Helmsmans Courses

[Gillie]

My birthday is coming up soon and as we will hopefully be liveaboards

at sometime in the not too distant future books, ornaments and other stuff is what we don't need

so was thinking about asking the birthday fairy ( Dave) for a Helmsmans Course..

have other people been on these?..are they good?...any recommendations as to which firms are good..

or are the courses all standard?..

..so many questions!!

 

thanks

 

gillie

[allybsc]

My birthday is coming up soon and as we will hopefully be liveaboards

at sometime in the not too distant future books, ornaments and other stuff is what we don't need

so was thinking about asking the birthday fairy ( Dave) for a Helmsmans Course..

have other people been on these?..are they good?...any recommendations as to which firms are good..

or are the courses all standard?..

..so many questions!!

 

thanks

 

gillie

 

HI,

I did mine with Middlewich, worth it's weight in gold, I'm sure there will be plenty closer to you tho'

Regards,

Ally p.

[twoputtyrats]

HI,

I did mine with Middlewich, worth it's weight in gold, I'm sure there will be plenty closer to you tho'

Regards,

Ally p.

 

Just been looking at this ourselves....

Ours is booked with Willow Wren (rugby) on 21/08 I'd rung a few and got a really good feeling speaking to him so I'll let you know how we get on... They do seem to differ slightly - probably depending on location - how much river work can you do without a river...

 

There was one mob based in stourport and did a trip on the severn as part of the course.. They were very busy though and via e-mail all we got was an automatic don't bother talking to us before 5th august as we're busy. We won't respond

 

Simon.

Edited July 11, 2006 by twoputtyrats

[steveh]

There was one mob based in stourport and did a trip on the severn as part of the course.. They were very busy though and via e-mail all we got was an automatic don't bother talking to us before 5th august as we're busy. We won't respond

 

Have a read of this topic, this is the gentleman Simon is refering to.

 

Topic

Edited July 11, 2006 by steveh

[wrigglefingers]

Have a read of this topic, this is the gentleman Simon is refering to.

 

Topic

 

Couldn't speak too highly of Rod, Elly and I had an excellent time and learnt a lot. He's straight-forward, pithy and precise. Explains things clearly and engenders confidence even when people are nervous and anxious. Worth being patient for, and there's a reason why he's fully booked.

 

Jill

 

PS Rod is an airline pilot in his real life so he's probably not in this hemisphere at the mo', let alone being busy .........

[steveh]

PS Rod is an airline pilot in his real life so he's probably not in this hemisphere at the mo', let alone being busy .........

 

Off topic but I thought Rod was retiring in April?

[wrigglefingers]

Off topic but I thought Rod was retiring in April?

 

You're probably right - he was undecided when we met him last summer, but thought this year sometime.

 

He hasn't posted recently tho' so perhaps he's really, really busy in retirement now!

 

Jill

[Diane]

Hi

 

I've just been looking at this too!

 

When we went to Crick I picked up some info on Top Lock Training based in Marple, Stockport. I was thinking of the one day course & at £110 thought it was good value for a whole days training. Anyone had any experience of them?

 

We have been boating for some years now but as we are hopefully to become liveaboards later this year, (fingers crossed if the boat is finished on schedule) I though it a good idea to do. Also means I will have a certificate to prove i'm competent whereas hubby won't!

 

Xxx

[Moley]

Rod is an airline pilot in his real life so he's probably not in this hemisphere at the mo', let alone being busy .........

He hasn't posted recently tho' so perhaps he's really, really busy in retirement now!

Come to think of it, I see him around quite a lot (for the canals part of his courses he comes up from Stourport to Kiddy then uses the wide section just past our moorings to practice turning), but don't think I've seen him for at least a month. Could be working elsewhere, might even have gone off cruising ??

[mikevye]

I've already told you that I've been certified for a number of years so I don't need a certificate to prove it. Just remember I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left! xx

[twoputtyrats]

Have a read of this topic, this is the gentleman Simon is refering to.

 

Topic

 

That's them, If I wasn't such an impatient so and so - and in a hurry anyway we may have waited as they did look good from the website, but as things are we didn't want to wait and had a restricted window of availability (school holidays)....

