GruffT
New member
What do the panel think about sitting the YM Exam 2 handed?
GruffT
GruffT
Short handed YM Exam
- Thread starter GruffT
- Start date
MARGETTS
Member
Not a problem.
I did mine with just my wife as crew several years ago. That is how we always sailed, so why would we need to do anything different.
I did mine with just my wife as crew several years ago. That is how we always sailed, so why would we need to do anything different.
Talulah
Well-known member
OK providing the second person can sail, knows the boat and unlikely to get seasick.
On the other hand if they can't do any of the above it gives an excuse if you fail.
pyrojames
Well-known member
Not necessarily. The examiner might suggest that you had insufficient crew for the proposed passage.
GruffT
New member
The other person would be the other candidate in the exam and is a competent and reliable fellow. But pyrojames raises one of the points i was kind of angling at....
bedouin
Well-known member
I have heard of people passing YM singlehanded - but it is not really in the spirit of the things. A lot of what the examiner should be looking for is your ability to handle a crew which is hard to assess short handed.
Talulah
Well-known member
Good point. Often overlooked in my opinion.
I really wouldn't worry though about being short handed with only two. You can always discuss this with the examiner beforehand and if needs be you'll probably be able to get a volunteer off these forums.
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damsis44
Member
I would agree with Talulah and advise to discuss with the examiner before hand.
Having been a C/Sk candidate with OH doing YM at same time, with 3 crew on board our 35ft yacht which we usually sailed together, I found it quite stressful and cramped having a full complement! ON the other hand we were out in a F7/F8 September night and I think if we hadn't have had crew to assist it would have been a disaster.
When I did my YM last year, with another C/Sk on board, we had a team of three again, this time on a 44ft yacht, and having spent 5 days sailing together, we were like a well oiled machine, coupled with a decent YME it made the whole experience a pleasure.
The YME (mine anyway) does say that you should do what you normally do, run your ship your way, but he wants to see clear and confident management, which you may not be able to show with just the two of you...do you take it in turns to skipper or like us just sail together doing what needs to be done?
The only other thing to take into consideration is that if you are both candidates, you are going to be on the water for a significant amount of time - min 14hours, it's a long time to keep at it if there's just two of you aboard. I would be tempted to find a.n.other just to take the pressure off, but make sure they are someone who a) can sail and b) has sailed with you on this boat before (or at least take them out with you a couple of times before the exam)
Sorry for waffling, but hope in some way I've helped.
Having been a C/Sk candidate with OH doing YM at same time, with 3 crew on board our 35ft yacht which we usually sailed together, I found it quite stressful and cramped having a full complement! ON the other hand we were out in a F7/F8 September night and I think if we hadn't have had crew to assist it would have been a disaster.
When I did my YM last year, with another C/Sk on board, we had a team of three again, this time on a 44ft yacht, and having spent 5 days sailing together, we were like a well oiled machine, coupled with a decent YME it made the whole experience a pleasure.
The YME (mine anyway) does say that you should do what you normally do, run your ship your way, but he wants to see clear and confident management, which you may not be able to show with just the two of you...do you take it in turns to skipper or like us just sail together doing what needs to be done?
The only other thing to take into consideration is that if you are both candidates, you are going to be on the water for a significant amount of time - min 14hours, it's a long time to keep at it if there's just two of you aboard. I would be tempted to find a.n.other just to take the pressure off, but make sure they are someone who a) can sail and b) has sailed with you on this boat before (or at least take them out with you a couple of times before the exam)
Sorry for waffling, but hope in some way I've helped.
GruffT
New member
thanks all. Good advice as usual.
gt
gt
pugwash94
Member
It has always puzzled me that, since the majority of boats I moor alongside are two handed husband and wife crewed, as we tend to be, none of the RYA courses seem to teach the basics of sailing short handed.
