Solent Sailing Schools

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Seadawg33

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I am interested in taking a class in order to prepare for taking the yachtmaster offshore exam. Although I come from sunny California I am considering taking the course in the Solent for the following reasons: 1) no classes in Kalifornia that I can find, 2) I like the sense of history taking classes in the Solent, 3) I figure I would stretch myself a little with the tide changes in the area, 4) I have friends in the area and 5) English Pubs are better then American bars. Online I have looked at two schools so far BOSS and First Class Sailing. Can anyone recommend these or any other schools. Boss is more dear then First Class by over GBP100.
 
Are you talking about flying in, doing a week's YM prep course, doing the exam and flying out and it's the prep week you're saying BOSS are charging £100 more for? Or are you planning on doing one of the 4 month long fast track courses? I did some courses with BOSS a dozen years ago but I'll tailor my answer according to what you're planning....
 
Laika thanks for taking the time to answer. I am planning on doing a week's prep course and then the exam. I have 35 years experience on the water and have sailed 10k to 20k ocean miles. I don't have any certifications though. More or an intellectual exercise then a needed certification. I just wouldn't want to fly all that way and then not have a course to take. Not that I wouldn't have fun in England but . . .
 
I'm sure you know this but the YM prep week isn't a "course" as such. An instructor should take you through the kinds of exercises you're likely to encounter in the exam but it's about honing skills rather than learning anything new. It would probably be worth having a chat with schools you're considering to find out who the other students will be. I was the only YM candidate on a prep week with BOSS which also had two dayskipper and two comp crew students. Not ideal. Not only is the instructor's time split 5 ways but you're also sitting through some basic dayskipper stuff when it would be better if your fellow students were doing the same exercises as you

If you were flying across 8 time zones to do this I would think it might be worth spending more than just that one week here. Another week just getting to know the area a bit might be useful. Even the best racing driver is going to perform better if they know the track a bit. And obviously do the homework with charts and an almanac before coming. There's a heck of a lot of stuff happening in that little bit of water.

Plenty of other schools to consider too. I don't have personal experience of them but others here will. As always bear in mind that a positive recommendation doesn't mean you're going to get the same instructor as the recommender had...

Oh and random thought if you visit...go up the spinnaker tower in portsmouth. Looking at a chart is one thing. Sailing the area another. Looking down on it is quite unexpectedly fascinating...
 
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Laika:

Yes I realize it is not a course. Also it will be more of a stop on my way home or to the Med. I have friends in Southampton that I would be visiting as well. Thanks for the tip on asking what course the other people will be taking.
 
laika said:
I'm sure you know this but the YM prep week isn't a "course" as such. An instructor should take you through the kinds of exercises you're likely to encounter in the exam but it's about honing skills rather than learning anything new. It would probably be worth having a chat with schools you're considering to find out who the other students will be. I was the only YM candidate on a prep week with BOSS which also had two dayskipper and two comp crew students. Not ideal. Not only is the instructor's time split 5 ways but you're also sitting through some basic dayskipper stuff when it would be better if your fellow students were doing the same exercises as you

If you were flying across 8 time zones to do this I would think it might be worth spending more than just that one week here. Another week just getting to know the area a bit might be useful. Even the best racing driver is going to perform better if they know the track a bit. And obviously do the homework with charts and an almanac before coming. There's a heck of a lot of stuff happening in that little bit of water.

Plenty of other schools to consider too. I don't have personal experience of them but others here will. As always bear in mind that a positive recommendation doesn't mean you're going to get the same instructor as the recommender had...

Oh and random thought if you visit...go up the spinnaker tower in portsmouth. Looking at a chart is one thing. Sailing the area another. Looking down on it is quite unexpectedly fascinating...
Click to expand...

But having others, like those doing DS, gives you a crew to 'skipper', which is one of the skills many do not have & is an integral part of YMO. Anybody can sail etc, but not all have adequate management/social skills of a good skipper.

PS, on the technical stuff, you'll find stuff like chart datum/tidal diamonds/obviously bouyage slightly different to your US stuff.
 
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alant said:
But having others, like those doing DS, gives you a crew to 'skipper', which is one of the skills many do not have & is an integral part of YMO. Anybody can sail etc, but not all have adequate management/social skills of a good skipper.
Click to expand...

I understand your point but I have a different opinion. Obviously individual instructors vary but from my experience (others please chip in here...) crew management tends to be less well addressed by sailing schools than sailing skills. Most people with enough access to a boat to progress to YM level should have had the opportunity to practice crew management. Honing of specific YM exam set pieces seems to be more what the YM prep weeks are geared to (and what I wanted it for).

With other YM candidates on board you focus exclusively on YM exercises and while one person is skipper the others are supposed to be learning how to role-play comp crew (not doing anything unless asked to) which will be needed in a shared exam. If others are being skipper, you learn from their successes/mistakes at YM tasks.

With Dayskipper students on board you have to be the pretend comp crew while they do exercises you're supposed to already be pretty good at. You probably won't be asked to moor to a buoy, anchor or do MOB under engine in a YM exam.

The comp crew students have paid for a course too: they're not just cannon fodder. So the instructor needs to be taking time out from YM skills to show them basic skills which obviously wouldn't be the case with YM students role playing. Would it be good practice *you* explaining those skills to them? Of course, but those comp crew students have paid for a qualified instructor to do that...

Sailing schools will try to sell the benefits of a "mixed" course but it's really just packing as many people onto a boat as they can. You learn by doing, watching others and being shown. If more than half the time is devoted to skills which you either already have or are too advanced to really take in, I think you're being short changed.

