YM theory

[sailbadthesinner]

Coming up to doing my YM theory course and exams.

When i crewed on a practical course the examiner made it clear he was a fan of the long haul nightschool method, he ran one. He set homework every week and at at the end of each session had a quickfire quiz on colregs lights and sounds etc. His argument was that it was better to be well practised so that stuff became familiar and bits of it second nature.

I would dearly love to follow this pattern of learning but.
The local college course takes 25 weeks. That i think does not include holidays.
It is wednesday night and I may miss the a few on work commitments in watford hq.

Am i better doing the intensive one and hoping i remember it all if the doo doo hits the fan and i the fog comes in on a foggy night oin the solent and all my kit packs up bar log and depth?

for those of you who donot know i live in the midlands so the opportunity to go out and practice it all on a reg basis as i do the course is limited but i may get access to a group who may be up for the odd late charter.

i know part of this tends to depend on the person. i can cram last minute with the best of them. but i abhor homework tending to get home and chill out or go out.

views please.



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[iangrant]

Try : http://www.cmonline.co.uk/

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[bedouin]

I would agree with the examiner - the intensive courses are probably not as good, you don't have as much time for homework and the like, and repetition over a number of weeks does help learning - which you just can't get with an intensive course.

Cramming doesn't really enter into it - the "exams" at the end of the course are comparatively simple compared with the level of the material you ought to be covering in the course. To get the most out of the course you need to absorb the concepts, not just cram for the exam (note that the YM theory certificate counts for precisely nothing).

The pace of the evening class course will be such that you should be able to miss a few sessions without getting left behind.

As an alternative - you could try a correspondence course. I did my YM that way and found it excellent - far better than evening classes - but that was because it suited the way I like to work

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[Evadne]

I did the night school theory bit, and can recommend it. It was the first 2 terms of the skool year, starting in September and finishing around Easter. If you've some experience (and I believe you may fall into this category) then if you miss the odd week or two it is not that difficult to catch up. Our class had people like me (who had been a boat owner for 8 years at that point) all the way up to beginners who had a Dazed Kipper and no boat, and our course was pitched so that they could manage. That was nearly 10 years ago now, I really must get around to doing the practical course...

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[themount2]

Agreed. I have just finished a 30 week "Dazed Kipper" (I like it- first time I've heard that!!!) and already signed up for next terms similar YM schedule with same lecturer. It depends how much you want to do it as to whether you can cope with not "chilling out" one night a week and doing a bit of homework.
Very near the end of the theory course we did our "DK" practical and were staggered just how much of the theory fell into place with the practice. Have already decided to do YM theory, gain experience and miles over the next 12 months, then sign up for a YM prep course with the exam at the end of that week with everything fresh in the mind.
Whatever you decide - good luck with it!!

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[Ohdrat]

I prefer the long haul one rather than the intensive.. I did both.. I did the long haul theory course but due to unforseen circumstances missed the exam.. I then did a weeks intensive.. most of the others on the course found it reeeeaallly hard going but I managed to pass despite suffering one of my infamously grotty colds, I felt about 50% whilst an experienced delivery skipper failed.

However I do think that the teacher makes or breaks the course .. a bad teacher and they are out there.. for either short or long course will not help

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[peterb]

Why not take it in Watford? The local college runs a course.

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[whisper]

I did the 26wk. job as well, about 10 yrs ago. I agree that it was a good way to learn but also it led to me meeting a bunch of people I'd never met before. This in turn led to a group of us chartering a boat and skipper to do the "Practical". Since then we have bareboat chartered every year somewhere in the British Isles or Med. so doing the course led to new and entertaining friendships. I suspect that this would be less likely to happen in the confines of a short intensive course.

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[tcm]

watford is a bit of a long way from birmingham, you southerner you!

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[Evadne]

Dazed Kipper

.. was coined by Libby Purves (is it YM or PBO she writes for?) a month or so back, I liked it so much I've been waiting for a chance to use it. I believe the one before it is called "Combatant Crew", a Sunsail speciality. Any suggestions for the others?


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[Twister_Ken]

Postal Skipper

That's the one you do by correspondence course.

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[tcm]

Re: Yachtmaster (stinkie)

This must be a qualification too?

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[Twister_Ken]

Re: Yachtmaster (stinkie)

Now renamed Washmaster

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[Evadne]

Re: Yachtmaster (stinkie)

That's got to be a more sociable qualifiction than StinkMaster. (Examiner = Jimi "The Tank")

I suppose the sailing qualifications are Ghost, I'll skipper and WhatMaster?

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[snowleopard]

Re: Dazed Kipper

was disappointed to discover that qualifying as Yachtmaster doesn't entitle you to issue of a Yachtmistress.

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[Ohdrat]

Re: Incontent Crew

after a particularly hairy sail..

personally I aspire to a Grotmaster (or maybe mistress) as I am definately at the grotty end of the yachty scale/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[Rowana]

Re: Dazed Kipper

Mistress??

I thought that the definition of a mistress is somewhere between the Master & the matress . . . . but I could be wrong!

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[peterb]

Sorry, but you mentioned Watford first! And anyway, I live in the north of England (i.e. north of Watford, if only by 3 miles).

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[TheBoatman]

What do you mean "southerner" Watford is most definately in the "North" Anything above Jn 3 of the M1 is North of England<s> BTW wheres Birmingham, is that in Scotland?

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[Peppermint]

Re: YM theory the long haul

is best. I know a couple of people who did the intensive thing and found it both knackering and one of them failed. Most people seem to pass the night school course, I assume thats because you have time to revisit puzzles, and get a lot out of the social side. A few of my mates got into the habit of a learning evening and I now know a couple of decent french speakers, a guy who cooks better than he used to and a couple of guys who know more about wine than just how to get the cork out.

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