ASA vs RYA

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

I did RYA dayskipper and got my ICC as part of it. Used NauticEd.com for theory and studies, then on board exam with mark thompson at Yachting education.com. Fantastic experience with both. I had been sailing my whole life by then, but learned an immense amount and became a better mariner.

I want to be like Ben.

It's funny... ASA 104 gets you the ICC, and I got that years ago.

And yet I still agree that I should start with RYA dayskipper. It just sounds so much more.... thorough.

And British. We Yanks have a morbid fascination with that.

[requiem]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

Note that there are two similar sounding levels: Coastal Skipper (next level up from Day Skipper) and Yachtmaster Coastal

I recall hearing that one of the two had been eliminated, anyone have up-to-date into? The RYA site seems inconsistent.

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

It's funny... ASA 104 gets you the ICC, and I got that years ago.

IPC*, but yes, 104 and DS do have a similar stated purpose. My take is that the 101-104 classes, like Day Skipper, are mainly aimed at the "I just want to be charter-ready" crowd.

Perhaps DS has a slight advantage in also requiring the theory course, and a bit more if you assume Competent Crew covered much of the basics and allowed more time on advanced topics. From a brief look at a copy of a DS text (is it really a text if it's mostly illustrations?) and my US Sailing Bareboat text, the content is pretty similar.

If 106 is at all similar to US Sailing's Coastal Passage-making program then it should be at least equivalent to Coastal Skipper. I also expect that at this level the expectations are much higher compared to the basic levels. Personally I'm in favor of dropping back a level when switching programs, if only to allow catching up on any differences in a more relaxed setting, but at the same time I agree with Boatman that you could probably go directly to CS.

[Alistair242]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

Oooh, found a place that teaches RYA Day Skipper in Middletown, Rhode Island (a.k.a. The Little Los Angeles.)

No need to go to Australia. This is less than an hour from my doorstep.

Once covid ends I'm there.

Pacific Sailing School does the theory classes on Zoom remotely. I believe the RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster theory course are one and the same?
You can do them online and then you just have to get to an instructor for the practical.

[ChrisJHC]

When you present for your Yachtmaster assessment you can choose whether to be assessed at Coastal level or Offshore level.
You can’t change after you start!

Coastal is assessed a little easier and the assessor may give you some tips.

[DMF Sailing]

[QUOTE=requiem;3365080]I
IPC*, but yes /QUOTE]

Requiem is right. Thank you, Req.

The world wants the International Certificate of Competence.

The ASA gives you its version of the thing, called the International Proficiency Certificate, which, according to the ASA, provides a certification which many Mediterranean charter companies view as equivalent to the ICC.

But then this: As of 2018 the following countries accept the ASA IPC certificate: Belarus, Croatia, France, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey.

Now, I've been to a few of those countries, and cruised in one or two of them.

Belarus I've highlighted in red, because I've been there, too. Unless you're planning to navigate the Dniepr, the Bug, or the Pripyat (which will take you right past Chernobyl; keep the gun, leave the cannoli), abandon your Belarusan cruising dreams. For the country, much as I love it, is landlocked.

However, if your winds take you there, do visit the Chagall museum in Vitebsk.

RYA all the way

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

. . . However, if your winds take you there, do visit the Chagall museum in Vitebsk.. .

And the Great Patriotic War museum in Minsk. Best WWII museum I've ever seen, even better than the one in Moscow.

[Uricanejack]

just my opinion. It’s the quality of the sailing school which counts.
ASA is a standard or curriculum,
So is the RYA.
Both are taught by individual sailing schools, individual instructors. A good sailing school with good instructor will teach you the required material well. Regardless of which bit of paper you want to frame and hang on the wall.

If you have done the full ASA spectrum then you don’t need RYA unless you want to.

A YM training week followed by an exam, might be fun, I wouldn’t bother starting at the beginning.

Will you need to brush up a bit on some techniques? probably, hence the prep,week,
Your not going to learne everything in a week anyway.

If you want to go to Australia and go sailing, you could just charter a boat.

Or you can just listen to the jingoistic marketing and go do RYA.

For the most part if you have done the full ASA it’s mostly the same stuff again.

The RYA courses are good,
I just don’t believe they are the only good courses.

[bhobbs]

Originally Posted by Uricanejack

just my opinion. It’s the quality of the sailing school which counts.
ASA is a standard or curriculum,
So is the RYA.
Both are taught by individual sailing schools, individual instructors. A good sailing school with good instructor will teach you the required material well. Regardless of which bit of paper you want to frame and hang on the wall.

So true, the instructor makes the biggest difference for me.

I did RYA DS here in Australia, and found it so valuable that I booked in to do it again with my wife. I wanted her to learn what I learned.

We did it with the same school, in the same location, but it ended up being a different boat and instructor due to covid. Having done the course before, I found that the new instructor skipped some bits, or only covered them in theory rather than the theory and practice that I had done the first time. I was a little disappointed with the second experience, but still glad that my wife got to learn a ton from it.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

And the Great Patriotic War museum in Minsk. Best WWII museum I've ever seen, even better than the one in Moscow.

Oh, nice one. Yes, that is an incredible place.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Uricanejack

just my opinion. It’s the quality of the sailing school which counts.
ASA is a standard or curriculum,
So is the RYA.
Both are taught by individual sailing schools, individual instructors. A good sailing school with good instructor will teach you the required material well. Regardless of which bit of paper you want to frame and hang on the wall.

If you have done the full ASA spectrum then you don’t need RYA unless you want to.

A YM training week followed by an exam, might be fun, I wouldn’t bother starting at the beginning.

