The Cumbrae Blog

Yachtmaster Ocean

Cumbrae has successfully now run it's first YM Ocean Shorebased course (7th -13th November)  under the tutorship of our own ocean going Instructor John Simpson . The RYA Ocean Shorebased course has three parts learning how to use a sextant with associated astronomical ways to fix your position using the sun, stars, planets or moon. Plus world weather (Tropical Revolving Storms and how best to avoid them!) and Ocean passage planning.

The six people joining for this week were all very experienced yachtsmen Hugh and Vince are professional sailors, Olly a film/TV script writer (taking six months off to write a Scottish historical novel), Stephen a dentist (who also instructs flying on light aircraft), Tristram a self employed graphic artist and Jim a retired agricultural advisor. Four of them being boat owners. Course guidelines suggest that you have completed the YM Coastal/Offshore theory before trying this course...

Nowadays with the advent of GPS many folks feel perhaps that a course like this might not be necessary when planning an Ocean passage. They might be well be right but there is always plenty of time on a long passage to try an astro. fix provided you have a background understanding, which this course provides. So you might be missing out enjoying something interesting, if you haven't taken one...

All the guys enjoyed this first Yachtmaster Ocean course at Cumbrae. Despite the confines of a classroom for these outdoor enthusiasts and professionals they left fully prepared to fix their position by sextant any where in the world and where looking forward to getting out there to use their new found sextant skills. With very few places offering this course It is hoped Cumbrae can run this course again click for 2012 Yachtmaster Ocean dates
 

By David