Sailing training/qualifications. Worth a candle?

[Peppermint]

I'd never been to a sea school until recently but I sail with a few people who have and the outcome of training seems to be quite varied. RYA sylibus sea schools seem to be allowed a fair degree of latitude in the way things are taught. Some schools load more people and mixed abilities on board than others. Some are quite adventurous and some are cautious in the extreme. One guy told me that his course was very much a 9 till 5 affair, which rather cut down on the night hours and another told me he was worked so hard he couldn't take the exam at the end of it. So even with a formal sylibus it's tough to find the level of training you need.

So is it worth the trouble?

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[BrendanS]

Would that be 'worked so hard' that they fell out of the bed in their B&B (presumably because they hadn't got used to the still motion) and had problems climbing back into bed again, waking up the whole B&B.... as I heard occurred this weekend in Hamble, night before the exam, after a hard weeks training, and an even harder evenings, err, training?

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[billmacfarlane]

I can only speak from my own experiences. I went to a sailing school last autumn to brush up on my laid back navigational skills. The instructor said that I'd have to navigate all week without GPS which I really enjoyed and he worked me hard after dark three nights out of 5 in the Solent. I didn't enjoy the rest of the course for various reasons. I didn't rate the instructor - he had an intimidating style which didn't bother me but made an already nervous Day Skipper even more nervous. I got bored a lot as I had 2 Competent crew and a Day Skipper on board. I met the crew of another sailing school boat and they hadn't done half as much as we had so I guess even with the RYA syllabus the content is pretty varied. I'm not really interested in getting a certificate to say I can sail, and with hindsight I'd have hired an instructor for 2 or 3 days to concentrate on what I wanted to do.

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[Peppermint]

Sounds like

your experience was very much like mine with the exception of the instructors attitude. Some of what I'm getting at is picked up from other schools boats. We saw a sunsail boat of obviously first timers get a terrible bollocking from the instructor while they were still moored up in the marina. Examiners must find it difficult to know how far they can test various schools. I presume that examiners want repeat business like anyone else so denting a shiney new yacht might be avoided to keep the peace.

I just wonder if it's like a degree. You can have two guys with 1st's but if ones from Oxbridge and ones from Luton there is a pecking order at work.

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[Twister_Ken]

Re: Sailing training/qualifications. Worth a candl

Pepps
Unless you want to do it professionally, you don't need a ticket for anything (yet). So, is it worth a candle.? One maybe, but not two.

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[Mudhook]

Surely it depends what you want. Few people will want a ticket for its own sake, but the quality of training from a good school is first class and few would not learn somethiung to their advantage. I rate the RYA scheme highly, but like anythimng else in life standards vary. Things that make a school better are instructor quality, a limit of four students to a boat, ans scruffy boats that are means to be used and learned on. The best schools get the best instructors, and there are certainly a few indifferent ones around.

But when you come home totally versed in night entry, blind nav, effective MOB techniques, above-average marina handling skills and lots of confidence to tackle things you would once have throught twice about, it may have been worth it. Also, I think most of them are pretty good value if they work you hard. 8am till midfnight for four days, all found for not much over £300, is a bargain in my view.

If the boat is used as a charter boat at other times of the year, forget the school. You want the best instructors, doing it 48 weeks a year. For my money, Southern Sailing at Southampton is among the best. If your instructor has the bottle to let you risk putting the boat aground to teach you something, you're in good hands.

Mudhook.

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[BrendanS]

I totally agree - my point was not about the course, more a humorous anecdote about a member of my club, who stayed in a B&B in the Hamble this weekend, and was woken by a person in the room above, who was having some difficulting remaining in his bed, and subsequently returning to it. I suspect he'd have had quite a hard day out on the water taking his exam in that condition

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[Aeolus_IV]

one to one tuition..

It seems inevitable that trying to get the most out of a weeks "training" with a crew of mixed abilities (even if they are all doing the same course) is destined to leave some people feeling short changed (even there are no "problems" during the week). Having done Comp Crew and Day Skipper weeks (before getting a big boat), I was not suprised to come out of both weeks feeling that I'd not gained as much as I could have, but then I've been sailing and using motor boats for a long time. May be my expections were unrealistic. I am of the opinion that the only way to get real value out of the time on the water is to pay for a YM trainer to come on board for a number of days, discuss your needs and address them specifically. Having said this, I've not done this yet. My worry is how to pick a good one? Has anyone got experience with this approach?

Regards, Jeff.

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[alant]

Re: one to one tuition..

One of the fundamental requirements for a 'Skipper', is ability to manage - the boat + crew (includes looking after both).
You will inevitably have on your own boat "crew with mixed abilities". You should learn to deal with situations like this. When will you ever have a crew of expert ability? Even the RN & RNLI have 'mixed abilities'.
People unfortunately go on training courses - eg 3 weekends for competant crew + 3 weekends Dayskipper - & expect to gain certification without putting in the effort. Not even bothering with any homework or an understanding of the theory beforehand (don't have time for a shorebased course) - & then complain they can't get individual attention.

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