Help finding training to handle a yacht

There's usually at least a couple of schools in all the major hubs. Some'll cost you more than others.

I got my skills between ages of 11 and 14 off of Nantucket and in Boston Harbor for free, but they've faded, so I'm also looking for a reasonable school for a refresher.

If you are not looking for certification, you can hire a professional captain to give you all the hands-on training you need. If you like to be certified as a day skipper or what not in order to be able to charter boats here and there then you should seek a certified instructor or any of the yachts clubs available throughout the country. Search the web for Marine Professional Training and you will get both clubs and instructors.

Good luck.

Assuming that we're not talking about becoming a professional, you'd do best with a qualified captain/instructor. Big difference between 40 & 60. At 40/46' you can probably get by with 2 or 3 three hour lessons. Once you get near 50' you should plan (and your insurance company will probably require you) to have a captain with you for the first summer. If you're getting near 60 with very limited experience you'd probably do well to plan on using a captain for awhile, even if it's not required, if you can afford it.

I have to agree with others. A course is a good idea to learn basic seamanship, navigation, and maintenance. However, if you are planning on buying a 40-60' boat private lessons from a knowledgeable captain are the best choice. Best would be if you already have the boat so the lessons can be specific to the way it operates. Also, as pointed out, insurers of a 60' boat may very well insist it be operated by a licensed captain for a certain period of time.

The key is to find someone who does training as a profession. That is, they have an established and organized lesson plan, a method of determining the amount of instruction you need, good communication skills and unlimited patience.

Down in Florida, Seasense and Chapman's come to mind. You could take one of their basic classes, then hire one of their instructors for advanced one on one training. My wife used SeaSense and it was great for her, and I have heard good things second hand about Chapman's. After learning the basics, you will want to go on an actual cruise with an instructor. Then do some bare boat chartering of different types and sizes of vessels. I can virtually guarantee all this will be the best money you ever spend on boating.

This process will also help you determine a) if cruising is really for you and yours (an SO should be involved somewhere along the way, especially the cruising segments) b)what you are really looking for in a boat (size, design, ergonomics, performance, cost to run, etc) c) or if you'd be better off chartering.

If you are going to be on the Chesapeake, I hear the Annapolis School of Seamanship provides the type of training you seek.

- Paul Artola
Ellicott City, Maryland

I have attended some very reasonable inexpensive courses at the Coast Guard Axuillary to learn basic navigation when I was first starting out. They offer many different boating subject.
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