Should I do the Helmsman Course?

[mobione]

Have returned to boating after a long break and bought a targa 27. Took the 1st mate out today for the first time and she was not impressed with my helmsmanship
/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Bumped into the lock wall and broke the manoverboard fixing. Spun 360 before i I could get her along side. (To add insult to injury the lockmaster had suggested keeping her in the middle if I was confident /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif must have thought I was very confident doing a 360 in the middle of the lock )

Anyway on our return I managed to berth her without breaking anything so was quite happy. But from the look on the 1st mate's face I can see I'm going to have to improve quickly. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[hlb]

Why dont you just go out and practice some where safe. What you got, Single, twin, shafts, outdrives??

 

[mobione]

[ QUOTE ]
Why dont you just go out and practice some where safe. What you got, Single, twin, shafts, outdrives??

[/ QUOTE ]

Its a twin on outdrives.

Its just getting used to the various combinations of forward/reverse/turning to port/starboard the effect of the tide and wind and the resulting movement of the boat. I suppose most people experience similar problems when they first have a boat (not just me /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif)

 

[BrendanS]

No, we were all perfect straight off. It's a condition of membership of the forum! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Practice as Haydn said is what you need. A course will give you more confidence, and lots of pointers on how to do things that would take you longer to learn by yourself

 

[BarryH]

.........or just buy lots of big fenders.....works for rib drivers!

 

[Renegade_Master]

perhaps power boat level 1 maybe would help with your helming

(and before you start Brendan this is not a plug for work ok)

 

[whisper]

Welcome to the forum.
By Targa, do you mean the Botnia range, or the slightly more streamlined ones from "the other lot"?
If the former then congratulations on a great choice. If the other - ah well - I suppose then you must be of relatively tender years /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bejasus]

Try PB2 at the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club in Lowestoft. Wife and I did it last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't think you will find it anywhere cheaper. Take 1st mate too and get them to learn as well. Can't hurt to have an understanding of whats required.
Check them out here. RN&SYC

Powerboat Level II - (DA = direct assessment) - £137.50/£5(RYA Log Book)
Call 01502566726 for details - Instructor: David Schonhut

2 day course: Day 1: 0830 - 1700 Day 2: 0900 - 1600

5/6 March 2005 - 3 places
23/24 April 2005 - 3 places
18/19 June 2005 - 3 places
16/17 July 2005 - 3 places

 

[mobione]

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome to the forum.
By Targa, do you mean the Botnia range, or the slightly more streamlined ones from "the other lot"?
If the former then congratulations on a great choice. If the other - ah well - I suppose then you must be of relatively tender years /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I like the Botnia, mines a Fairline - and yes only had her a few weeks and already looking for the upgrade...... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Streamlined ... yes ... hopefully to remain that way which is why I asked the question. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyway thanks to all who have offered advice so far. I will look in the SYH

 

[Solitaire]

Wellcome to the forum. There are some on here who have advocated you look at either doing Level 1 Powerboat or Level 2 Powerboat certificate. I would suggest that this is totally wrong for you given your situation. Both powerboat certificates are based on single engine handling. You are twin outdrives! The techniques are different and your boat size is different! If you want to brush up on your skills I suggest that you find a YM or crusing power instructor in your area and ask him/her for a day or a couple of days own boat tuition. This way you can be taught/brush up on the techniques that make you look good, or at leasdt less of a prat to number 1 mate! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

You can get to grips with your boat now and then consider if you want to go on and do other RYA courses, Day Skipper practical etc.

 

[BrendanS]

So wot you are saying, is that SunCoast, as proprietor of a training school, is talking complete umbrellas and not to be trusted, while you, as purveyor of independent training, are /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Why a few days tuition before going on Day Skipper? It's not that hard is it?

 

[Bejasus]

Sorry David, but the RN&SYC vessel is twin engined, but obviously if he could get training locally on his own boat, all the better.

 

[Solitaire]

George, that is the exception, not the norm. The majority of commercial schools use single engine boats for Powerboat 1 & 2 courses.

 

[EME]

An honest answer with no axe to grind or interest in any training establishment ... by all means get some professional instruction on your own boat .. but if you want to pick up a qualification at the same time , go straight to Day Skipper ( and do it with the good lady on your own boat) . I did it that way ( although not on my own boat before the whole forum jumps in.. )

 

[mainshiptom]

Practise makes perfect !

Tom

 

[Its_Only_Money]

Brendan, you are implying that Solitaire's response was not impartial???? If you look carefully you can't tell from Solitaire's profile or posting that he is a trainer (nearest is in his profile is "drive boats for a living" - which could cover an awful lot of jobs...), Sun_Coast's signature is somewhat different however as I'm sure you'll have to agree.

