Elessar
Well-Known Member
Yes. And generally speaking teaching someone builds more confidence that having patronising assumptions made about them.
Training recommendations- Solent/South Coast
- Thread starter SimonX
- Start date
ashtead
Well-Known Member
You don’t say where you are based boatwise but I would have thought asking at yacht club if you belong might produce suggestions. We are at Haslar which has Haslar yacht club who would be a source of info I’m sure as many wise heads there and there are a number of instructors advertising but ideally you want to find someone who has similar boat to yours and done course on board at your club.
Alicatt
Well-Known Member
As the OP is planning on cruising in The Netherlands:
In The Netherlands and Belgium they differentiate between Inland waterway and Open Sea/Tidal for their courses, the basic course is for inland waterways and features boat handling in locks, which if you are going to cruise on the inland waterways is a very useful skill to have.
Most of the sluizen in The Netherlands are remote operated. One of the things I did not know, even though I had done the RYA CEVINI course, was that you can ask the lock keeper to fill or empty the lock at a different speed, though you have to do that before he starts as once it is started it won't stop until the pressures are equalised.
This is something that is not in the syllabus of the RYA courses.
Still, doing the PB2 to give his wife confidence is a great idea, I know it really helped my wife, and she regularly takes the helm on our boat now, though she does need a bit more practice in boat handling with the twin engines.
Come April 2026 procedures in Belgium are going to change for a lot of the waterways, with a requirement that you either use AIS/VHF radio to access the locks or you use an App on a smart phone to do the same, some canals will still be under the old rules. The Waterways want you to use VHF as the primary method of contacting the lock keeper but we know of some that never answer the VHF so you have to call them on their GSM which the waterway frowns on.
In The Netherlands and Belgium they differentiate between Inland waterway and Open Sea/Tidal for their courses, the basic course is for inland waterways and features boat handling in locks, which if you are going to cruise on the inland waterways is a very useful skill to have.
Most of the sluizen in The Netherlands are remote operated. One of the things I did not know, even though I had done the RYA CEVINI course, was that you can ask the lock keeper to fill or empty the lock at a different speed, though you have to do that before he starts as once it is started it won't stop until the pressures are equalised.
This is something that is not in the syllabus of the RYA courses.
Still, doing the PB2 to give his wife confidence is a great idea, I know it really helped my wife, and she regularly takes the helm on our boat now, though she does need a bit more practice in boat handling with the twin engines.
Come April 2026 procedures in Belgium are going to change for a lot of the waterways, with a requirement that you either use AIS/VHF radio to access the locks or you use an App on a smart phone to do the same, some canals will still be under the old rules. The Waterways want you to use VHF as the primary method of contacting the lock keeper but we know of some that never answer the VHF so you have to call them on their GSM which the waterway frowns on.
SimonX
Well-Known Member
I don’t have a boat in U.K. at the moment ( I was based at Hythe but sold and am buying in Netherlands )
ylop
Well-Known Member
Not necessarily! It could be to gain 100 new skills, or it could be to gain 10 new skills really well. I'd suggest that as a foundation for further learning and confidence in your own boat the latter is probably a good place to go.
Exactly, the syllabus will be the same wherever the course is sat. Its unlikely that someone doing a PB2 course actually even experiences most of the stuff you referred to even in the Solent.
If I was wanting to train someone who was going to be using a boat in the Isjelmeer, Markermeer etc I'd ideally be looking for someone that could teach box moorings with cross winds - not sure if there is anywhere in the UK that is good for that?
Elessar
Well-Known Member
The only place I can remember that in the UK is Bourne End marina. Which is a long way from the solent and that one skill aside is not a gret place to do training.
SimonX
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the replies. We are booked with Mendez to do Helmsman and Day Skipper in April
Little Ricky
Well-Known Member
Aye up, thou'need naought tranlaaation up North laddie.Looking to refresh my PB2, wife to do hers and both go on to Day Skipper but want it to be done in a boat over 11m , twin screw rather than a RIB which is what I did mine in originally.
Solent area ideally but south coast OK.
Had one recommendation from a friend but it’s in Hull which is a bit of a hike and may need a translator
SimonX
Well-Known Member
One on't cross beams gone owt askew on't treddle.
Little Ricky
Well-Known Member
...thats easy for you to say.