Boomers Abroad

Description

This is our most popular skipper-training programme. It offers a reliable route to the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore/Master of Yachts 200gt certificate, the benchmark for commercial skippers entering the professional yachting industry.

The course is suitable for experienced sailors and newcomers alike. Candidates with previous experience will find they are fully stretched, while the flexible, modular programme allows beginners to progress at their own rate.

The course is delivered in three parts.

Master of Yachts Part 1 (Pro Crew Training) is a UK-based, six week foundation course. Periods of training ashore in Cowes alternate with periods living and learning on board a Dehler 34 or Beneteau 40.7 sailing yacht.

The shorebased syllabus in Part 1 includes: Vessel familiarization / Chartwork / Navigation and pilotage / Rules and regulations / Safety and seamanship / Food safety and hygiene on board / Basic yacht maintenance / Diesel engine maintenance / Marine radio techniques / Weather forecasting.

While living on board you learn the skills of Competent Crew and Day Skipper and undertake a series of short offshore passages, where you put your navigation theory into practice. You visit the main ports in the Solent and some quiet hideaway anchorages, as well as making trips along England's South Coast or across to France and the Channel Islands.

Part 1 also includes five days of STCW95 Basic Safety Training, qualifying you to work commercially on superyachts anywhere in the world. The STCW95 programme covers: Simulated emergencies / First aid at sea / Sea survival techiques / Safety and social responsibility / Fire prevention and fire fighting

After Part 1 you fly to Sydney for Master of Yachts Part 2 (Coastal Skipper Training), to start a nine week Australian sailing adventure.

Practical training in Part 2 includes: Sail trimming / Spinnaker handling and race techniques / Boat handling under sail and power / Passage planning / Navigation, port entry and pilotage / Passage making and skippered passages / Crew management offshore / Watch keeping / Safety and emergency drills / RIB (small powerboat) driving.

We have also included a PADI dive course in the programme but if you don't want to dive we can arrange some extra dinghy sailing.

The theory syllabus covers: Passage planning / Yacht and crew preparation / Advanced navigation and chartwork / GPS and electronic aids/ Meteorology / Tidal heights and streams/ Aspects of oceanography / Vessel stability / Safety equipment and procedures / Collision Regulations (IRPCS) / Racing rules / Race tactics

Part 2 is based in a spectacular setting at Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney. You will practise your inshore skills in Australia's favourite yachting playground, cruising past the Opera House and under the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Offshore you explore the New South Wales coast, heading south following the route of the Sydney Hobart race or north towards Broughton Island, Seal Rocks and Coffs Harbour. Weather conditions vary from warm nor'-easterly sea breezes to strong, cool southerly busters. This is offshore sailing at its best. You will experience magnificent seascapes, dolphins, maybe whales and, of course, flying fish.

On this date you complete Part 2 with a flight to New Zealand for an extended offshore passage from the Hauraki Gulf to the Bay of Islands. Here you build miles and log qualifing passages. A professional training skipper watches your progress, but during your periods as acting skipper you are effectively in charge.

By the end of Part 2 you will have enjoyed travel, training, teamwork and adventure. You will understand the basics of racing and have experienced the excitement of competition. You can now expect to be fully confident taking charge of a sailing yacht and its crew in coastal waters.

At your debrief you will plan the date and location of your Part 3 Yachtmaster assessment. For most people, Part 3 takes place over two weeks in the challenging tidal waters of the Solent in southern England, including a one-day practical exam for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore certificate. If you prefer a warmer climate, dates are also available in Sydney.