EDIT: I'd add that the "doing" is more valuable than the "watching" so a boat with 2 other students is better value than a boat with 4 other students...
 
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laika said:
I understand your point but I have a different opinion. Obviously individual instructors vary but from my experience (others please chip in here...) crew management tends to be less well addressed by sailing schools than sailing skills. Most people with enough access to a boat to progress to YM level should have had the opportunity to practice crew management. Honing of specific YM exam set pieces seems to be more what the YM prep weeks are geared to (and what I wanted it for).

With other YM candidates on board you focus exclusively on YM exercises and while one person is skipper the others are supposed to be learning how to role-play comp crew (not doing anything unless asked to) which will be needed in a shared exam. If others are being skipper, you learn from their successes/mistakes at YM tasks.

With Dayskipper students on board you have to be the pretend comp crew while they do exercises you're supposed to already be pretty good at. You probably won't be asked to moor to a buoy, anchor or do MOB under engine in a YM exam.

The comp crew students have paid for a course too: they're not just cannon fodder. So the instructor needs to be taking time out from YM skills to show them basic skills which obviously wouldn't be the case with YM students role playing. Would it be good practice *you* explaining those skills to them? Of course, but those comp crew students have paid for a qualified instructor to do that...

Sailing schools will try to sell the benefits of a "mixed" course but it's really just packing as many people onto a boat as they can. You learn by doing, watching others and being shown. If more than half the time is devoted to skills which you either already have or are too advanced to really take in, I think you're being short changed.

EDIT: I'd add that the "doing" is more valuable than the "watching" so a boat with 2 other students is better value than a boat with 4 other students...
Click to expand...

Sorry, don't agree, all of the same peer group results in no pecking order, making it more difficult for a nominal skipper to demonstrate his 'authority'. A mixed crew, means a natural pecking order can easily be assumed.
 
I did my Yachtmaster prep and exam with First Class Sailing and my daughter recently did her day skipper course also with them. We both found them excellent.
 
laika said:
I understand your point but I have a different opinion. Obviously individual instructors vary but from my experience (others please chip in here...) crew management tends to be less well addressed by sailing schools than sailing skills.
Click to expand...

I'm a bit surprised at the experience you report. Crew management is a key part of the YM exam and I'd be very surprised that any sailing school YM Instructor didn't put a lot of emphasis on it.
 
Seadawg33 said:
I am interested in taking a class in order to prepare for taking the yachtmaster offshore exam. Although I come from sunny California I am considering taking the course in the Solent for the following reasons: 1) no classes in Kalifornia that I can find, 2) I like the sense of history taking classes in the Solent, 3) I figure I would stretch myself a little with the tide changes in the area, 4) I have friends in the area and 5) English Pubs are better then American bars. Online I have looked at two schools so far BOSS and First Class Sailing. Can anyone recommend these or any other schools. Boss is more dear then First Class by over GBP100.
Click to expand...

Fair play to you for aiming to sit the exam so far away from home. It's traditional to knock Solent sailors for only ever sailing in their own back garden, but it's actually quite a challenging sailing area for a stranger. The tidal calculations aren't as simple as many other places, so you may have to get the instructor to revise that with you. Flows are out of phase with the tidal heights. There are places with double high waters (so four per day) and some with just vague high water stands, so you end up having to work off the low water times.

This website should allow you to check out the charts for most of the harbours. www.visitmyharbour.com There are good pubs in most of them, even Gosport. Beware the Master Builder's in Beaulieu used to be an over-priced tourist trap, maybe still is, but worth having a quick look if interested in history. You've presumably already heard of the Folly Inn, although I did hear a rumour it had gone downhill a bit.

There must be at least a dozen or two sailing schools around the Solent and I've no recent experience of them. However, the duff ones would quickly go out of business in such a competitive environment. One that has a well established reputation for working students very hard is the Southern Sailing School - less time in the pub but more prep for the exam. Their boats aren't the latest and smartest though.
 
lpdsn said:
Fair play to you for aiming to sit the exam so far away from home. It's traditional to knock Solent sailors for only ever sailing in their own back garden, but it's actually quite a challenging sailing area for a stranger. The tidal calculations aren't as simple as many other places, so you may have to get the instructor to revise that with you. Flows are out of phase with the tidal heights. There are places with double high waters (so four per day) and some with just vague high water stands, so you end up having to work off the low water times.

This website should allow you to check out the charts for most of the harbours. www.visitmyharbour.com There are good pubs in most of them, even Gosport. Beware the Master Builder's in Beaulieu used to be an over-priced tourist trap, maybe still is, but worth having a quick look if interested in history. You've presumably already heard of the Folly Inn, although I did hear a rumour it had gone downhill a bit.

There must be at least a dozen or two sailing schools around the Solent and I've no recent experience of them. However, the duff ones would quickly go out of business in such a competitive environment. One that has a well established reputation for working students very hard is the Southern Sailing School - less time in the pub but more prep for the exam. Their boats aren't the latest and smartest though.
Click to expand...

Southern went out of business sometime around August
 
Gladys said:
Not clear whether we are talking practical here, but to take a practical exam you have to have as pre-reqs VHF operator's license and First Aid certificate
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I'm sure they'd accept a US VHF cert.

The RYA were also very accommodating when I sat the exam with a first aid cert that was out of date. They held on to the YM cert until I took a new course (I ended up doing an STCW Elementary First Aid course with a bunch of restaurant staff from a ferry company). I'm sure the OP could give them a call and agree an alternative cert that he could get in the US.
 
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