What it takes to be a Captain

Capable seamanship is necessary to pursue our sport safely and with greatest pleasure. But, increasingly, I am aware that it is not sufficient. Let me explain with a quote from Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander.

“‘Maybe I don’t have to tell you a brig is not a frigate, nor yet a ship of the line, Mr Marshall,’ said the purser warmly. ‘But when you have been at sea as long as I have, Mr Marshall, you will know there is a great deal more than mere seamanship required of a captain. Any damned tarpaulin can manage a ship in a storm, and any housewife in breeches can keep the decks clean and the falls just so; but it needs a headpiece’ – tapping his own – ‘and true bottom and steadiness, as well as conduct to be the captain.’”

If you have not yet discovered the sea stories of Patrick O'Brian then you are in for a treat. The Times described him as 'The greatest historical novelist of all time'.

Patrick O'Brian's hero, Jack Aubrey, joined the Navy at the age of 12; at the age of 19 he became a lieutenant and got his first command at the age of 29. Whilst some of the qualities to command a ship may well have been part of his character, the rest were as a result of experience and training at sea over 17 years. Whilst I don't expect people to go to sea for that long now to be ready for the Yachtmaster exam, it is necessary for candidates to have had some genuine experience and training prior to taking the exam.

To  read an article on the Yachtmaster exam and the thinking behind it by James Stevens the Training Manager and Chief Examiner of the RYA click here

Yachtmaster Training on Celtic Dream a Cranchi Zaffiro 34 based at Albufeira Marina shown in the photograph below cruising at 27 knots off Albufeira

I have a maximum of 4 people on these courses & when a course is fully booked the dates relevant to that course above will be deleted.

Celtic Dream, can also be chartered by the half day, day or week with a skipper from Celtic Marine Lda, for more information click here.

Yachtmaster Training - Power on your own boat or on a boat supplied by The Iberian Sea School

There is an increasing demand for Yachtmaster training, both from people who already have a boat and would like to do both the training and the exam in their own boat and from people who would like to do the training in a school boat. The Iberian Sea School offers Yachtmaster preparation courses using either a school boat as shown above or in your own boat.

Most of us will admit that had we not had driving lessons prior to taking the driving test it is unlikely that we would have passed. It is exactly the same with the Yachtmaster exam, how can a candidate possibly be expected to know what is expected of him or her in order to pass the Yachtmaster without having had some sort of training.

As a result of my long experience as an RYA Instructor and Examiner for power the training that I give in preparation for the Yachtmaster exam is exactly what is required for candidates to reach the required level of competence to pass the exam.

Many people who take the exam are extremely nervous and do not perform in examination conditions nearly as well as they are capable. The techniques that I use to teach people boat handling skills quickly builds both ability and confidence, which transform someone with poor to medium ability into someone who can handle a boat in all conditions with an impressive style and even a touch of panache!

It is essential for candidates to be proficient at the coastal skipper / yachtmaster theory syllabus. This course is well known to be difficult and easily forgotten without regular practise. Secondary port calculations, tidal diamonds, collision regulations, lights and shapes are all difficult to learn and easy to forget. My teaching methods for both learning these subjects for the first time or just for revision are such that you will quickly become confident of being able to answer questions correctly on any part of the syllabus.

Probably the majority of Yachtmaster candidates do a preparation course and take the exam in a school boat. But if you have your own boat, which you know well, it makes sense to benefit from individual tuition which will give you the skills that you need to handle your own boat with confidence and safety.

Where will you go on your Yachtmaster Preparation Course? - The RYA encourage schools to go on a proper cruise on courses, if you are doing your Yachtmaster Preparation course with me in the Algarve it could not be a better place to do exactly that. For more information on cruising in the Algarve click here, and to see my article specifically on the Guadiana river by clicking here. Whilst it may not be possible to go as far as the Guadiana, we will definately go to Alvor, to read my article on Alvor click here. We will almost definately go to Ria Formosa, to read my article on Ria Formosa click here.

Martin.

To arrange a Yachtmaster Course on your own boat please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or tel: 00351 965 800702

Below are some examples of Yachtmaster candidates who have passed their exams following taking a preparation course with me, there have been many more but I usually forget to have my camera with me!

A 5 Day Yachtmaster Preparation from Vilamoura Marina using a Sunseeker Manhattan 84

When John Lewellyn did a 5 day Yachtmaster preparation course with me in 2002, he had already been working as a professional skipper for several years.

We had a very enjoyable week, on the fifth day he was examined by RYA examiner Peter Hart. He performed very well in the exam and passed. In the photograph to the left he was practising berthing his boat a Sunseeker Manhattan 84 alongside the reception pontoon at Vilamoura Marina during his course.

John's only crew for the course was Thomas Zander, who also did an excellent job of cooking our lunches everyday. Thomas passed his Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster exams a few years later as can be seen in the article below.

Yachtmaster Training from Albufeira Marina in December 2006

I first met Thomas Zander in 2002 when he acted as crew during a Yachtmaster preparation course on board a Sunseeker Manhatton 84 (see photograph above). He was an excellent crew and I encouraged him to make a start on learning navigation by doing the RYA Day Skipper theory course, he took my advice and then two years later did the RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Theory Course followed by the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Course with me. On the last day Thomas was examined for the RYA / MCA Coastal Skipper Certificate of Competence and passed.