So the only way the original poster would be aware of the fact that this is a difference of opinion between both individuals with any connection in training is via your post??? So to create the problem and then complain about it is a little odd????

In any case we should encourage different opinions, that is the advantage of the forum over just reading the RYA course catalogue. As far as I can see Solitaire wasn't disparaging of Sun_Coast or anyone else - I certainly didn't read that into it, there are only so many ways to say "I disagree" after all..... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Its_Only_Money]

mobione - on a best-bang-per-buck basis I don't think you'll beat own-boat tuition, this will get you the "gold" standard of being shown techniques etc in your boat using your controls/engines with your windage and with the boat suffering exactly the same effects of wind and tide. as you will encounter - saves you having to think or find out how differently the school boat behaves to your own.

It also allows you to have your 1st mate along and get him/her some involvement, many 1st mates shine under such conditions where they may not feel they want to take a course on another boat etc with strangers etc etc.

Someone posted a different thread a while back that they were nervous about getting the boat from the berth to the fuelling pontoon prior to some own-boat, this is just the sort of practical stuff that can/will/should be covered in own-boat tuition, seems like locks might be your "fuel berth" /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

So my vote is for own-boat - who you choose.....well that's a different question!

 

[hlb]

I can see one problem with own boat tuition. That who ever does the teaching would have to be expert on just about every boat known to mankind. Bet not many instructor want to do own boat, though alot advertise it. Still think you learn best by just practice, practice.

 

[Its_Only_Money]

Shouldn't think so, you only need to find one who is comfortable/experienced in the boat you have or similar boats with a similar power setup. Hopefully a bunch of individuals would have a breadth of experience to offer to boaters as a whole but no single individual needs to know all possible boats surely????? Obviously you might have difficulties getting instructors with particular non-mainstream combinations I guess but this example of twin drives in 27ish ft should be easy enough.

No argument with practice but a bit of guidance in the early hours can make it so much less expensive /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[hlb]

Ok. At the risk of getting loads of abuse on here. Folk saying, do it another way. But you have twin engines, which is a good start. OK better if you had shafts. But what ever. Thing is with two engines, you dont need a wheel. So put that in dead ahead and forget it. Less you can think of ninety seven things at once. Now even before you get on the boat, look around you. Whats the wind doing, how is the boat reacting. Pulling on the ropes. Which one. Held hard on the pontoon.? Which way is the tide or current going? Watch the leaves, flotsom etc. Now the thing is to use the wind to your advantage or counter act it where you cant. Theres loads of books on the subject, usualy to do with sailing, but the principle is the same. Dinghy sailing would help you understand far more about the wind and it's conciquences far better than any course.
You need a big round fender near you bow. Where the boat pivots round the bow. Different for different boats, but about just where it starts to curves in. Now, if you are being held on to the pontoon, you can push yerself off by putting your inside engine in reverse and the outer one forwards. You will pivot off the fender and yer arse end will come out. Might have to juggle in and out of gear to remain in position. Or move back/forwards at the same time. Main thing is, leave the bloody stearing alone. ( Dont want to hear about some Expert saying different) It gets to complicated, especially for newby. I never use the wheel inside the marina. OK shafts. Yes I could but why make things harder than they already are.

So now you have your arse end out, you can reverse away. Nearly never ever go out of a berth forwards, the front is round, the back square. Use the fender to it's best advantage and not stuff the arse end corner into the pontoon or me. It pisses me off!.

Marina finger berths are difficult for even experts with a cross wind. Hopefully you have T shaped cleats on the pontoon. Get your crew to make a big loop in the rope and lasoo the cleat from the fore deck. You will be surprised how you can manuver the boat over the top of the cleat, to help them. Both understanding that if the cleat canot be lassooed in time, its ok to pull off and try again.

Take absoluty no notice of wives/gf or others, saying I'd like it this way round cos of the sun, wind etc. Less of course its easy and no wind to worry about. An (Expert) would not have designed a marina, there only designed by pack them in types. Without putting your bow or in most power boat case, your stearn to the wind, you are not going to control it for any length of time. Dont try. Get your self to a position that you can, as soon as possible. Keep yerself to windward side and expect to lose a bit in the fight. Dont get in trouble down wind with no manuverability. Imagine THAT YOU ARE AT TESCO, but on a rolling road from which ever direction. Face the boat to the direction and your speed might well be five knots to equate with stopped!!