Yachtmaster courses.....how much?!

[jointventureII]

As I'm only 18 months from graduating, the daunting prospect of having to get a real job (eep) is upon me. This could be a challenge - my longest day currently is 9-5 and it's a struggle to get through that. Knowing I'll go home, watch neighbours, have a snooze then more than likely have a few beers takes the edge off however.

Just looked on the UKSA website for some apres-uni training in order to move into the motor yacht industry. Over 10k for the training. Is this the case with all the training schools? Can anyone recommend schools?

On the plus side, going back to the rock today which means first boating for 3 months.

[tcm]

afaik, they train to yachtmaster (commercial) level. Generally these courses would be offered by most motor yacht training schools probable cost around £1000 for 1 week prep and a 1-day exam at the end. For the commercial endorsement you need a 1day sea survival course and half-day first aid coursem a medical oh and vhf licence as well. In additiona, you need 2,500 miles of which half must be in tidal waters and some (can't remeber how much) of night passages. Before doing the practical it's wise to do a theory course and t4est such as with http://www.cmonline.com for say £250 ish.

This would make you legal to ask for a skippering job - to be commercial skipper of a vessel up to i belive 200GRT which means about ooh mebbe 100 feet or so. It's likely however that a starting point wd be a smaller vessel perhaps 60-80 feet.

However,there's a bit more to it than that, and uksa recognise the same. Charter skippering is partly a load of boating, but you're sudenly in the entertainment industry, being a focus of a holiday for a group of guests, of for an owner and family. Many skippers don't recognise this, and are all salty know all their stuff but a total pain or miserebale g1t on board unless boat actually moving. This is no good at all. So crew training, managing the boat and so on all come into play, and a lot of uksa training seems to be dedicated to these issues as well.

I did my YM with suncoast, poster hereabouts, and theory first with cmonline.

[Renegade_Master]

tcm has some good points ther about a skipper also having social skills. Whilst e do not teach such we do carry out Yachtmaster perp/exams. please see our web site for pre course requirements. regards Clive

LBS 6th to 15th Jan 2006 stand N1704