South coast or Algarve for YM prep & practical?

pteron

pteron

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I'm planning to do the YM exam this year (I've got all of the pre-reqs) and I'm interested in your experiences and opinions of the relative merits of doing it on the South coast (Solent or West Country) vs sunnier climes (Algarve or Gib).

I've looked at the usual suspects (Hamble School, RUSailing, Allabroad) - any others I should consider?

Thanks
 
If you simply want the ticket then sunnier climes.

If you want to be examined on your abilities then the Solent, more tides, more traffic, more to go wrong
 
Do the exam somewhere that's outside your usual sailing grounds. That'll make it a bit more taxing.

There's lots of schools other than the ones you've mentioned on your list.
 
I did mine through Hamble school in late march this year, they were very good, the prep week was very thorough. There is nowhere quite as demanding as the Solent, so that was my choice, even though my boat is in Scotland where the sailing enjoyment is in a higher league. There was no problem being in a different boat, it reversed a lot better than mine....
 
Perhaps more pleasant here in the Algarve but a max.of 4m tide, no tidal streams & not much rough weather so if you just want a piece of paper and a pleasant holiday this is the place. But if you really want to learn then somewhere like Morecambe bay- Isle of Man where the tides are rather more than twice the size and usually a lee shore will be more beneficial.
Jim
 
I learned tons in 5 days of prep. with Rob and Jules of rusailing.com in Lagos, and I had been sailing for 30 years, aswell as being a deck officer in a previous life.

Plenty of tidal flow in the entrance to Alvor, and up the river to Portimao. It can also get quite windy, but it's warm, (so you can concentrate on learning, rather than keeping warm and dry).

If I was doing it again, I would chose rusailing without hesitation.

Agree that the Solent will be more testing.
 
Thanks for all of the info chaps.

I was originally planning to go to Portugal, but now I'm wavering - I'd like to think I can do the exam in the most difficult place.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I was originally planning to go to Portugal, but now I'm wavering - I'd like to think I can do the exam in the most difficult place.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then try the East Coast. Far more challenging than the South Coast. Try a passage plan from, say, Bradwell to Calais, and compare it with Lymington to Cherbourg. Great fun!
 
Do the day skipper as a holiday somewhere warm but tidal.
eg Canaries or Europe atlantic coast going down to Gibraltar.

Do the YM where it is more difficult both weather and tides so that you can get the maximum benefit.

We bought our 1st big boat on impulse after a wet cold windy regional sailing race with dreams sailing in of warmer climes!
Quickly did the VHF course and DS. As I was skipper from day 1 went straight for YM once I had done approx 2800mls. Now done approx 12000Nm but always wonder what I don't know because I missed the YM prep course!

Would add that our YM examiner quickly found the extent of our knowledge then worked in that area so that the exam was also a learning curve and left you with no doubt that there was still much to learn.

I now try to encourage crew to learn and keep asking them questions and am amazed how often i need to refer to books to confirm the correct answer. if you are like me you need to constantly question things or you forget all that you learnt to pass the DS & YM. Recent one was fog signals when we got caught in Fog in Solent as in all those miles its the 1st time i had encountered fog!
 
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