YM Offshore power course + exam

[Sea Change]

As per title, I'm looking for suggestions for a training provider for the YM Offshore course/exam.
It looks like I'm going to have to go quite far afield (I'm based on Skye) as none of the local operators go beyond Advanced Powerboat.

Ideally looking to do this in early February but obviously I may need to be flexible about that.

Answers on a postcard please

 

[Alicatt]

Edinburgh Marine Academy has a school at Rhu Marina near Helensburgh, I did my day skipper with them last October, they do both practical and theory, they also use Ardent Training for remote learning.
When we did the day skipper practical, James the instructor we had was coming back later that week to do a YM exam

PB Marine Solutions
ArdentTraining

 

[Sea Change]

Edinburgh Marine Academy has a school at Rhu Marina near Helensburgh, I did my day skipper with them last October, they do both practical and theory, they also use Ardent Training for remote learning.
When we did the day skipper practical, James the instructor we had was coming back later that week to do a YM exam

PB Marine Solutions
ArdentTraining

Thanks, I hadn't spotted EMA, and I was thinking I'd have to go down south.

 

[ylop]

Assume you’ve looked at You and Sea? They may not have anything this time of year.

 

[Sea Change]

Assume you’ve looked at You and Sea? They may not have anything this time of year.

It looks like they're partnered with EMA

 

[Alicatt]

EMA took them over earlier in the year, I had booked my practical with You and Sea but it was EMA that delivered the course with their lovely Targa 35 Timeless

Carrick Castle from the sea, doing our night exercise in weather most foul


A few days later Timeless from the shore at Carrick Castle


Heading to Carrick...

Doing about 20knots here, the boat is capable of 40knots, we were in rougher weather than this on the final day of the course putting our pilotage plan into effect heading for the Kyles of Bute through the start of Storm Emma, 14knots there against the sea and 22knots back with the sea, we had planned on circumnavigating Bute but the weather was too bad, even Rothsey harbour was closed on our way back.

 

[ylop]

EMA took them over earlier in the year,

Ah I didn’t know that!

@Sea Change - if Inverness suits you better then these guys (never heard of them before so not a recommendation as such) just popped up in a Sail Scotland face book message: Motor Cruising Courses

They have a course at start of March if that’s not too late for you.

 

[Alicatt]

Ah I didn’t know that!

@Sea Change - if Inverness suits you better then these guys (never heard of them before so not a recommendation as such) just popped up in a Sail Scotland face book message: Motor Cruising Courses

They have a course at start of March if that’s not too late for you.

The guy that ran You and Sea sold up, and sold on their training boat which was a Nelson 42 from memory, the boat is still at Rhu but under new ownership, EMA had to bring Timeless over from Queensferry to fill the practical courses, they still have a RIB there and it was being used for a PB2 course while we were doing the Day Skipper. So we had 2 boats going round the pontoons berthing at one point while we were stuck in the marina waiting for the submarine to come past

 

[Sea Change]

Someone really needs to clean that pontoon.

 

[billskip]

Someone really needs to clean that pontoon.

And that sub, all that seagull carp...

 

[SimonX]

And that sub, all that seagull carp...

Seagull carp(!)? That's Admiralty Pattern 666 camouflage

 

[Alicatt]

Someone really needs to clean that pontoon.

All broken mussel shells and cormorant poop
They were busy fixing and welding up the pontoons, that outer one was not in use then and has no connection to the shore

And that sub, all that seagull carp...

Quite the astute observation there, hope no Vengeance against those birds is required.

HMS Vengeance arriving, loads of police and navy patrols going on, the town and dock yards were full of cadets and family of the returning sailors.

We had to report that 3 of the 5 signal lights they have at the entrance to the narrows were not working, caused a bit of confusion with us as we were about to head out for some exercises, so we phoned the KHM Faslane to find out if the area was shut down or not, it was, and the navy dedicated a rib to close off the mouth of the marina in case we decided to depart, it came over at high speed and stopped just outside the marina entrance until the sub had docked. We had checked the Notices to Mariners and it said there would be a closure that day but never gave a time, it also listed where the signal lights would be and as there was only one red and one white on our side of the water and none on the Roseneath side showing.