Yachtmaster Ocean

[SurreySailing]

Hi Alant

Yes, 8 evenings of 3 to 3.5 hours each plus 2 full days at the weekend.

This format works very well as it allows for a slower pace than the usual 5 day intensive, with students learning in bite size chunks and then having a week between each evening to carry out homework, practice etc. A bit more like the old 22 week system but without having to give up one evening a week for nearly half the year....

Cheers
Chris

 

[CalmSkipper]

Many thanks to you all for your replies. Most helpful. I particularly appreciate the advice on the exam for professional use of the qualification so between this and the opportunity to go off piste in a classroom I think i'll opt for a classroomm course and see what deals are going at the boatshow next week.

My thanks again.

 

[Reverend Ludd]

?

!

 

[alant]

!

"I believe that there is a way of doing the exam in the presence of someone your end who can sign off that you did it without the aid of a computer then it will be ok for commercial use but I'm not certain about that."

??

 

[PeterR]

I did the theory course by correspondence by necessity but would have preferred a classroom scenario. I enjoyed the maths, it finally provided a reason for all that pain as a schoolboy.

We are talking a long time ago now. My certificate is No 256 dated 1981 - God I feel ancient. In those days - provided you had the theory certificate all you had to do was submit the details of a qualifying passage and your workings for a sun-run-sun, a compass check and a five star fix. The emphasis was all on astro - after all if you got it wrong you fell off the edge of the world didn't you? There was no need to certify you had not used a computer - they did not exist.

The killer was the five star fix. It is difficult to get suitable weather to practice that so very few people could get the required data together. I do not know quite what the examiners were looking for. The failure rate was high, even the professional skipper on the trip when I got my log together failed. The only comment I had back was why had I taken so long between each star shot? I thought I was doing well, I guess the examiners were professional master mariners who had spent their entire career taking star shots. I doubt any of those exist any more.

 

[Reverend Ludd]

"I believe that there is a way of doing the exam in the presence of someone your end who can sign off that you did it without the aid of a computer then it will be ok for commercial use but I'm not certain about that."

??

Alan you are a man of few words but this is getting silly.

 

[SurreySailing]

Whether or not you do the theory course by correspondence or classroom doesn't affect your commercial endorsement.

It's not the theory that you're commercially endorsing - it's your YM certificate and the only way you add ocean to that is by passing the face to face exam with the RYA examiner.

The RYA theory certificate (classroom or correspondence) just means that when you turn up to do the face to face exam with your log of qualifying passage (>600nm trip etc) you only need to do the oral bit and not the written bit.

Hope this helps.

Chris

 

[little_roundtop]

In support of AlanT

AlanT may appear to be a man of few words but when I did my Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased course with him several years ago his "few words" made a very dry subject interesting and fun.

IMHO he knows what he's talking about..........

 

[Doug_Stormforce]

Whether or not you do the theory course by correspondence or classroom doesn't affect your commercial endorsement.

It's not the theory that you're commercially endorsing - it's your YM certificate and the only way you add ocean to that is by passing the face to face exam with the RYA examiner.

The RYA theory certificate (classroom or correspondence) just means that when you turn up to do the face to face exam with your log of qualifying passage (>600nm trip etc) you only need to do the oral bit and not the written bit.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Chris you are correct that a correspondence course does not stop you having a commercial endorsement but it does stop you using the certificates commercially. i.e. by candidates who go onto to take Deck Officer qualifications (Master 200 unrestricted, Master 500, Master 3000 and Chief Mate). These guys are required to hold the YM Offshore Shorebased and YM Ocean Shorebased as prerequisites. The MCA requires that the exams for both courses are invidulated.

 

[alant]

AlanT may appear to be a man of few words but when I did my Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased course with him several years ago his "few words" made a very dry subject interesting and fun.

IMHO he knows what he's talking about..........

Thanks.

When, where, who?

 

[Reverend Ludd]

Whether or not you do the theory course by correspondence or classroom doesn't affect your commercial endorsement.

It's not the theory that you're commercially endorsing - it's your YM certificate and the only way you add ocean to that is by passing the face to face exam with the RYA examiner.

The RYA theory certificate (classroom or correspondence) just means that when you turn up to do the face to face exam with your log of qualifying passage (>600nm trip etc) you only need to do the oral bit and not the written bit.

Hope this helps.

Chris

Thanks for clearing that up

 

[alant]

Thanks.

When, where, who?

Thanks for pm, I do remember now.

 

[pecard]

Hi Calm skipper,

I tried Tiller's distance learning course a few years ago, but just couldn't follow it so I did an excellent classroom Ocean Yachtmaster theory course at the Cruising Association in Limehouse Dock, London instead and found the course excellent in lovely premises with free parking. They have another course starting in April for three weekends, and it is open to members as well as non members of the CA. Give them a call on 020 7537 2828

 

[NealB]

Both Joscelyn and I home-study courses years ago (late 80's), and it worked well for both of us.

My maths is pretty strong (I teach business statistics as part of my main income), but Jos's is very weak. As long as you can add/ subtract degrees, minutes, etc. it's no real problem.

Jos says she would have preferred a classroom environment, whereas I was very happy with the loneliness of the self-studier.

Just had a quick look back at my own notes....Wheelhouse School of Navigation it was....probably long since gone.

 

[Submariner!]

I'm considering doing 'Yachtmaster Ocean Theory' this winter. I'm looking into both classroom based and distance learning options. I'm UK based north of London but can use my boat in the solent for accommodation if its a classroom based course.

I'd be grateful to hear anyones experience/recommendations.

Try http://www.citysailing.com/course-details.php?id=149 Both options - City Sailing is run by Paul Bew who has been in the offshore business for some time.

 

[Tanqueray]

I did the 5 day intensive back in the '80's. I came off my motorbike on a patch of ice on the way to the first mornings lessons.
Eventually got there by about two in the afternoon by which time the class might as well have been speaking Mandarin Chinese for all I understood of the terminology!

However, burning the midnight oil that first night got me up to speed such that I could continue, and, with hindsight I found the 5 days intensive a more efficient way to learn.

Each to their own of course.

Steve

 

[Pickem]

Intensive classroom is the way forward. Personally I think night-school suits some but if you miss a few nights (as you most probably will due to other commitments) you might miss one little part which may cause you to not understand a part of it. With distance learning I personally would find it hard as Ocean Theory can be somewhat complex so you loose the ability to ask silly little questions as they come into your head. I did my Ocean very recently with Stokey Woodall at International Ocean Services (http://internationaloceanservices.co.uk/#/stokey-woodall/4558988826) and can not recommend him enough. Good luck

 

[Sailfree]

Why do you want to do it?

I did it and passed but frankly not intending to cross any Oceans in the near future I doubt if I could remember anything sufficiently to reliably use it.

I would need to repeat the course if I was going to use a sextant as backup.

If you are doing it to cross oceans soon, out of interest or collect badges fine but if you think you will need it a long time in the future and do not have a photographic memory do it nearer the time.

Maths is Ok for me but SWMBO gave up after struggling with the maths

 

[pecard]

Well! I did it out of general interest. Is that a bit geeky? Not really as its a method of navigation used for centuries and improves your self-confidence at sea no end.

I know the little black boxes are cheap and reliable, but the course I did at Cruising Association House in London a few years ago just gave me that little bit of extra uderstanding, and I know I'll probably never use it in anger - forgotten most of it now anyway - but successfully working out my first position from the end of Eastbourne pier gave me a real buzz.

I know they do quite a few courses up there - check out their website.

Cheers, Pecard