Yachtmaster practical

[John35]

To sit a yachtmaster practical exam with the RYA, do you need to have done the theory first. Obviously they will test your navigational ability but is a Yachtmaster offshore/Ocean theory pass essential?

thanks

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Nope... not needed at all

 

[oceanfroggie]

To sit a yachtmaster practical exam with the RYA, do you need to have done the theory first. Obviously they will test your navigational ability but is a Yachtmaster offshore/Ocean theory pass essential?

thanks

No you do not, but it is recommended. If you have a recent shore based attendance cert they will tend to focus more on practical issues during the water based exam. If you do not have a shore based attendance cert they will go a lot harder on you before going to sea and during the practical. It's a lot easier to concentrate on theory questions in a cosy class room than in the middle of your practical exam.

 

[Skysail]

you don't have to take the theory course, but you will have to show an equivalent level of knowledge - safety, colregs, navigation, weather, passage planning, etc, etc

 

[Elessar]

To sit a yachtmaster practical exam with the RYA, do you need to have done the theory first. Obviously they will test your navigational ability but is a Yachtmaster offshore/Ocean theory pass essential?

thanks

I did mine only a few weeks ago and the other posters are correct. I hadn't done any theory tests at all. You do need VHF of course and first aid - he asks to see those. In fact I didn't even hold an ICC, the Yachtmaster was my first practical test ever.

The examiner asked a few scenario questions which actually needed a fairly complex combination of theory facts to answer. There were 2 or 3 scenarios and he was happy, but then he slipped others in in casual converstion en route during the test. He didn't make it like a theory test at all, but it was of course.

He asked to see some passage plans I'd already done and just got me to explain, in high level terms, what my logic was. If you didn't have any to hand I guess you'd have to do some during the evening so don't rub out the pencil on your charts until you need the chart again and keep your notes!

He was after real world answers as well - my route to Cowes was desribed as "a bit dayskipper - what would you really do?" So I changed it and he was happy. On a Dart to Guernsey passage he looked at he wanted to know what would determine my departure time - "when we've finished lunch" was fine (a foul tide in the little russel spoils your day far less than skipping lunch when you're doing 20 knots).

The only thing is though, unless you have actually navigated sans GPS, it would be a bit of struggle without some lessons I think. Unlike some these days I always use charts, but my chartplotter has become my primary tool with the chart as a backup, and as a result my chartwork and bearing work was rusty and needed practice. Maybe it's just a mobo thing with the higher speed that the plotter gets more relied upon I don't know? I had 4 prep days before my exam and keeping the cover firmly on my trusty E120 seemed very strange for a while.

For various reasons by the time I got to cowes during the test I was on the 7th route there of the night. The examiner actually complimented me on how rapidly I could plot, but to me it felt slow.......

 

[John35]

Thanks all

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

I had 4 prep days before my exam and keeping the cover firmly on my trusty E120 seemed very strange for a while.

For various reasons by the time I got to cowes during the test I was on the 7th route there of the night. The examiner actually complimented me on how rapidly I could plot, but to me it felt slow.......

Interesting comment. When I did mine I assumed I had to do EPs, 3 point fixes etc and the examiner queried why I wasnt using the GPS.

 

[Elessar]

Interesting comment. When I did mine I assumed I had to do EPs, 3 point fixes etc and the examiner queried why I wasnt using the GPS.

My examiner was very specific in he preamble to the test - "we keep the GPS off". He was no fuddy duddy and thought plotting secondary ports was a bit life on mars when you can do it on a PDA. I have to say I think his approach was spot on. If he thought I couldn't use the plotter then fair enough it should have been the other way round.

 

[snowleopard]

As everyone has said, you don't need the shorebased certificate. If you have it you may still get questions on the theory part of the syllabus and you will certainly get colregs questions. If you don't produce a certificate the examiner will have to satisfy himself that you have the knowledge.

 

[CalmSkipper]

I did YM exam (sail) recently. Definately no GPS. Regardless of when/how you cover the theory you need to demonstrate good nav via charts, depth sounder, compass and log. The examiner did a great job of making us all feel at ease. There were lots of questions worked in along the way and he was definately a sharp cookie who saw everything but it felt like a fair assessment taking into account the conditions and that despite his best efforts we were all bound to be a bit on edge, being under exam conditions.

 

[Solitaire]

YM Offshore exam

As has been said, you don't need any formal shore based qualifications to do the YM exam. In fact there is not even an RYA course for YM, although most training centres will run YM "prep" sessions, normally over 5 days to get the students up to speed on what is/may be expected of them.

The real issue is making sure that you actually qualify to do the exam and while it is down to self declaration you will need to show a log book or evidence of your experience.

Check out the following:

Yachtmaster Offshore exam pre-requisites:

Minimum seatime: 50 days, 2,500 miles including at least 5 passages over 60 miles measured along the rhumb line from the port of departure to the destination, acting as skipper for at least two of these passages and including two which have involved overnight passages. 5 days experience as skipper. At least half this mileage and passages must be in tidal waters. All qualifying seatime must be within 10 years prior to the exam.

Form of exam: Practical


Certification required: A restricted (VHF only) Radio Operators Certificate or a GMDSS Short Range Certificate or higher grade of marine radio certificate. A valid first aid certificate (first aid qualifications held by Police, Fire and Armed Services are acceptable).

Minimum exam duration: 8-12 hours for 1 candidate, 10-18 hours for 2 candidates. No more than two candidates can be examined in 24 hours and no more than four candidates can be examined in one 2 day session.


Minimum age:18

 

[John35]

So is it worth doing or is it just so you can brag over a pint or two.....

 

[Litotes]

So is it worth doing or is it just so you can brag over a pint or two.....

Not worth doing for bragging purposes. Might be some use to brandish when chartering or at your insurer - I don't know. But it seems to me to be well worth doing for two kinds of people.

Firstly, people who are relatively new to skippering a boat and will learn a lot from the experience of working through the syllabus (which is a pretty good, comprehensive, nautical education) with the exam at the end acting as a motivator to pay attention, be thorough and not to skip bits. Such people may be amazed at how much they can learn in the "YM prep" course as well.

Secondly, people who have been skippering yachts for years but who like to challenge themselves, to make sure they are up to speed with the whole range of knowledge and skills involved (not just the bits they deal with routinely) and whose minds are open to learning from other experienced sailors. When the vast majority of your sailing is as skipper of your own boat it is very easy to slip into bad habits and ignore other people's good ideas and good practices. They, too, might gain a lot from a "prep" course with an expert instructor and experienced colleagues.

Sometimes learning is not about new stuff. It's more like going through an old, untidy drawer, finding out what's there, discarding some old stuff, adding some new stuff, folding everything up and putting it back in the drawer in an orderly way so that you know you can find it later.

 

[snowleopard]

Another reason to do it is to validate your knowledge. By that I mean that you may have assumed you are competent for years but it is nice to have an independent check. For the same reason it is useful to do a driving test from time to time to make sure you haven't picked up any bad habits

 

[HoratioHB]

Not worth doing for bragging purposes. Might be some use to brandish when chartering or at your insurer - I don't know. But it seems to me to be well worth doing for two kinds of people.

Agree with all thats been said but it does save money with insurers as well. As a new boat owner with no actual NCB, a Yachtmaster got me full the NCB straight away.

 

[toad_oftoadhall]

Not worth doing for bragging purposes. Might be some use to brandish when chartering or at your insurer

Nope, not much use for chartering.