There are two types of Yachtmaster qualification: Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore.
To obtain a Yachtmaster Coastal qualification you need the knowledge required to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises but not necessarily the experience needed to undertake longer passages required for Yachtmaster Offshore. The theory is the same for both, however this course is suited to those with fewer hours of sea time.
To obtain a Yachtmaster Offshore qualification you will need to be ‘a yachtsman or woman competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage that can be completed without the use of astronavigation’. A Yachtmaster Offshore should be able to enter any well-charted harbour for the first time, with sufficient depth, by day or night.
With only 4 students on our 8-berth boat you will have a cabin all to yourself, ensuring a comfortable environment for all crew members aboard for the duration of the course.
As with any exam, the more practice you have beforehand, the more confident you will feel. Before your exam, be more adventurous than the usual weekend trip to your favourite anchorage. Enter some new harbours to refine your pilotage. Attempt the occasional night entry and be aware of the problems. This course will ensure that you receive specific tuition and preparation for your Yachtmaster exam.
Here are some of the things you could be tested on:
We endeavor to supply as much of what you need as possible. We supply pillows – but not pillow cases. We supply wet weather gear – but not footwear.
So here is a guide as to what you might bring:
Pack your gear in a soft bag or holdall, i.e. not a hard suitcase, as stowage on board is limited. We provide all safety equipment such as lifejackets and harnesses etc.
An excellent outfit, well equipped with good boats and brilliant instructors, that is small enough to give a warm personal service but big enough to cope with the full gamut of yachting experiences.
Hi ColinThanks for sharing this picture :-)Let me say once again what a pleasure was meeting you. I felt you were genuinely interested in our success and learning and treated us as friends rather than customers. Thank youAll the best with sailing and life, I’m sure our path will cross again soonStefano - Yachtmaster Offshore Candidate
Evening Colin and Jan,Thanks again for a wonderful long weekend. I thought that the following testimonial might be better than the words that I used on the feedback form; I’ve now had time to reflect on why I enjoyed learning with you guys so much.“Having now successfully completed it Day Skipper Theory and Practical with Premier Sailing, I would like to say a big thank you to Colin, Jan and the team. What I particularly liked about Premier Sailing was the friendliness, flexibility and support given both to me and other students on the two courses - theory through evening sessions in Chelmsford; Practical in Fambridge, Burnham, Ipswich and Shotley. The flexible nature of the courses was particularly helpful, e.g. allowing me to be join in with a weekend module when a previously booked appointment meant that I would otherwise miss my normal Monday evening session. I now look forward to joining one of the forthcoming trips and having even more fun when we return from holiday.
Dear Colin and Jan,Thank you for forwarding the photos. I also wanted to thank you for a fantastically well organised sailing week in a beautiful location. The peace and calm is such a contrast to sailing on the south coast. The sighting of over forty seals on a sand bank was a real highlight.The instruction was clear, informed and very supportive. I particularly appreciated, as a competent crew trainee, the trust placed in me to try all the tactics expected of the yacht masters.We had a good humoured team on board, many laughs and everyone pulled their weight. Your commitment to deliver an excellent experience was underlined by the provision of very good fresh food with our instructor magically transforming into chef in between imparting sailing skills.I wish you and your family all the best and hope to see you again once I have mastered some theory and quite a few knots.
Hi Colin Just a quick email to say what a great weekend I had, Dave was great. And the food was Fantastic. Thank you. Kind regardsJohn