Some thoughts on DS and CS training

[Babylon]

Interesting addition.

Clearly there's nothing like experience. If you don't yet have it, the next best thing is to learn as much as possible from people who do - on structured courses, in person (with or without beer), and from books, magazines, fora, etc.

But the fact is that if you're coming to yacht sailing with zero previous experience (as I did seventeen years ago) then the RYA ladder of training from CC onwards provides a carefully constructed and generally very efficient overall framework.

Its then up to you to take what you personally need from the system - DS, CS, YM, the one day courses, and even tailored tuition like initial own-boat instruction if you feel you'd benefit from it.

Attributes like self-reliance, handiness with tools, pragmatism, adaptability, hand-brain co-ordination, an adventurous spirit, a reasonable dose of courage, etc are all jolly useful - people who lack some or all of these are unlikely to be attracted to yachting in the first place.

As for caving... I get claustrophobic just thinking about it!! ?

 

[[178529]]

I once sailed with a pair who, having newly completed their Dazed Kipper courses, tried to convince me that the only safe way to move forward to the foredeck was to sit on the coachroof and bum shuffle. They had also showed rabbit-in-headlight behaviour when being stand-on vessel. I doubt they had been taught this but it was all fresh in their minds (as were locking turns on every cleat). I would have liked to have seen how they progressed on their own boat.

I've had the same experience. One of my best friends has done cc and day skipper but he hasn't got his own boat and did those courses before going on a flotilla holiday. He couldn't believe I go sailing, and have done since a nipper with no RYA qualifications, other than a radio licence.
However, when we have gone out a couple of times it's been force 5-6 wind against tide and he's looked like your rabbit in the headlights.

I think sailing courses are great, they speed up the education process, they stop mistakes but I see new sailors on here saying 'im doing my courses then buying a boat then sailing to the Caribbean etc' .. I suspect that they can breed a false confidence given a lack of real world experience.

 

[Stemar]

A 5 day course isn't going to make any idiot into a safe person to be in charge of a boat.

No amount of training will make any idiot into a safe person anywhere ?

I did my Dazed Kipper and was of some use on a boat. Even capable of skippering in good conditions without killing anyone or breaking the boat. It took a owning a boat to start to understand the depths of my ignorance and incompetence. Nearly 20 years later, I'm still ignorant and incompetent, just better at hiding it

 

[sgr143]

I found that a flotilla holiday week in Greece was a huge help in making the transition between being on well-crewed course or club boats and being in charge of a short-handed "normal" boat. Myself (CS), wife (CC), three teenage children (dinghy sailors since 8yo). The major decisions (destination, rough route, timing) are made for you, then the day-to-day sailing and boat handling is up to you, and there's help in mooring up etc. if you need it. I felt a lot more confident after that - also it was a good holiday that everyone enjoyed. We tacked on 3 days sightseeing in Athens beforehand, and took a leisurely drive back from Poros to Athens, to make a varied trip of it. A happy crew is a happy boat!