UKSA for YM Coastal or similar course

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Marlin

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Hi All,

Anyone done a practical course out of Cowes with UKSA? Recommend or otherwise? I have the impression they're more focussed on training schools and youngsters and a bit more of a youth hostel vibe than a commercial outfit - is that about right? I'm thinking of signing up to do my YM Coastal in June. They do 3 days prep and 2 days exam; other firms often seem to put you on a Coastal Skipper course then let you do the YM-C exam at the end, so potentially you still get CS if the exam goes pear shaped..?
 
I know a guy who skippers regularly for them and I've always been impressed by his teaching and the amount of sailing he gets done in a week. He has very high standards and I don't suppose he would stay with them if they didn't allow him to deliver a good course.
 
I think your doubts are well founded. There are loadsa schools around the Solent that may be better suited that give you more prep time. If you are not right on top of your game then three days is light. In my opinion.

Wherever you go, I do recommend being properly prepared for the prep course! Seen a lot of people fail over simple rule of road stuff and generally lacking confidence. It not terrifically hard, but you gotta do the revision. Exam, that is.

I write this as someone who worked for UKSA many tides ago and have a good friend who is in their current management.

Good luck! (y)
 
Thanks both. I didn't mean to be disparaging about the youth hostel vibes - I like YHAs! Nice to support a charity also, especially if it's a cheaper than average course, but I am worried 3 days seems light and without the 'lifeboat' of the CS qualification (I don't have any practical qual, but need one to charter later in the year). I'll heed the advice about revising at least, thanks!
 
I agree with capnsensible. Your doubts are well founded. I have skippered for them in the past and I would say they have a focus on zero to hero. Any short course is not their priority.
 
I did the week long diesel course with them in October. Primitive accommodation but the course and food was OK. Perhaps I'm of the age when four stinking blokes to a room on noisy bunkbeds and the nearest bog a long walk down the corridor is an affront to my sensitive tastes! :LOL:
 
When booking a YM Prep course check before hand you are booking onto a boat filled with other YM prep people. Very often it' s a mixed bunch of Day Skipper, Comp Crew and YM prep. Whatever fills the boat.
The syllabuses don't mix well. As a former instructor I have been put into this situation several times and it doesn't work.
 
Talulah said:
When booking a YM Prep course check before hand you are booking onto a boat filled with other YM prep people. Very often it' s a mixed bunch of Day Skipper, Comp Crew and YM prep. Whatever fills the boat.
The syllabuses don't mix well. As a former instructor I have been put into this situation several times and it doesn't work.
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Yeah, sadly thats the economics of, in particular, smaller schools. Of course its left to the Instructosr to do their best.

Competent crew can be a bonus for the Candidates to get real skippering experience but the Day Skipper mix is a hard one. not impossible but the school wont give the Instructor a bonus payment for al the extra work involved!
 
BenMurphy said:
If you want an alternative recommendation, I went with BOSS (based in Hamble) for both my Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses, and they're very good. Perhaps not quite as "shiny" as UKSA, but they sail mostly Sigma 38s which are great boats IMO.

British Offshore Sailing School
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I did my YM with them many years ago. I had sailed for 20 years before that but felt I still learnt more from the Coastal skipper practical in a Canaries sailing school than with BOSS YM a month later. I think my biggest challenge with BOSS was learning all the YM techniques leading 3 other people instead of just sailing as a couple, then for the exam itself having 2 drop out leaving all the new 4 man techniques suddenly to be done by two. I wasn’t happy.
 
claymore said:
If you are based in the North, I would recommend Plas Menai or Cumbrae
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I'd recommend doing these courses in an area you are not familiar with. That makes you do stuff properly.
If you know the area, you don't bother checking the chart all the time or plan things.
If you know the tides, you act differently than if you have to do everything 'by the book'.
Solent is good because there are lots of ports close together, so you get a lot of action and not hours of sailing a straight line between.
Plymouth might be worth a look too.

Plus, you get a good intro to a new area.
 
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