Which Course?

wonky

wonky

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Hello all. I'm pretty new to boating having done my PB2 during August in Falmouth (great laugh despite the weather) and purchasing an Antares 6 in September (which I'm loving). I'm now looking to gain more confidence and expertise and do another course.
I notice on the RYA website that there is a choice between motor cruiser and powerboat courses. Any thoughts on which way to go next, PB intermediate or advanced or straight to day skipper?

Thanks in anticipation, Wonky.
 
wonky said:
Hello all. I'm pretty new to boating having done my PB2 during August in Falmouth (great laugh despite the weather) and purchasing an Antares 6 in September (which I'm loving). I'm now looking to gain more confidence and expertise and do another course.
I notice on the RYA website that there is a choice between motor cruiser and powerboat courses. Any thoughts on which way to go next, PB intermediate or advanced or straight to day skipper?

Thanks in anticipation, Wonky.
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I'd go straight to dayskipper, theory+practical. IMHO, it is the best course. It teaches you everything you should know to be a competent coastal skipper (including night passages). It's really a very good syllabus. The "lower" courses than this are fine but you'll be wanting more when you've done them, so might as well go straight to what you want (ie day skip), and the "higher" courses teach you nice "add-ons" but for the most part they are just add-ons and are better suited to someone who has done a few years boating

(In any case you can't do YM till you have logged the required number pf passages, which will take a leisure boater a couple of years, so YM is out of the question)

Good luck
 
wonky said:
Hello all. I'm pretty new to boating having done my PB2 during August in Falmouth (great laugh despite the weather) and purchasing an Antares 6 in September (which I'm loving). I'm now looking to gain more confidence and expertise and do another course.
I notice on the RYA website that there is a choice between motor cruiser and powerboat courses. Any thoughts on which way to go next, PB intermediate or advanced or straight to day skipper?

Thanks in anticipation, Wonky.
Click to expand...

Why not do one of the correspondence courses.
I know they are all theory but you would have a much better understanding when you actually do one of the prictical courses.

These people are very good - internet course. http://www.cmonline.co.uk/
 
wonky said:
Any thoughts on which way to go next, PB intermediate or advanced or straight to day skipper?
Click to expand...
It sounds as though you regard the Day Skipper as a "higher" course than the PB Advanced.

If anything, I would say it is the other way round: PB advanced requires you to have a prior knowledge of navigation and pilotage to Day Skipper level before you go on the course. The course itself should include night navigation and pilotage, and a lot more interesting boat handling.

Personally, I think the Day Skipper would be a good follow-on to the PB2. PB2 will have given you a decent grounding in boat handling, and the Day Skip can add a corresponding level of navigation and pilotage -- ready to step up to PB Advanced if you want to!
 
wonky said:
Hello all. I'm pretty new to boating having done my PB2 during August in Falmouth (great laugh despite the weather) and purchasing an Antares 6 in September (which I'm loving). I'm now looking to gain more confidence and expertise and do another course.
I notice on the RYA website that there is a choice between motor cruiser and powerboat courses. Any thoughts on which way to go next, PB intermediate or advanced or straight to day skipper?

Thanks in anticipation, Wonky.
Click to expand...

I'd spend a lot of time on boats from a young age...but I'd never been responsible for anything, maybe a bit of helming but apart from that, just doing what somebody told me to do.

A couple of years ago, I started working on my boat and knew that at some point I was going to be a skipper and be responsible for others and the boat.
A pro skipper recommend to do the Day Skipper.

I did the Day Skipper theory with http://www.cmonline.co.uk/cmohomedom1.html?1NN6+1258704020386

And then my practical out here in Greece.

I can hand on my heart say that they have given me a lot of confidence to take my family and friends out on the boat.

For the online course you need to be strict with yourself, don't cheat and if you don't understand it, go over it again....any questions you have will be answered very quickly and clearly by the guys that run the course.
 
Thanks for all your help everyone. I'm going to do the distance learning and then the practical in March, ideal. See you on the Solent (perhaps not you growinglad!)

Cheers.
 
Not quite so- unless you can no longer do YM theory on its own.
I'd actually go straight to that; it is DS but in more depth. But although most of the exam is a subjective judgement by the tutor, some of it (collgegs and lights maybe?) demands a set pass mark.And I d do a class, not via post.
Unless you find playing about with rulers and dividers and doing rather pointless secondary port calcs an amusing pastime- and I didnt-, most of the fun is meeting people,swaping stories, and going to the pub ;)
But there is quite alot of homework. No kidding, often about 3 hours a week. Now that might not sound like much, til the lesson is the next day... ;) ;)
 
gjgm said:
But although most of the exam is a subjective judgement by the tutor, some of it (collgegs and lights maybe?) demands a set pass mark.
Click to expand...
The only Yachtmaster Exam is one conducted by an examiner, that lasts the the thick end of a day, and takes place on a boat.
 
Well i'm a yachtie generally with dayskipper & yachtmaster but i would go for day skipper for what your doing. I want to do PB2 so what do you need to do? Oh and if your going abroad do your ICC exam.
 
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