Key information
Aside from the certificate, we both got a lot out of the course. Mark felt that it reminded him what he did know and reinforced what he didn’t. Learning the processes and the ways to remember them, was so helpful.
For me, cracking the tidal stream rates was a revelation, and fears of secondary ports and tidal height calculations are mostly gone. It will definitely help us explore places we never felt confident to visit because we have a long keel. Karen’s many wise tips such as not trusting the electronics unquestioningly, and rapid plotting techniques will be invaluable. Pilotage plans for new ports will now be a joy rather than a scrabble around through the pilot books.
We love our little boat, we sail her well, yet she will never be anything like the quickest boat on the water. She needs all the help we can give her, which includes accurate navigation to arrive on time. Having returned to the Yachtmaster theory I now feel that my confidence is up. Mark and I now can’t wait to for our next big voyage, to see what we’ve really learned. Now there’s the small matter of our practical exams on the horizon.
1 WHY YACHTMASTER?
Although a Yachtmaster qualification is required for anyone planning to become a professional, thanks to the continuing efforts of the RYA, Brits who sail for leisure still don’t have to carry any proof of competence in home waters. The certificate certainly remains the logical target of many a self-motivated sailor, though. It also represents the icing on the cake for those looking for the reassurance of an external assessment.
2 THEORY AND PRACTICAL
Yachtmaster training can take place on a boat or in a classroom. A shore-based course, either at desks in a school or via the popular Internet distance learning programmes, ends with a theory exam. Success in this will help a student in later qualification upgrades, but it is not officially recognised. The only certificates accepted by the authorities are those issued after an at-sea examination. To become a fullyfledged Yachtmaster, this practical test is the one that counts – make sure you pick up a copy of next month’s Yachting Monthly to read Liz’s account of her practical test.
3 COASTAL OR OFFSHORE
In recent years, the old Coastal Skipper has been superseded by the new Yachtmaster Coastal certificate. The qualifying mileage for this Mca-recognised qualification is 800 miles, with passage and night-hour requirements being regarded as fairly relaxed in comparison with Yachtmaster Offshore, which keeps its 2,500-mile entry level. Either will serve as a proper Yachtmaster qualification and can be described as such. Only the often-dropped suffix distinguishes the two.
Apply for ‘coastal’ and the examiner, recognising that you have less sea-time, will be more inclined to cut you a bit of slack. The RYA has noted that most candidates are really only making ‘coastal-status’ passages.
In real terms this includes an annual trip across the Irish Sea, the North Sea or the Channel in a calculated weather window.