Advice from Experienced sailors!

D3AN · #1 (**permalink**) 06-26-2006

Hello every one,

My name is Dean, im 19, live in london.. Currently manager of a bar, in kensington, and i just joined this forum today... Been looking through it, and it seems to be very helpful, and it's active which is a bonus!

I've been speaking to UKSA and im looking at doing there 'ocean graduate' course.. im very new to sailing, and dont have many logged miles.. Do you think this is a good way to get into it.. Any adivce, and tips would be greatfully appreciated!

Thnxs a lot for any help you may be able to give me..
Dean

SailinJay · #2 (**permalink**) 06-26-2006

I checked out the UKSA web site. The Ocean Graduate course bills itself as an intensive program preparing students for commercial work and is 23 weeks long. I think the UKSA Leisure courses RYA Competent Crew or RYA Dayskipper might be more suited to a beginning sailor.

D3AN · #3 (**permalink**) 06-26-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by SailinJay

I checked out the UKSA web site. The Ocean Graduate course bills itself as an intensive program preparing students for commercial work and is 23 weeks long. I think the UKSA Leisure courses RYA Competent Crew or RYA Dayskipper might be more suited to a beginning sailor.

well, im going on my competent crew course in a few weeks, down in the solent.. To see if i get 'the feel' for it.. personally i think i will.. i love the water, and water sports... i dive quite a lot too... It says that the course is fine for beginners? I'm not stupid, and im a good learner...

Thanks for your comments though mate...

sailingdog · #4 (**permalink**) 06-26-2006

Dean-

Good luck with the course... and enjoy... but do turn off the boldface. All boldface is a bit annoying...

sailandoar · #5 (**permalink**) 06-26-2006

Without knowing any particulars about the course you are in it sounds like proper start. You will learn a lot and hopefully make some contacts that will set you up for the next round of adventures when this first school is over.

Best Wishes, and see you on the water.....

Omatako · #6 (**permalink**) 06-27-2006

The only problem with doing these "zero to hero" courses is that when it's all over and you want some sort of recognition for what you've learned, they often tell you "Oh, but you have to have 400 hours at sea, 40% of which has to be at night and 30 % has to be as a watch captain and 20% has to be more than 50 miles from the coast and the hours have to include two or more ports before you can write the exam" and this list often goes on and on.
So if you're just after a good learning experience and no particular qualification afterwards, you're probably going to achieve your objective.
Hope you enjoy it all.

D3AN · #7 (**permalink**) 06-27-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omatako

The only problem with doing these "zero to hero" courses is that when it's all over and you want some sort of recognition for what you've learned, they often tell you "Oh, but you have to have 400 hours at sea, 40% of which has to be at night and 30 % has to be as a watch captain and 20% has to be more than 50 miles from the coast and the hours have to include two or more ports before you can write the exam" and this list often goes on and on.
So if you're just after a good learning experience and no particular qualification afterwards, you're probably going to achieve your objective.
Hope you enjoy it all.

Thanks for all your comments and adivce every one.. It's been helpful..
I beg to differ, about this whole 'zero to hero' thing, im sure its just a phrase.. but dont we all have to start some where, and in my experience it lies solely on the person, and their capabilities! I dont mean to sound big headed but i believe i'm more than capable of achieving my goals..

The reason i'm taking up sailing is because i love the water, there'll be plenty of chances for me to dive..Get to meet new people, and travel the world again.. and well, c'mon its a damn cool thing to do

If there is any more advice to be shared.. keep it coming, once again.. Thanks for your time and advice...

Dean

P.S - Have you seen the UKSA Ocean Graduate Course, i do believe on completion of the course, you do obtain a few good qualifications.. A friend of the familily done the fast track when he was 19, hes now 20, and in charge of a flotila of 14 yachts in greece for sun sail.

AegeanBaby · #8 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006

This sounds like a very good reason not to book with Sunsail in Greece.

I cannot believe that any 20 year old has enough life experience and people skills to be in charge of a flotilla, even if his sailing is okay.

We employ commercial skippers and, in my opinion, the fast-track courses provide a quick method of getting basic competence to skipper a yacht. The problem is when their graduates come out with an over-inflated perception of their abilities and especially their experience. Companies like Sunsail who hire these people and put them in responsible positions add to the trouble.

The reason Sunsail hire them, I believe, is because they are cheap. A yachtmaster with several years experience would demand a higher salary and would probably also have some questions to ask about the yachts and equipment he/she is in charge of.

How would you feel about a fastrack airline pilot of 20?

Do the course by all means, then get in as much sailing as you can with different skippers, different types of yacht, different weather, different countries. After a few thousand miles of this you should be getting there.

Good luck.

sailingdog · #9 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006

Isn't the sunsail flotilla in Greece the one that had a drowning on a small beach catamaran just recently??

cardiacpaul · #10 (**permalink**) 07-30-2006

I can see why they'd need more employees, after this troupe didn't do their jobs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/n...re/4829102.stm