RYA Diesel Engine 1-day course

[Sir Percy]

I don't expect that there's anyone who's done the same course with different providers; would all accredited trainers provide the same standard of training/equipment, do you think?

 

I'm looking at one charged at £155 - is that standard?

[Tony Brooks]

5 minutes ago, Sir Percy said:

I don't expect that there's anyone who's done the same course with different providers; would all accredited trainers provide the same standard of training/equipment, do you think?

 

I'm looking at one charged at £155 - is that standard?

 

My info is out of date, but the feedback from students, both salty water and inland, when I was running my/RCR two-day course that covered far more than diesel engines did not show many RYA courses in a good light. You need to understand it is a franchise operation that as far as I can see only requires franchisees to attend a one-day course. That is totally inadequate to tech delivery and presentation skills, especially as time is taken up with individual presentations. Apparently, internationally accepted trade qualifications coupled with nationally recognised teaching/presentation qualifications do not fit one to deliver RYA courses. The RYA demand their PAID FOR course.

 

Be very careful and definitely only go by personal recommendations.

 

Good/experienced engineers do not necessarily make a good tutor, and I am unsure what trade qualifications the RYA demand, if any, before accepting you as a potential franchisee.

[cuthound]

I don't know if they still offer it, but when I bought my boat 10 years ago RCR offered to train you on your own boat for £150. Basically you undertook the service under their instruction and they provided the materials.

 

Years ago I used to service my own cars, but many years of company cars had resulted in my practical skills going a bit rusty. The technician was allocated 4 hours, so when I had completed my service in less than an hour, he offered to show me how to maintain various bits of the boat not included in the official RCR course, which of course I accepted.

 

It was definitely money well spent.

[Sir Percy]

Thanks @Tony Brooks, I was concerned about the franchise aspect of RYA course provision, hence the post. I think I'll be looking at an RCR course.

3 minutes ago, Sir Percy said:

I think I'll be looking at an RCR course.

...which seem to have now been discontinued!

[Tony Brooks]

5 minutes ago, Sir Percy said:

Thanks @Tony Brooks, I was concerned about the franchise aspect of RYA course provision, hence the post. I think I'll be looking at an RCR course.

...which seem to have now been discontinued!

 

I think that is now an RYA course, but I no longer run them. Check with the to see if they still use my course notes. If they don't, you are free to download them and print them out. tb-training.co.uk

[LadyG]

3 hours ago, Sir Percy said:

I don't expect that there's anyone who's done the same course with different providers; would all accredited trainers provide the same standard of training/equipment, do you think?

 

I'm looking at one charged at £155 - is that standard?

Unless your existing knowledge is pretty much zero, I would question the value of a standard RYA course to a boat owner who wants to learn about maintaining his own engine. The cost is what i would expect, assuming its a day course rather than a two hour clinic.

I think that paying someone to come to your own boat, discussing the installation and servicing it  would be more useful.  Thats likely to cost more than £155, but you get an experienced eye looking at your boat.

I can change the oil and filters, but that is my limit. I don't have anywhere to dispose of waste, so that

I've had several people service my engjne, and as far as I am aware only the last one was well qualified, so the boat got a 500 hour service, as laid down in the manual!

As well as oil, the coolant was drawn, visually inspected and topped up again. That's never happened previously.

[Karlom]

Probably not relevant to most but just in case there is someone from Ireland looking to know more about the marine engine there is a fantastic course run twice a year in Dublin.  The guy that runs it has been doing it for 25 years and knows absolutely everything about Marine engines, it is it for 10 weeks and it’s €110 for the whole course fantastic value. Message me for details

[Tony Brooks]

15 minutes ago, Karlom said:

Probably not relevant to most but just in case there is someone from Ireland looking to know more about the marine engine there is a fantastic course run twice a year in Dublin.  The guy that runs it has been doing it for 25 years and knows absolutely everything about Marine engines, it is it for 10 weeks and it’s €110 for the whole course fantastic value. Message me for details

 

That seems too good to be true. Ten weeks of instruction for 110 euros to include the cost of premisses, parts and equipment, let alone paying the tutor a realistic rate. The only way I can see that working is by very large classes and very little hands on for students. I would also have great difficulty in making the content that the majority of boaters want and need to know last more than a week, and even then it would be padded by arguably unnecessary hands on work. I would point out that I would cover the engine and boat maintenance and boat electrics in 2 x 2 days, although I would have liked a bit more time.

[Karlom]

Yes you make good points. We are fortunate that this is more of a community based scheme where the guy uses the local school once a week, maybe its more of a hobby than a business for him as he is in the 70s… but years of experience 

 

https://cabinteelyadulteducation.ie/project/marine-engine-maintenance/

 

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, Karlom said:

Yes you make good points. We are fortunate that this is more of a community based scheme where the guy uses the local school once a week, maybe its more of a hobby than a business for him as he is in the 70s… but years of experience 

 

https://cabinteelyadulteducation.ie/project/marine-engine-maintenance/

 

 

That makes much more sense - 10 days, not 10 weeks. The only thing I would be a bit wary of the amount of hands on in a small group.

[Sir Percy]

If he could do it over 5 consecutive days, that would be a holiday in Dublin sorted out.

[Tony Brooks]

24 minutes ago, Sir Percy said:

If he could do it over 5 consecutive days, that would be a holiday in Dublin sorted out.

 Actually, I suspect it is 2 hours a night, so 20 hours in total. That is about the same as mine, which were about 14 hours over two days.

 

Many years ago I ran a similar course at a school near Aldermaston, I am sure there are others around the country, unless the RYA has outcompeted them. The problem I felt was that the equipment for hands on was very severely limited.