fingers]

One thing I have found useful is the Motor Boat and Yachting how to videos. Worth a watch and there are some great tips I / we have used. Here is a link to one https://youtu.be/DBzNAmd0kXE

And https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XxED9N_JEg&list=PLzuE6AGzwmIkqEEMwDAUUVgN8eGX7mAAo&index=13

They're good, thank you More evening entertainment!

 

[SimonD]

Interesting thread. We've just 'converted' from twenty plus years sailing to a twin engine, sterndrive flybridge. We had two days with an instructor, one to assist the delivery and a second to learn about slow speed handling. I realised afterwards, that the 'conversion' bit was missing from the experience. I put this down to the training school being powerboat experts with no experience of sailing. Hence, they didn't appreciate the differences. For example:

When a yacht is moving, turning the wheel makes the boat turn. Not so with a stern drive. It took a while for my small brain to relearn the effect of turning the wheel. Spinning the wheel from lock to lock and then applying a 'click' of power on the engine on the outside of the turn is also very foreign.

Yachts generally weathercock downwind at rest. Having a boat the sits exactly at right angles to the wind takes some getting used to.

Steering astern is something that takes some skill with many yachts. It took me a while to understand how much better motorboats go astern than forwards at slow speed.

The vulnerability of sterndrives to damage is something that should be hammered into converting yachtsmen. Sterndrives will not stand contact with the hard stuff in a way that keels will (please don't ask me how I know).

It might just have been me being dense, but if I had that time again, I would ask powerboat schools for the syllabus of a conversion course and whether the instructor has experience on both.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Hi Simon

Thank you, the notion of finding a 'conversion' instructor that undertands yachts is a new and particularly useful insight. Obvious maybe, but I'd never thought of it... I've got 20 odd years experience of streering yachts under power, sometimes even in the required / expected direction, and I think I have a reasonable appreciation of what might work, and I know I need to re-learn that. Been watching some of the MBY boat handling vids as suggezsted above.

Interesting times. Boat show in 3 weeks.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

...When a yacht is moving, turning the wheel makes the boat turn. Not so with a stern drive. ...

Really? Wow.

 

[Rocksteadee]

Really? Wow.[/QUOTE

With a boat under way (moving through the water) changing direction of a stern drive (whilst out of gear) will steer the boat to a degree as they do act like a rudder but only by a small amount. The major effect of steering is from the thrust of the prop changing direction

 

[Sticky Fingers]

I guess that must be right. IPS also. But presumably a shaft drive with rudders is more steerable,,,

 

[Momac]

I guess that must be right. IPS also. But presumably a shaft drive with rudders is more steerable,,,

The rudders on some shaft drive boats may be quite small so steering at dead slow may be more about using the engines.

Surely a yacht only steers when water is passing over the rudder. But the rudders are usually relatively large.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Yes, this little drift started with "..when a yacht is moving..."

 

[Elessar]

The rudders on some shaft drive boats may be quite small so steering at dead slow may be more about using the engines.

Surely a yacht only steers when water is passing over the rudder. But the rudders are usually relatively large.

I’ve taught quite a few sail to power people and getting yotties to slow down is the challenge!

For the reasons you say they are used to going fast enough for the rudder to bite, which in my boat is about 6 knots. About 5.5 knots too fast!

 

[Sticky Fingers]

OK message received And PM replied to thank you.