RYA yachtmaster help?

[youngavidsailor]

Hi guys
Im 16 years old and enjoy sailing dinghys and hope to be able to buy my own boat and cruise the world in about 10 years. I would ideally like to have gained my RYA yachtmaster offshore so i was just wondering if you guys could give any indication of how long it will take. Also will i be able to gain it by just working through RYA courses or will i need to go out and sail on my own to gain hours? If i need to go out and gain sea hours,how many will i need to gain and where can i do this? will i need to charter a boat?
thanks for any advice in advance

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by youngavidsailor

Hi guys
Im 16 years old and enjoy sailing dinghys and hope to be able to buy my own boat and cruise the world in about 10 years. I would ideally like to have gained my RYA yachtmaster offshore so i was just wondering if you guys could give any indication of how long it will take. Also will i be able to gain it by just working through RYA courses or will i need to go out and sail on my own to gain hours? If i need to go out and gain sea hours,how many will i need to gain and where can i do this? will i need to charter a boat?
thanks for any advice in advance

you can work up through the various RYA courses, starting at competent crew, in
your case start with RYA Day Skipper.

this requires 5 days pre experience, but is usually done at a school where you sail and learn for 5 days and take the exam
This requires access to a yacht, but the schools will have one for you to do the exam on. there is no ticket prerequisites for this course, but a night class in nav is useful

The next up is RYA Coastal Skipper,
15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours
can be done in one go , but usually you build to it



Then RYA YM Coastal
30 days, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles, 12 night hours (if you hold th
this requires Coastal Skipper course certificate this is reduced to 20 days, 2 days as skipper, 400 miles, 12 night hours). Half the qualifying sea time must be conducted in tidal waters.

And the RYA YM Offshore
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.

Most of these exams , with the exception of the Day Skipper are not taught as a predefined course, they are merely exams. You can jump to the exam once you have the seas miles. but Id suggest a graduated approach


There are also a zero to hero course, expensive , lots of time ( many months) but you get the YM offshore at the end.

Again, in your case Id try for the RYA day skipper first , The RYA web site will give you a list of schools to choose from.

The Day skipper will also let you charter boats and you can automatically be issued with an ICC.



dave

[John Casey]

+1


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[Linksailor]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

you can work up through the various RYA courses, starting at competent crew, in
your case start with RYA Day Skipper.

this requires 5 days pre experience, but is usually done at a school where you sail and learn for 5 days and take the exam
This requires access to a yacht, but the schools will have one for you to do the exam on. there is no ticket prerequisites for this course, but a night class in nav is useful

The next up is RYA Coastal Skipper,
15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours
can be done in one go , but usually you build to it



Then RYA YM Coastal
30 days, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles, 12 night hours (if you hold th
this requires Coastal Skipper course certificate this is reduced to 20 days, 2 days as skipper, 400 miles, 12 night hours). Half the qualifying sea time must be conducted in tidal waters.

And the RYA YM Offshore
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.

Most of these exams , with the exception of the Day Skipper are not taught as a predefined course, they are merely exams. You can jump to the exam once you have the seas miles. but Id suggest a graduated approach


There are also a zero to hero course, expensive , lots of time ( many months) but you get the YM offshore at the end.

Again, in your case Id try for the RYA day skipper first , The RYA web site will give you a list of schools to choose from.

The Day skipper will also let you charter boats and you can automatically be issued with an ICC.



dave

Hi All the above is correct, I have done all the above up to coastal YM in the last ten years and now bought a 40 foot cruiser, I did almost all my miles as crew on yachts for skippers I met on my RYA courses or through crewing adverts, including a round UK trip several cross channel trips and a crossing of Biscay before I bought my yacht. This keeps the cost reasonable as you only have to pay a portion of the cruise costs, and you get some good sailing experience, and more hands on training than on a school boat, you will need to be a useful crew not a passenger, and be very flexible about dates and location, as you may be dropped off anywhere but it is well worth it, you will not be helping a 500k yacht across the channel on your own, while the skipper has a nap on a school boat.

DM


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[boatman61]

Originally Posted by youngavidsailor

Hi guys
Im 16 years old and enjoy sailing dinghys and hope to be able to buy my own boat and cruise the world in about 10 years. I would ideally like to have gained my RYA yachtmaster offshore so i was just wondering if you guys could give any indication of how long it will take. Also will i be able to gain it by just working through RYA courses or will i need to go out and sail on my own to gain hours? If i need to go out and gain sea hours,how many will i need to gain and where can i do this? will i need to charter a boat?
thanks for any advice in advance

Where are you based... if the UK.. are you on the S coast..
Have you left school and aim to start work.. or are you going for further education.. all relevant to ways of mile building.
It comes down to 2 things.. can you afford the time..
or... can you afford the money.
You need at least one to get there.

[Svanen]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Most of these exams, with the exception of the Day Skipper are not taught as a predefined course, they are merely exams.

Dave is essentially correct, but Coastal Skipper is also an RYA course rather than a mere (!) examination.

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

There are also a zero to hero course, expensive, lots of time (many months) but you get the YM offshore at the end.

The intensive 'zero-to-hero' courses have their disadvantages (and detractors), but they are an efficient way for people without much experience to become competent sailors in a relatively short period of time. As such, they are certainly an option for youngavidsailor to consider: Google "Yachtmaster fast track" for more information.

Another point for youngavidsailor: while the RYA Yachtmaster is an excellent credential, it's certainly not necessary for cruising in your own boat, including a circumnavigation. So while it is one way to get where you want to be, it's far from the only route.