People enjoy the boating life in all sorts of ways.
They may sail alone, they may like partying or simply prefer to
be with their partner or family in a shared activity. It doesn't
matter because they all share one thing - the pleasure and fun that
comes from putting their nautical skills into practice in whatever
way appeals to them most.
Boating and being on the water is a way of life for
a growing number of people.
You can do it!
For many people there is no substitute for owning their own
boat. Others prefer to charter a boat and widen their yachting horizons.
Either way it is their route to getting afloat and enjoying their
particular type of yachting.
This is one lifetime hobby that has no real age barriers.
People own and manage boats and juggle their time between work,
children and boat - children and boats are an ideal family holiday
combination by the way. At the other end of the spectrum there are
many examples of people who see retirement and boats as the perfect
recipe for an entertaining life.
There are those who like the process of working their
boat from harbour to harbour and pitting their skills against the
elements. Equally, there's a huge number who want to get from one
harbour to the next as quickly as possible with the minimum of hassle.
Sailors are firmly in the first camp and motor yacht skippers and
crew fit into the second.
What do I need?
A boat or access to someone else's!
There's an almost infinite range of boat sizes, speeds
and capabilities and a world (literally) of places to visit and
voyages to make. It is all waiting for you.
It need not cost a fortune either. You can charter
a good boat for hundreds rather than thousands of pounds for a few
days. Crewing agencies are always on the lookout for people who
want to make passages on other people's boats. Yacht clubs are a
good source of crewing opportunities and a fine way to meet other
like-minded enthusiasts.
Finally, of course, there's a vast selection of new
and used boats on the market at any one time. There is no need to
buy new unless you want to and a good, well equipped yacht can make
a very good investment and offer big savings over a new boat. With
prices starting at a few thousand pounds for a small cruiser, the
opportunity to get afloat at a reasonable price is there, for everybody,
today.
Training and practice.
Handling a boat of whatever size or type needs some training.
If you crew for someone, they will often teach you the basics anyway.
To be really useful as a crew, or to move onto owning your own boat
there's really no substitute for some professional training.
It's a bit like learning to drive a car. There is
some knowledge and core practical skills that CAN be learnt from
a relative or friend but are often BETTER learnt from an experienced
instructor.
The level of skill you require really depends on your
own goals. If your aim is to sail the world's oceans on your own
boat then you (and your crew) need a great deal of education and
experience. At the other extreme, you might think that to sail a
dinghy or handle a speedboat needs little or no training.
You would be wrong and if you plan to handle any boat
you need to understand the basic techniques and rules that make
life safe and enjoyable on the water.
How do I get this training then?
Whether your dream is to cross the oceans, visit beautiful coastal
regions or race there's one common thread.
'You need to know enough to be safe and to enjoy your
time afloat'.
One very good place to start is with the UK's Royal
Yachting Association training programme. They have a variety of
schemes covering the requirements of dinghies, windsurfers, sailing
and power yachts.
The cruising scheme, for example, has the aim of 'encouraging
high standards of seamanship and navigation among cruising yachtsmen
and women'. It is highly regarded world-wide and consists of a series
of practical and shorebased courses that are designed to be complementary
and self reinforcing. Each course leads to a Certificate of Competence
and most are gained by examination after completion of the necessary
course work. The certificates are recognised by all other RYA recognised
training establishments.
The scheme covers all levels from the beginner (the
Day Skipper course) to the more experienced (the Coastal Skipper
/ Yachtmaster Offshore) and those planning to cross the oceans of
the world (the Yachtmaster Ocean).
You need to know about seamanship, navigation and
how to manage a boat safely. Topics include chartwork, navigation
and tides, safety, anchoring, passage planning and making, meteorology
and pilotage as you work a vessel into and out of harbours
These skills haven't changed much over the centuries
and are still the key to safe and enjoyable yachting. These days
we also cover the proper use of electronic navigation aids and VHF
radio.
The RYA split the learning process into two. The theoretical
side is best learnt ashore. Practical training reinforces the theoretical
knowledge you gained from studying ashore by putting it into practice.
This means that if you want to learn the theory of
navigation and seamanship you can do it anywhere. A popular choice
is to study at an evening class but there's a growing number of
people who either do not have access to evening courses or just
cannot commit time on a regular basis. For these people there are
alternatives and there's often no better place than your own home.
A self-study course is a good and well proven way to study these
subjects.
Combine self-study with some practical courses on
the water and you have an ideal way to start a new phase of life.
After all, there is
'Nothing, just nothing, like messing about on the water'!
This article first appeared in Educational Courses in Britain
& America