Will you need to brush up a bit on some techniques? probably, hence the prep,week,
Your not going to learne everything in a week anyway.

If you want to go to Australia and go sailing, you could just charter a boat.

Or you can just listen to the jingoistic marketing and go do RYA.

For the most part if you have done the full ASA it’s mostly the same stuff again.

The RYA courses are good,
I just don’t believe they are the only good courses.

No course will, by itself, make a sailor out of you. I've known people with Yachmaster Ocean qualifications whom I wouldn't trust with an Opti. And more than one.

That being said, it's obvious even just by studying the materials, that RYA is on a much higher level than ASA. I think the OP is basically right.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Uricanejack

just my opinion. It’s the quality of the sailing school which counts.
ASA is a standard or curriculum,
So is the RYA.
Both are taught by individual sailing schools, individual instructors. A good sailing school with good instructor will teach you the required material well. Regardless of which bit of paper you want to frame and hang on the wall.

If you have done the full ASA spectrum then you don’t need RYA unless you want to.

A YM training week followed by an exam, might be fun, I wouldn’t bother starting at the beginning.

Will you need to brush up a bit on some techniques? probably, hence the prep,week,
Your not going to learne everything in a week anyway.

If you want to go to Australia and go sailing, you could just charter a boat.

Or you can just listen to the jingoistic marketing and go do RYA.

For the most part if you have done the full ASA it’s mostly the same stuff again.

The RYA courses are good,
I just don’t believe they are the only good courses.

I appreciate you weighing in. Of course, if I never take another class, I can keep sailing with what I've already done. I like the idea of brushing up, but I also see the point bhobbs makes about it depending on the instructor.

Mine in the various ASA courses I took were all fine, but some were better than others. And I've learned more from the dock managers at the club where I sail than any of my teachers, because they're the ones pointing out the things I could do better when they see me dock in a breeze in a tight space/spring off in traffic/land solo on a ball/sail off a mooring/choose the wrong beer/jam the furler/snap the gooseneck/sky the halyard/dig through a dying old two-stroke diesel/and fix or fail to fix all the other little things that go wrong on boats.

[bensolomon]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

I want to be like Ben.
.[emoji3]

Thanks DMF! You'll enjoy the RYA courses! It is really well done.

[Uricanejack]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

I appreciate you weighing in. Of course, if I never take another class, I can keep sailing with what I've already done. I like the idea of brushing up, but I also see the point bhobbs makes about it depending on the instructor.

Mine in the various ASA courses I took were all fine, but some were better than others. And I've learned more from the dock managers at the club where I sail than any of my teachers, because they're the ones pointing out the things I could do better when they see me dock in a breeze in a tight space/spring off in traffic/land solo on a ball/sail off a mooring/choose the wrong beer/jam the furler/snap the gooseneck/sky the halyard/dig through a dying old two-stroke diesel/and fix or fail to fix all the other little things that go wrong on boats.

It’s called experience.
There is no way you will learn all there is to know about docking on a week long course. Even if you spent the entire time docking. Regardless of the course.

You can learn the basic fundamentals in a week and go from there.

40 some years and I am still learning, or making mistakes.

Same eg goes for navigation, ect.

The RYA has a mileage based pre requirement for its higher levels, So theoretically you would have quite a bit of experience to build on. At the rate I put in miles on my boat, it would take a while to qualify.

But it depends what your experience is, which pretty much goes for any thing. Some of your dock managers tips might be very good.
Possibly even more than you might learn on a particular course anywhere.
They see and assist lots of different boats.

It’s good to learn from several different sources, and pick what you like as your favourite book of tricks.

[Uricanejack]

Originally Posted by bhobbs

So true, the instructor makes the biggest difference for me.

I did RYA DS here in Australia, and found it so valuable that I booked in to do it again with my wife. I wanted her to learn what I learned.

We did it with the same school, in the same location, but it ended up being a different boat and instructor due to covid. Having done the course before, I found that the new instructor skipped some bits, or only covered them in theory rather than the theory and practice that I had done the first time. I was a little disappointed with the second experience, but still glad that my wife got to learn a ton from it.

I’m glad you and your wife enjoyed it, The RYA DS is a very good way to get started, gain the confidence to go out an learn more with experience.
Perhalps you were lucky and got an above average instructor.
The hands on chance to do things is the best way to learn for most of us.

[Uricanejack]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

No course will, by itself, make a sailor out of you. I've known people with Yachmaster Ocean qualifications whom I wouldn't trust with an Opti. And more than one.

That being said, it's obvious even just by studying the materials, that RYA is on a much higher level than ASA. I think the OP is basically right.

True,
I know MM’s I would not trust to organize a tot of rum in a kayak. And and old fisherman or sailor I would trust with anything.

I also know people with relatively little practical experience or knowledge, who simply are willing to listen and keen to learn. I will trust to a level you might find very surprising. I look for good judgment and particularly the willingness to ask for help. Or advice.
There are some people you trust and some you don’t.

Funny thing which is hard to learn is learning how to trust someone.

I tell every newbie,

Make a point of call the skipper the first chance you get.
The biggest worry the skipper has you won’t call in time.

Never Ask what should I do.

When you call. tell the skipper what the problem is and what you are intending to do. and why.

If he or she doesn’t like your plan he will tell you.

Never ever criticize someone for calling.
(Next time they might not)

When you get thier don’t take over.
Ask them what is happening.
ask what they have done.
thank them.
If you are concerned about something ask about it.
Ask what they think, let them come up with a plan
Let them carry out their plan provided it’s not dangerous.

Afterwards ask how they felt, could they have done something differently.

You will sleep better, They call you next time.