Thomas then did an RYA 1st Aid course and a Sea Survival course to obtain a commercial endorsement and for the last two years has worked as mate on a 120 ft Ferretti. For much of that time I haven't seen that much of Thomas as his employer has based the boat in Italy until the autumn of 2006 when Thomas returned with the boat to Vilamoura.

In December 2006 Thomas did a Yachtmaster preparation course with me, on the 5th day he was examined by RYA examiner Peter Hart and passed the Yachtmaster Exam! To say that I was very pleased would be a massive understatement!! Below are some photographs that I took during the exam. Below left a photograph taken at sea between Albufeira and Portimão, to the right of that one Thomas being de-briefed on his passage plan.

Thomas enjoying a cup of coffee with the examiner having been told that he had passed.

YACHTMASTER EXAM IN TURKEY - August 2007

Paul's Pershing 88

I came back from Turkey on August 4th where I had been giving a client Paul Goldstein, a Yachtmaster Preparation course over five days in his Pershing 88 motor cruiser. He was extremely well prepared having owned a motor cruiser for the past six years, completed both RYA Day Skipper practical and theory courses five years ago and earlier this summer the RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster theory course and finally the practical Yachtmaster preparation course over four days leading up to the exam on the fifth day.

He was examined by RYA Examiner Peter Hart on the 5th day of his course and passed extremely well. His success can only be attributed to his experience; the time spent completing all the necessary courses prior to taking the exam, and making certain that he knew the entire syllabus.

The photographs above I took during the exam and show Paul's boat, Paul working on his 'theory' navigation plan above right and above left Paul navigating during the exam. To the right Paul and the examiner Peter Hart enjoying our passage to Marmaris from Fethiye at 40 knots!

To see a google map of the coast from Fethiye to Marmaris click here

RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Practical Preparation Course

for Motor Cruising - Syllabus.

• Passage Planning: Coastal passage planning including consideration of the capacity of the motor cruiser, navigation, victualling, weather, ports of refuge, tidal heights & tidal streams, publications required and strategy – Understanding of fuel consumption at different speeds & calculation of fuel required for a passage including reserve – Effects of fouling on boat speed & fuel consumption – Customs procedures.
• Preparation for Sea: Safety equipment for offshore passages – Preparation of a motor cruiser for sea including stowage, safety briefing, watch keeping, delegation responsibilities & equipment, fuel & engine checks.
• Pilotage: Revision of pilotage plan preparation, with consideration for soundings, transits, clearing bearings, buoyage, port or harbour regulations and tidal considerations.
• Passage making and ability as skipper: Taking charge of a motor cruiser and directing the crew – organising the navigation, deckwork and domestic duties of a motor cruiser on passage – Awareness of the significance of meteorological trends – Awareness of crew welfare on passage – Use of electronic navigational equipment for pre-planning and undertaking a passage, using waypoints and routes and can update when underway.
• Radar: Use of the radar as an aid to navigation, pilotage, collision warning and avoidance.
• Boat handling: Controlling the boat effectively in a confined space including all berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide, with and without the use of a bow-thruster – berthing an unberthing in simple situations using one engine on a twin engine boat – avoidance of excessive use of power.
• Adverse weather conditions: Preparation for heavy weather and handling in strong winds – Navigation and general conduct in restricted visibility.
• Emergency situations: Recovery of man overboard – Understanding of action to be taken when abandoning to a liferaft and during helicopter and lifeboat rescues.

RYA/MCA Examinations

Previous experience and sea time requirements prior to taking the Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean Certificates of Competence.

All the required experience must have been within 10 years of the examination and 50% of the mileage must have been in tidal waters.

Coastal Skipper: 30 days seatime, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles and 12 night hours. If a candidate has a Coastal Skipper Practical Course Completion Certificate the seatime requirement is reduced to 20 days, 2 days as skipper, 400 miles and 12 night hours. Candidates must have a Restricted (VHF only) Radio Operator’s Certificate and a First Aid Certificate. The examination will be of 6 to 10 hours duration for one candidate and 8 to 14 hours for two.

Yachtmaster Offshore: 50 days seatime, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles, 5 passages of over 60 miles which must include 2 overnight and 2 as skipper. Candidates must have a Restricted (VHF only) Radio Operator’s Certificate and a First Aid Certificate. The examination will be of 8 to 12 hours duration for one candidate and 10 to 18 hours for two.

Yachtmaster Offshore Sail to Power conversion: 25 days seatime, 3 days as skipper, 1250 miles, 3 passages over 60 miles including one overnight and one as skipper. The examination will be of approximately 3 hours duration.

Yachtmaster Ocean: An ocean passage as skipper or mate of watch over a logged non-stop distance of 600 miles, the vessel must have been at sea continuously for 96 hours and have been more than 50 miles from the land while cruising a distance of at least 200 miles. The candidate must have been fully involved in the planning of the passage.

Candidates must have a Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate and preferably a Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Course Completion Certificate. The examination is oral and of about 1 ½ hours duration unless the candidate has not completed a shorebased course in which case the examination will also involve a written test and therefore be longer.

Please note: Yachtmaster Ocean is NOT a qualification in itself, it is an endorsement to the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.