Young People......you'd be surprised!

[suzanne]

Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Just popped back home to catch up on some much needed sleep after spending my first week at university. (Body also needs rest from other things aswell). The course i'm doing is very boaty-actually i get to spend the majority of the first year completing my Powerboat Instructors course. Anyway point is, met up with the other people on my course who incidently could only go on the course if you have certain boat knowledge, and to my surprise nearly all of them have got certificates of some sort.

Out of 11, 3 have completed one part of the Yactmasters course and 1 has done it completely. The others have a mixture ranging from powerboat level 2, safety boat, keelboat levels, dinghy sailing levels etc. And then there was me that decided i'd wait until there was a gap in my study before i'd add to it and therefore looked inexperienced.

I reckon that soon the younger generation are going to have more qualifications in boating than the older folk.

Suzanne xXx

 

[Bejasus]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

What makes you think the older folk have even bothered. Didn't have 'em in Nelson's day m'dear..........lol

"I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."..........I think????

 

[burgundyben]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Did you find any of the pubs I told you about?

For sale, 1970 Triumph Spitfire-sold, 1947 Lambretta, 1922 Great grandmother, PM for details.

 

[hlb]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

So whats this big thing about qualifications. I'm not even sure if I can spell it, let alone do it! We all just set off and learned the hard way. What good is a piece of paper?? All you have to do is press button B on the auto pilot and thats it. Do I get my Rag master for that!
Suppose all you young wipersnappers need some one to hold your hand though!!

<font color=red> No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Haydn

 

[nicho]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Hadyn - the good thing about more and more youngsters getting qualifications voluntarily, is that it might stave off the day when the "Nanny" State forces us all to do it!

 

[hlb]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Oh. Your forced to do it now really. Especialy if you want a job doing it. The thing is. If some one employs you with qualifications. Then it's not their fault if something goes wrong.
It's the employee's fault cos they've been trained so should have known better. Now if you have no qualifications it's then some one elses fault. So piece of paper is a doubtfull qualification!!

<font color=red> No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Haydn

 

[nicho]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

A pretty good let out clause for the likes of Sailing Schools! Actually, having seen some of the antics in the Solent most weekends, perhaps compulsory training for newbies isn't a bad idea. I've only done Day Skipper, Power and Sail courses, but they are excellent grounding (forgive the pun) to build experience on- now done hundreds of hours skippering a motor cruiser and still learning. Now that we've gone raggie, the learning curve starts all over again, but at least I've had a good start at the weeks sailing D.S. course.Seen too many people on both power and sailing boats that are a danger to themselves, their crews and others around them.

 

[suzanne]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Yes thanks, ive done them all - actually it came in really handy, although don't ask me where they are, or when i went in them, right now im suffering from severe lack of sleep, alcoholic poisoning and a cold. I love being a student!

Suzanne xXx

 

[DepSol]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

gaining qualifications are one thing life experience is a much valued thing also.

Seen too many highly qualified boaters on the top of too many rocks round here to know that. Speaking of which the reataurant at Beaucette is making a real 'meal' out of the pics of Power Game II.

Dom

I am boating again ;-)

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Doing Yachmaster Theory at moment. Thought I'd sail through (scuse the raggie pun). First 2 weeks got 'excellent', then third week 'v good' , fourth week 'good'. It's tough going now, and I'm learning stuff I thought I knew! No harm in taking these courses, just to teach you that you know diddly squat bout nuffin. Not for everyone though. Did lots of stuff the hard way, and still learning from this.

 

[simongoldthorpe]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Having tried to do Dayskipper by correspondence course I have learnt only one thing, and that is I won't learn anything unless a teacher is threatening to beat my brains out if I don't listen.

Gave up when I got to interpolation of tides (yawn), why does it have to be to 10 decimal places??

Can anybody recommend a good Dayskipper course based on the South coast or, better still, Berkshire?

 

[Guest]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Hi Suzanne!

"Sieze the day" Take little notice of all the critism, get all the qualifications you can possibly get (if you want to that is)! and if the worst comes to the worst tell nobody about it!

I do however understand how those who havent got any qualifications can feel inadequate, I often experience this when meeting a great and experienced sailor with perhaps an Ocean certificate, even though I have thirty or more years of both sail and power behind me (probably doing it wrong).

Regards Rob

 

[hlb]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Me and Tutts did the Day Skipper theory once. Mind you we'd already sailed up and down the Irish sea loads of times when we did it. Used to become nervous wrecks every Monday night. Hated every minute of it. In the end at the exam he wanted us to do one bit again. We Refused and just said with a menacing voice!! Well fail us then. Not doing anymore. So we passed!! Only bloody thing I leared out of a 16 week course was. Cardinal marks. Cos we never came across many In the Irish sea. So had to look them up when we did. All the rest just total useless imformation. Suppose it's ok for those who know nowt. I've never used any other info from the course. What does it matter what lights the ship has on it, thats going to run you down?? Perhaps it was the teacher that put us off.

<font color=red> No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Haydn

 

[hlb]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Exactly what I mean. In ten years of fairly extencive sailing. Power boat mind. I've never found a need to do sums to work out the depth. Bit rediculas anyway. Some one only needs to drop some thing over the side, to make working out the depth to a couple of inch rediculas. Most of the course is totaly irelivant when traveling at 20 odd knots. Also dangerous to us there methods at that speed. Flight planning is the only way. But the dont say nowt about that.

<font color=red> No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Haydn

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Know one that may be of interest...does the theory bit down in cabin of motorsailer RYA licensed for max of 4 students). Then at end of day, goes out on boat for an hour or two of actually putting it into practise - so get actual pratical training for no additional cost - much easier to learn that way too. PM me if your interested and I'll dig out the details.

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Exams and courses aren't everyones cup of tea.

Having had GPS fail on me when navigating at night, I was very glad I'd drawn up notes of lights and compass bearings, and could tell whether ships were about to run me down or were heading away from me.
Lots of things that I've learnt from these courses that I use.

Agree though that lots of what is taught isn't too much use at speed. It's useful to know the basics and principles though, and usually for a longer trip will chart plot route, as well as program GPS

 

[hlb]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Oh. Do all that of course. But not bother with tidal drifts or hights to a foot or two. I find compasses of little use on power boats. Ok I use it for shortish distances but would expect to be an awfull long way off after 100 miles. Still better than nothing. But I wish they'd accept GPS as first method, cos at least you would be going the right way for most of the trip before it went down. Then last bit on compass.

<font color=red> No one can force me to come here-----------
----- I'm a Volunteer! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Haydn

 

[jointventureII]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

I am 16, havent taken any boating exams but know about plotting routes etc.
The area me and my dad go around is all local knowledge based so there is little point in plotting the way round, it gets us into more trouble than we'd be in without it.
You cant beat local knowledge, it is often more accurate than the charts.

JVII

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Simon,
got your message, Can't email you - your mailbox is full, and emails to you are being bounced! <g>

anyway - here are basics:

Guy is called Tony, based at Haslar, and called 21st Century Training
Tel: 07747 003072


If Tony doesn't suit, have a look at
http://www.rya.org.uk/Training/

can see all RYA approved training schools, broken down by course and
region (eg Thames Valley, South Coast)

 

[simongoldthorpe]

Re: Young People......you\'d be surprised!

Bendan

Many thanks for the info.

I will clear out my mailbox!

Simon