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Post by peterboat on Oct 18, 2016 22:13:53 GMT
I know what you mean I struggled with the sextant as well we had 3 on board I also had a military GPS which I trusted and did the job very well
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Post by Graham on Oct 18, 2016 22:18:06 GMT
It ain't strange. Quite a few amateur boaters I know, are competent skippers and navigators and are un-ticketed I did my navigation course before the IALA buoyage scheme started but it must be 40 years since I tried to use a sextant. (I very much doubt I could now, and I certainly couldn't remember how to calculate it out) I did my wireless ticket in 1964 (GPO certificate of competency in wireless telegraphy and telephony First class) my Board of Trade radar ticket in 1965. my B.O.T. lifeboat ticket in 1968 my steering ticket also in 1968 (on a 10,000 tonner) My first restricted VHF licence was issued without an exam by making a phone call to the licensing authorities, can't remember the date (they did make me go and do the course for the GMDSS much later though) All of them mean absolutely jack shit as they are all so out of date (apart from the GMDSS restricted VHF which is current) I have no desire to leave British waters in my own boat and I am therefore able to skipper my boat wherever I like without any interference from bloody bureaucrats. Trouble is that boatman wants to carry passengers for reward. Heck I carried my first paying passengers back in 1953 lol
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Post by JohnV on Oct 18, 2016 22:29:21 GMT
It ain't strange. Quite a few amateur boaters I know, are competent skippers and navigators and are un-ticketed I did my navigation course before the IALA buoyage scheme started but it must be 40 years since I tried to use a sextant. (I very much doubt I could now, and I certainly couldn't remember how to calculate it out) I did my wireless ticket in 1964 (GPO certificate of competency in wireless telegraphy and telephony First class) my Board of Trade radar ticket in 1965. my B.O.T. lifeboat ticket in 1968 my steering ticket also in 1968 (on a 10,000 tonner) My first restricted VHF licence was issued without an exam by making a phone call to the licensing authorities, can't remember the date (they did make me go and do the course for the GMDSS much later though) All of them mean absolutely jack shit as they are all so out of date (apart from the GMDSS restricted VHF which is current) I have no desire to leave British waters in my own boat and I am therefore able to skipper my boat wherever I like without any interference from bloody bureaucrats. Trouble is that boatman wants to carry passengers for reward. Heck I carried my first paying passengers back in 1953 lol Yes I realise that, the post was more for Peterboat than boatman. However, I seem to remember that a chap I knew a few years ago took his Yachtmasters (with the sea time on yachts which is often easier to get as many people need crew) and then went for the commercial endorsement as an add on (with a yachtmasters you would be considered useful crew on quite a lot of small commercial vessels and might be able him to get your commercial hours in and get paid at the same time)
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Post by Graham on Oct 18, 2016 22:41:28 GMT
Been lucky enough to do all mine the easy way as leisure sailor, after Bermuda and skippering a 40 odd foot ex-RAF launch, twin Merlins. Oh heck the years go by.
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Post by PaulG2 on Oct 19, 2016 1:00:39 GMT
Well this time last week I past my Boat Master tier 2, cat A all canals and cat B Leeds to Castleford. I can know skipper the flyboat in charge with upto 44 mad Yorkshire women on board doing the Hen party stuff.... gulp. I've now got the urge at the tender age of 55 to take it further, Masters 200. This will allow me to do off shore stuff. There's going to be a demand for skippers getting work forces out to the wind farms. This I really fancy, only snag is, the only salty stuff I've done is half a dozen ferry crossings to the IOW lol. I'm going to phone the chap who took me for my exam last week and pick his brains. Congratulations! Bet it feels good to get that hoop jumped through.
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Post by boatman on Oct 19, 2016 7:14:08 GMT
Cheers Paul, yeah I had a couple of sleepless nights leading up to the exam but all was good on the day. The river behaved itself, the boat handled well even at the crap part of the river where the examiner decided to do the man over board! Adrian Tyson the MCA man was fair, he didn't try and trip me up but he does put you under a bit of pressure while steering ie, he stuck his head out of the cabin and said "I've got Castleford rugby team on board and they are fighting, what are you going to do?" I think jump over board and swim to the bank was the wrong answer!!
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Post by JohnV on Oct 19, 2016 7:18:39 GMT
Cheers Paul, yeah I had a couple of sleepless nights leading up to the exam but all was good on the day. The river behaved itself, the boat handled well even at the crap part of the river where the examiner decided to do the man over board! Adrian Tyson the MCA man was fair, he didn't try and trip me up but he does put you under a bit of pressure while steering ie, he stuck his head out of the cabin and said "I've got Castleford rugby team on board and they are fighting, what are you going to do?" I think jump over board and swim to the bank was the wrong answer!!correct one being "lock the wheelhouse door and let them get on with it" ?
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Post by boatman on Oct 19, 2016 7:26:38 GMT
Yeah, what my answer was, get a crew member to take over the helm, while I go inside ( gulp) and try and sort it, if I can't, it's boat into the bank and call the old bill. Mind you our two lovely lasses behind the bar would probably join in and sort it out in minutes!
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Post by JohnV on Oct 19, 2016 7:32:16 GMT
Yeah, what my answer was, get a crew member to take over the helm, while I go inside ( gulp) and try and sort it, if I can't, it's boat into the bank and call the old bill. Mind you our two lovely lasses behind the bar would probably join in and sort it out in minutes! Naah ! (gulp) I think I would prefer my answer
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Post by bargemast on Oct 19, 2016 7:52:15 GMT
Having the right tickets to get a job isn't that easy, but if you do all you can to obtain them now, you'll be a qualified person with recent experience.
I myself have a ticket as captain on commercial inland barges without lenght limit, for which I have to pass a medical test every year to keep it valid, and also a ticket as captain on inland passenger boats.
Of course also the required VHF licence, and a Coastal navigation ticket that I got in 1973, but since then my only sea experience has been as passenger on many Channel-crossing ferries.
The knowledge I had is gone down to my feet in all these years, I doubt very much if standing on my head for a couple of hours would get it back into what's left over of my brains.
Saying that, I think that it's very important to regulary practise all the things one has been licenced for, and that it's not enough to still have the required licence alone.
Peter.
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Post by JohnV on Oct 19, 2016 8:17:30 GMT
snip< Saying that, I think that it's very important to regulary practise all the things one has been licenced for, and that it's not enough to still have the required licence alone. Peter. Know what you mean, it has been a few years now since I stood watch regularly and light recognition can sometimes be a problem (thank goodness for crib sheets !) ("What in hell's name is that one .....can't be a pilot this far down coast .... bugger! it's a long liner) Doh !!!
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