Being one that think ahead...

[Justin Owen]

After seeing a little RIB advertised for £1500, I was just wondering - what sort of skills/training etc would you need to have your own boat and be able to take it out on the sea *safely*!!

I'm gonna be doing the BSAC Boat Handling & Cox'n courses this year (I believe that allows us to sign the club RIB out). Then I believe there's a VHF course...

Anyway - don't panic, I'm not gonna rush out and buy a boat, but it would be nice to know for the future!

Ta.

[Hobby]

Think along the lines of"I'm buying a car from scratch,whta will I need to do?"
IMHO,I would'nt bother at all with the BSAC course.Book on an RYA course (level dependant on your experience)and work up the scale there.There is a crossover from the BSAC course but the level 2 RYA powerboat course is superior in all respects(it is also an International Powerboat License)I don't think that the RYA actually recognise the BSAC course in it's entirety.You can add things to it such as Advanced,Rescue Boat cox ETC,ETC.
You'll learn basics such a trailer handling,hull types and charachteristics,basic seamanship,overboard procedures etc.You should'nt venture out without it really,depending who's teaching it it's also good fun.
If you've lots of money and can pull strings this lot can do you some real boat courses!
HTH,Hobby.
 http://www.mri-group.com/welcome/welcome.html

[Dr Stevil]

Agreed, I did the RYA RB II course a couple of years ago, cost me a tenner! cool...  Coverws a lot more than the BSAC one and BSAC will recognise te RYA one but as Hobby says I don't think its reciprocal due to the limitations of the BSAC course. One big difference to point out is that for us the MOB (man overboard ) drill is vastly more important than for a regular powerboater ie for them ist a chance occurence but for us it's all about picking up your divers.

Re the Diver Cox'n qualification (as distinct from the boat Handling), I think that's probably looking a little to the future as I believe you need to demonstrate a very high standard of boating skills for that.

Additionally it'd be wise to do a VHF/GMDSS course and even wiser, but not essential at this point, to consider an RYA Day Skipper course, our local Maritime College (South Shields) runs it as a nightschool course. In the meantime I can recommend a book "Coastal Navigation",  can't remember the author at the moment but most dive shops stock it. There are others available too.

Beware ! RIBs, or at least the engines, are a bottomless pit into which all your money can disappear with alarming rapidity. My old club has one rib and one inflatable and it takes a lot of money and efort to keep them going.

But on the plus side it's GREAT fun piloting your own vessel :biggrin:
Chee-az
Steve

[Hobby]

Good point re.the MOB Steve.I was lucky and our instructors concentrated more on this area when asked and realised the reasons behind doing the course.I do beleive that our own Andy Dales is a qualified RYA instructor,this would be good as he would be able to teach the course with a diver orientation.My old Man arranged to have a course taught like this for his club(he was DO then)after discovering how inadequate the BSAC one was.The guy who taught them was a life boat cox,RYA instructor-instructor etc from Holyhead.He devised an adapted RYA course for the divers and they all did it,apparently it was very difficult,pickups in drift currents etc etc.He's retired now but Andy could do similar I'm sure!
Funnily enough at Anglesey last summer Andy and I spent some minutes watching the many RIBS etc picking up divers and 'manouvering'around near the shore.I would'nt have trusted many of them in the bath with a toy boat.There really was some concerns re.their knowledge/abilities,not to mention their props!
Same with anything water based,get it taught correctly!
Hobby.

[Dr Stevil]

RYA instructor too? blinking flip!! is there anything our Mr Dales doesn't teach ?

Justin, one other thing I meant to emphasize is, do you have the space to store a boat? Out of the water boats are deceptively bigger than you thought previously, I know as I once said about my old club's 'small' inflatable, "no problem, stick it my garage/carport thing..."  ended up half in the garden and half undercover
Chee-az
Steve

[Justin Owen]

Thanks for all the info guys... Makes me wish I hadn't already handed over my £12 for the BSAC Boat Handling Course! Still, I'm promised its going to be a good day out...

I'm probably looking at 12-18 months down the line, but as per the subject line above, I have a tendency for thinking ahead (or put another way getting ahead of myself). I'm lucky to be the manager of an engineering co. with a 13,000 sq.ft. depot, so storage shouldn't be a problem if/when I decide to splash out ;)

[Dr Stevil]

It's still worth £12 to spend a day playing around on the boat, and you'll at least have some experience if you go on to do the RYA course. I only know your location as North West, but in case you're interested I did my RYA at Amble with the Coquet Shore Based Trust who ran the course so cheaply.
Chee-az
steve