Should a complete newbie go for a Yachtmaster course?

[JumbleDuck]

Before I did one particularly before I headed of to South Africa for a low cost school. I’d have to look much more closely at the schools without rose color glasses.

There have been reports of South African sailing schools offering what purported to by RYA qualifications but were not. I have no reason to believe that the school discussed here is in any way dubious, but it does seem worth being particularly careful. I would, for example, check with the RYA that any overseas sea school was indeed RYA recognised.

 

[Tony Cross]

I've never worked in the sailing industry, but I know quite a few people who do, some of them are good friends. All of them work hard, often doing things they'd prefer not to but the owner's (or guest's) wishes are paramount and you do what they want to do and go when and where they want to go.

As an example, some years ago in Sitia on Crete we had a large (100ft ish) motor cruiser moored astern of us. The crew were really nice (most are we've found) but the Russian owner was a tyrant. He decided he wanted to anchor off the beach at Vai for the night, this is a 30nM trip around the NE end of Crete. The locals warned him that the forecast was not good and the seas would be large and uncomfortable, we'd have warned him too but he was too posh to speak to us. They put to sea and we could see them being tossed all over the place as they headed out. After less than and hour the boat was back. The owner rented a car for him and his guests and they drove across to Vai, he made the crew take the boat round on their own. We never saw them afterwards to ask how bad it really was but there will have been broken crockery below decks at least. That's what working in the industry can be like.....

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

None. They are essentially qualifications for leisure sailors. You need to do a bit more research, using the term "commercial endorsement", to get a clearer picture. I would imagine there would be some basic information on websites such as those of RYA or UKSA.

If you really are as much of an absolute newby as you claim, before committing yourself to an expensive course it might be an idea to get a bit of a taste of what life can be like on a small boat. Not everyone likes being cold, exhausted and frightened!

OP does mention STCW95, firefighting and Sea Survival in the list of course modules, indicating that commercial endorsement is intended.

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

If you try to take a Yachtmaster course with no previous experience, you will be totally out of your depth as you won't know the basics that are expected of anyone taking Yachtmaster. Start at the bottom and work up otherwise you will just waste your money and everyone else's time while on the course.

OP lists the course modules, beginning with Competent Crew.

 

[xhurleyman]

Hello TorroLoco, my advice to you would be as others have said, I have been sailing since I was 17 in dinghies and cruising boats, I have my Yachtmaster shore based which I did having just turned sixty! You really do need practical experience first and lots of it otherwise it's a bit like someone getting all the paper as in a degree, going for a manager's job and not knowing anything about the practical aspects of a job. If you become a manager having worked your way through the ranks you will have empathy with your colleagues and will know far better how to handle both everyday situations and emergencies.

Others are right, especially with marine activities, practical time out at sea is vital and in fact to be eligible to take the practical part of the yacht masters course you have to show a log of a specific number of passages done where you are in charge, both day and overnight passages. So really if that is the way you want to go then, get crewing for someone or if you have your own boat you may get an old salt to crew for you, then get out there in all weathers and practice. Perhaps do the winter courses, Competent Crew, Day Skipper and finally Yacht Master. All the best, kevin