RYA Yachtmaster Fast Track

[Naf]

Hi everyone!
I've been reading on here for a few weeks now but this is my first post.
It's been interesting reading the insights of this experienced group!

My wife and I picked up sailing a couple of years ago, not knowing anything about it we picked up an Edel 665 and started to learn the basics.

We live in Canada and sail on Lake Ontario.
We've done a few long weekend trips (4-5 days).

I've been researching in aims of getting to some longer term cruising and how to get the experience to be competent.

Has anyone had experience with an RYA Yachmaster "Fast Track" program?
They essentially schedule the RYA training curriculum along with practical sailing experience into a 14-15 week consecutive process.
see example: https://www.sailing.gi/fast-track-co...er-fast-track/

I'm considering a sabbatical from work and as I'm not experienced enough to take off cruising, I thought this would be an option.

Any opinion on an ideal location to do this training?
I'm thinking summer, June-Sept timeframe.

Appreciate everyone's feedback about these programs.

Naf

[Dennis Clarke]

Funny you should mention this....as I'm planning on taking this exact course starting in February 2020! Have got everything in place as far as renting a flat in Hamble Le Rice...and will fly out of Mexico City at the end of January (I'm Canadian but retired in Mexico)….I'll be posting my trip and experiences on facebook but if you want more information you can pm me.
BTW....it's not cheap considering you need to covert to British Pounds....but hell...it'll be a great learning experience.

[letsgetsailing3]

That program appears to be designed with the goal of working in the industry, and need the certification.

If you just want to be a competent cruiser, there are probably better, less expensive, and more fun ways to do that.


Depends on your goals, of course.

[Tillsbury]

Also check out Boss sailing school in the UK, who pioneered this type of course:

https://www.boss-sail.co.uk/

They have a “zero to day skipper” as well, that’s only 14 days, if you wanted to start small. But if you’ve already done 5 day trips you might want to start somewhere in the middle. They will modify their course accordingly, to match what you need.

[Naf]

Awesome, I'll pm you, would love any info you can share on your experience!

[GYCS]

Hi Naf! I would love to share some insights on this for you! I have been yachting for the past 10 years! Recently started my own online business where I assist the crew with the correct path the take! Not trying to sell you anything don't stress lol! Im new to this forum and it looks very cool!

[NavRoman]

Naf,

in years past, I taught at the Humber Bay Sailing Centre, teaching courses from Basic Sailing to Offshore/Celestial Nav. Humber Bay Sailing Centre - Humber Bay Sailing Centre and would recommend the school to kick off your learning.

For the RYA Yachtmaster, you might want to look at Topmast in Kingston - About Us - Topmast or Discovery Sailing in Halifax - https://www.discoverysailing.com/

[IWOJones]

Please post your ideas here.

I too would like to read this as I have purchased a Beneteau 49ft in the Caribbean, and want to Fast-Track my skills, but not necessarily in a Fast-Track programme. I'm happy to do the full program.

I've looked at ASA courses in teh Caribbean, and RYA courses in South Africa and the UK.

Looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

Ivor

[GYCS]

Hi again.

Awesome that you want to do the YM course! I am actually the only course broker in the country. We have 5 sailing school just in Cape Town.

I would love to chat to you about it and what it is I can do for you! May I have your email?

[boatman1]

A previous poster has already stated an opinion similar to what my perspective is: if you need a USCG or RYA certification for insurance purposes or to satisfy a requirement for commercial operations, then you’ve got to acquire that certificate. It is certainly not a requirement for safely cruising in your own yacht. I looked into getting the RYA ticket from the school in Ft Lauderdale back when I had a chance at skippering a pricey yacht on a delivery from Fiji back to the US west coast. The insurance carrier required the certificate. The cost of residing in Liquordale for the time it took to take the course plus the tuition and fees was substantial. I may have learned some worthwhile stuff, but it was mostly learning how to pass the test(s).

[Naf]

Originally Posted by NavRoman

Naf,

in years past, I taught at the Humber Bay Sailing Centre, teaching courses from Basic Sailing to Offshore/Celestial Nav. Humber Bay Sailing Centre - Humber Bay Sailing Centre and would recommend the school to kick off your learning.

For the RYA Yachtmaster, you might want to look at Topmast in Kingston - About Us - Topmast or Discovery Sailing in Halifax - https://www.discoverysailing.com/

Thanks for the more local options.
Part of the sabbatical appeal is the time away .. on the other hand, breaking it down course by course over a couple years and keeping it more local would have the benefits of lower cost..
Thanks for the input.
Naf

[Naf]

Originally Posted by boatman1

A previous poster has already stated an opinion similar to what my perspective is: if you need a USCG or RYA certification for insurance purposes or to satisfy a requirement for commercial operations, then you’ve got to acquire that certificate. It is certainly not a requirement for safely cruising in your own yacht. I looked into getting the RYA ticket from the school in Ft Lauderdale back when I had a chance at skippering a pricey yacht on a delivery from Fiji back to the US west coast. The insurance carrier required the certificate. The cost of residing in Liquordale for the time it took to take the course plus the tuition and fees was substantial. I may have learned some worthwhile stuff, but it was mostly learning how to pass the test(s).

Thanks Boatman1.
I do agree that it's perhaps a fancy credential I really don't need just to become a competent cruiser. I have considered looking for some crewing jobs but we'll see what life brings as that would be a pretty big departure from the current lifestlye.

I think part of the appeal of the Fast Track courses is it's a complete package, all rolled up in a nice neat bundle with a bow on it..
What i mean is, as opposed to taking some coastal cruising courses .. then nav courses... then engine mechanics courses... spread over a longer period and having to patch it all together and fill in the holes in the meantime, I'm hoping it would be more of a comprehensive process to do it as a package.

