Day Skipper Courses

Despite sailing for many a year .. I have no paperwork and hence no ICC.  I'm told the best way to get one is to do the Day Skipper course.

I think all I need is the Day Skipper practical (£400 quid and a 5 day holiday on the Solent etc) ... but to do the practical it is "recommended" that one does the theory course first.

So: how important is it to do the theory course?

assuming it IS important:

Option 1: my club wants £240 quid and 2 hours a week for ... EVER; I could do a degree in less time (maybe), certainly an A-level

Option 2: On line courses are around £300 .... (including a "free" chart plotter - whowee!)

Option 3:  You can buy the course text book for £12  and teach yourself .. viable?

Who's done it and what advice can they give.

It all depends on your ability to demonstrate that you can do things the way the RYA teaches they should be done.

If you are up with all the RYA lingo, preferred techniques and quirks, get a second opion about direct assessment, or recognition of prior learning or recognition of current competencies for ICC.

But, be warned, many assessment authorities make a bigger process out of RPL/RCC, with just as much cost as teaching and assessing the full syllabus.

And, inevitably, any training establishment that has taken your money to teach you has a big stake in passing you, while if they haven't taught you, they have a natural inclination to fail you on direct assessment.

Its probably a good idea to do the theory before the prac. Many people doing the theory discover quite a few new things, some of which will quite likely be examined in the prac assessment.

Quite bluntly, if you pay a training establishment to teach you the theory, then teach and assess you on the prac, yu have optimized your chances of passing at one go.

How you do the theory, out of the options you have identified, plus doing it through the same establishment you are going to do the prac with is up to you: the pros and con are pretty obvious.

If you know you are good at self directed learning (many people aren't) then do it yourself self. If time is no object and you want to support your club, then go that route. If the free chart plotter is a fully licensed version of Exedition, go on line, and if you want to maximize your chances of passing your prac, go to the same place.

Edited by Brass - 27 Sep 15 at 8:51pm

Blueboy .. I agree.  Day/Coastal skipper seems OTT for being allowed to rent a 36fter to sail around the Aegean. 

It's a shame the teaching establishments don't run a 2 day refresher and assessment ICC course .. but why the cut their own throats when they ca sell a £300 theory course followed by a £500 practical!

I think I'll buy the ICC handbook and see what I'm supposed to know (http://www.rya.org.uk/shop/pages/product.aspx?pid=G81%28RYADefaultCatalog%29&mode=t&type=BK%28RYADefaultCatalog%29).  Probably OK,  though on my last yachting trip (North Devon to Portsmouth) I did find some of the buoys and lights confusing (eg "this vessel is towing something on a long cable"), relied heavily on the iPad navigation app, got down the Solent by following the "deep shipping channel" and couldn't use the FM radio at all .... good job the yacht's owner was always within kicking and shouting reach during my watches! Maybe a proper course wouldn't be a bad idea anyway.