As for assessing people as leaders during a few hours sailing - one of the posts says
It is enough time to possibly to decide that the person is not totally useless with people and will drive his crew nuts but the leadership is required when things go pear-shaped and you have many, many hours before the situation improves.
As for assessing people as leaders during a few hours sailing - one of the posts says
"be on the water for a significant amount of time - min 14hours, it's a long time to keep at it if there's just two of you aboard"
This is hardly a "significant" amount of time (wind in the right direction Southampton Water to St Peter Port will take most of us 16hrs plus) and it is really not enough time to assess whether the person is a leader.It is enough time to possibly to decide that the person is not totally useless with people and will drive his crew nuts but the leadership is required when things go pear-shaped and you have many, many hours before the situation improves.
GrahamM376
New member
If you both sail together normally and the boat is rigged for short handed sailing and you're up to YM standard which will have entailed some reasonably long passages, how can you say that 14 hrs is a long time? Many couples sail for days at a time on passage and to most who sail offshore, that's just a short hop.
damsis44
Member
Fair comment, in the grand scheme of things, it (14hours) isn't a long time to be on the water, but it will certainly seem like it under exam conditions. Believe me when I say the 14 hours we were out on my first exam felt like an eternity! And you are not just sailing, you ARE being examined!
Just trying to offer another perspective for the OP about the exam itself, having been through it twice, not cause a discussion about how long is a long time on the water!
Just trying to offer another perspective for the OP about the exam itself, having been through it twice, not cause a discussion about how long is a long time on the water!
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georgeo
New member
my YM exam started at 15.30, we did not moor up till 0200 that night, and not finish the exam till 1500 that day. 2 candidates supported by 3 crew (Competent crew level, but experienced dinghy sailors and VERY good). It was hard. Could not have done it with less for that amount of time in my opinion. We both passed, me, somewhat to my surprise!
GrahamM376
New member
I'm well aware it's an exam, I did it some years ago. I actually found having extra crew (with varying degrees of competence) to organise and delegate work to on an unfamiliar boat, increased my work load and stress as I'm used to sailing short handed, just the two of us.
RupertW
Well-known member
After a weeks prep with 4 of us, 2 people dropped out of the exam and perhaps understandingly wouldn't stay on as crew. V annoying as all our prep had been done with at least 3 of us.
I'm also used to sailing usually with just two of us on board so it wasnt impossible but it became a demonstration of boating technique instead of the ability to run a crew. I think that the RYA should really insist on more on board so that sailing schools make up the numbers if needed.
I'm also used to sailing usually with just two of us on board so it wasnt impossible but it became a demonstration of boating technique instead of the ability to run a crew. I think that the RYA should really insist on more on board so that sailing schools make up the numbers if needed.
damsis44
Member
But that's exactly the point of the exam....you're wanting to be a YM, capable in the eyes of the RYA and more importantly the MCA of mastering any yacht, in any conditions, with any amount of crew. It is stressful, but they're looking to see if you can handle it, because, as a previous poster said, when it all goes pear-shaped it's YOU that has to sort it out, and as YM, your crew will look to you.
I know some people pass the YM and never do anything with it (just to achieve it is enough), but the YME doesn't know that, and he has to examine you knowing that you could put in for your commercial endorsement and then try and take a 70ft yacht out with a dozen novices on board.
GruffT
New member
I must admit that there is a little side of me which would rather sail with 1 other who knows what they're doing than 3 who don't... My experiences with sea school crews have been... err... varied....
bedouin
Well-known member
Wouldn't we all?
I'd rather sail single handed than with three who didn't know - but that is the whole point of the YM exam
GruffT
New member
benjenbav
Well-known member
I think it depends quite considerably on the boat. I took mine with one crewmember, which I felt was sufficient notwithstanding having to stop what I was doing in order to assist an elderly gentleman in a white ensigned vessel whose main halyard had jammed with the sail half up. Had I been sailing a square rigger, I might have felt a little under-gunned.