Naf

[roland stockham]

Hi. I did my Y/M prep & assessment at a School that runs these courses. Quite a few of the candidates had done the fast track route.I would say a typical one would be a 20 something who had grown up around boats, been sailing since childhood but not taken any tickets. Now as a gap year or after grad frome uni they wanted to work in the industry for a few years and needed all the tickets. Doing it like that it is a good, if expensive option. As a route to learning to sail if you have no experience I would say it is probably going to be a waste of time and effort. You need rather to look at doing each step seperately with a seasons practice as a min at each level. Zero to Y/M 'fast track' if you really are starting as a novice would be more like 3-5yrs

[Uricanejack]

Originally Posted by Naf

Hi everyone!
I've been reading on here for a few weeks now but this is my first post.
It's been interesting reading the insights of this experienced group!

My wife and I picked up sailing a couple of years ago, not knowing anything about it we picked up an Edel 665 and started to learn the basics.

We live in Canada and sail on Lake Ontario.
We've done a few long weekend trips (4-5 days).

I've been researching in aims of getting to some longer term cruising and how to get the experience to be competent.

Has anyone had experience with an RYA Yachmaster "Fast Track" program?
They essentially schedule the RYA training curriculum along with practical sailing experience into a 14-15 week consecutive process.
see example: https://www.sailing.gi/fast-track-co...er-fast-track/

I'm considering a sabbatical from work and as I'm not experienced enough to take off cruising, I thought this would be an option.

Any opinion on an ideal location to do this training?
I'm thinking summer, June-Sept timeframe.

Appreciate everyone's feedback about these programs.

Naf

Why?

Serious question. You should be asking yourself.
What do you want to learn?

The RYA program is very well recognized. It’s certainly got good brand recognition.
If you intend to try and find work in the professional yacht crew world. It’s a good option. The fast track courses are intended to lead to a commercial use certificate.
However it’s not accepted in Canada or the USA.
For you to use it in UK or EU you will need to be able to work there legally.

If you are intending to learn a bit more about sailing to venture a bit further in your own boat, a charter boat, or a bigger boat of your own. With you as skipper.
A full fast track appears to be overkill.

The RYA starts with competent crew. If you have been sailing your own boat for a few years on Lake Ontario you are probably well above this level.
Although things may be missing from you knowledge.

You state you have sailed your own boat, Presumably as skipper, on multiple 4 or 5 Day trips on Lake Ontario.,

You probably have much of the knowledge and experience required for an RYA
Day skipper.
Doing a Day skipper may well be worth while. Depends what other sailing or navigation course you have done.

Seriously, sign up with your local Power Squadron it will cover most of the shore based syllabus. Only with the advantage of using Canadian, Charts , Sailing Directions and Tide Tables. Which are different.
I believe it’s already been pointed out. There are Canadian sailing schools which do the RYA Day skipper course. On both the west coast and east coast.
The west coast one is a bit pricey.
If not there are good sailing schools on both coast who will cover what you need to know. ASA IYT or CYA and a couple of RYA.

As a drinking water sailor. Tides may be new to you. Despite the fuss made about tides it’s not a hard concept. I’ve even been able to explain it to Albertans.

Cost wise and just for an enjoyable holiday as well,as a learning experience.
An RYA course of the appropriate level. Would be worth while in the UK.
The Solent is not the only place in the world with tides and good sailing experience.
There are excellent sailing schools in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and other parts of England.

Add up your voyages, the RYA counts mileage. Why? who knows, it’s just what they do.
They have 3 levels of Yachtmaster.
Coastal
Offshore
And
Ocean.

Many of the schools do the Coastal and Offshore prep courses at the same time.
So you will get similar learning experience on either.

The difference will be in how much qualifying experience you have.

Get the first coastal YM then venture further with your own boat and as you gain the experience upgrade if you feel like it.

If you do not feel ready for a The YM Coastal. Do the Day Skipper course then get some more experience on your own boat.

The Admiralty Tide Tabes are different but the principle is similar.
You can always just read the explanation at the back of the Canadian ones when
You come back.

PS the St Laurence is tidal up the Troix Rivers. And the Solent tides are quite ordinary compared to the Bay of Fundy
The Solent Sailor have no concept of lakes you can’t see across with heavy shipping traffic, bigger seas, it’s own weather system and ice.

So when anyone discounts your experience because it was on a lake. tell them to KMA,

[duncan_ellison]

Hi Naf,

If you are intent on this and UK is an option, look into the UK Sailing Academy https://uksa.org/ This is the UK national organization for yacht training and is technically a charity, but it's run on commercial lines. Therefore the rates are fairly reasonable (but still not insignificant).

There are many that detract from this organisation, but they are mainly people who make their living from offering courses commercially and I can't blame them for trying.

I did my Yachtmaster exam with them and joined a boat with two others who had been on the zero to hero course. Both 20 year olds, one a national dinghy champion, the other never set foot on a boat 20 weeks earlier. Both passed. (as did I).

The training here is more characterised as being like a technical college rather than the fun adventure that most of the commercial schools promote, but for me that works fine.

The courses are really aimed at getting young people jobs in the superyacht industry, so the course covers all the requirements to get your Yachtmaster commercially endorsed (i.e. able to be used as an industry qualification).

Anyhow, might not be to your taste, but I'd certainly recommend the quality and intensity of the training here and you'd get a lot of sailing in the Solent which really has no comparison IMHO anywhere else.