 

Simon.

[alant]

That's them, If I wasn't such an impatient so and so - and in a hurry anyway we may have waited as they did look good from the website, but as things are we didn't want to wait and had a restricted window of availability (school holidays)....

 

Simon.

[AllanW]

Hi

 

I've just been looking at this too!

 

When we went to Crick I picked up some info on Top Lock Training based in Marple, Stockport. I was thinking of the one day course & at £110 thought it was good value for a whole days training. Anyone had any experience of them?

 

We have been boating for some years now but as we are hopefully to become liveaboards later this year, (fingers crossed if the boat is finished on schedule) I though it a good idea to do. Also means I will have a certificate to prove i'm competent whereas hubby won't!

 

 

Hi Diane

 

I do hope you get to take the course with Malcom up there in Marple

 

I went on this course in June and found it to be excellent! I learned far more than I would have imagined I would (and that as an experienced sailor!). The two day course which I took was very relaxed, and allowed plenty of time for practical 'hands on' training which is great - but for me the real highlight would be the way that Malcom explains WHY things happen as they do, and WHY things are better done one way rather than another

 

I'd like to add that for anyone considering this course - that the boat Malcome uses (his old Four Seasons restaurant boat) is specially converted for the course, and that the course itself takes place along the beautiful setting of the Peak and Maclesfied canals

 

All in all - I believe both experienced and novice alike will learn from this course, and I highly reccomend it to anyone interested

 

Allan

Edited July 14, 2006 by AllanW

[Diane]

Thanks Allan

 

Your reply has made my mind up & I will book tomorrow! I Think I might treat hubby too for his birthday as it sounds fantasic & in such lovely surroundings.

 

Thanks again Allan I really appreciate your comments

 

Xxx

[Gillie]

we (partner Dave and me) are looking at doing the RYA helmsman course

and wondered if anyone had done the course with John Stribblehill at Water Ways..based in Stourport..or heard any reports of them??

[AllanW]

we (partner Dave and me) are looking at doing the RYA helmsman course

and wondered if anyone had done the course with John Stribblehill at Water Ways..based in Stourport..or heard any reports of them??

Hiya Gillie

 

I've sent you a PM on this and had a look at his website

 

> http://www.waterways.arachsys.com/index.html < for those that haven't seen it

 

I'm not convinced about the benefits of taking the course on a 70 foot boat (sounds like he might use the one he lives aboard?), and to use the length as a 'selling point' (basically saying you'll be able to manage anything shorter) on his website is a little strange, as the helmsmans course is about safe practice and boat handling principles, but I do like the idea of including a bit of river work.

 

Personally, I'd be tempted to take the second day option if you decide to go for this

 

Allan

 

Edited 'cuz I can't spell

Edited August 20, 2006 by AllanW

[DHutch]

Ive never done any "helmsmans course" but if you seach on the forum theres been several threads about it in the passed.

- I havnt specifally heard about this guy disscused on here, i dont think, but hopfully someone has used this guy and will post?

 

 

Daniel

[Smudge]

Sam and I did the RYA boat handling course last month with Ray at trentboathandling.co.uk on our own boat. We found it very helpful and a confidence builder even though I have been boating since an early age and Sam since I met her (about 10 years). The thing that persuaded us was that although we have experience of boating, because we have only had hired boats before we didn't have experience of tidal water.

Ray (really nice chap btw) met us at Torksey on the wednesday morning and took us straight out onto the Trent. He never took 'charge' as in 'let me show you....', he just asked us questions ie. how would you do this?, and then 'suggested' that maybe if you did it this way......

He also had a look around the interior of Fairies and gave us a couple of pointers as to maintenance, safety, etc.

During the afternoon we came face to face with 3 commercial craft (!) but we negotiated that calmly and confidently... which was the aim of the exercise, so we were well happy

Yes, it was a lot of money for us, just short of £200 for the pair of us, but at the end of the day we can't get far from the Witham without going 'tidal' so £200 against our home - no question really is there?

[steaming floater]

we (partner Dave and me) are looking at doing the RYA helmsman course

and wondered if anyone had done the course with John Stribblehill at Water Ways..based in Stourport..or heard any reports of them??

Hi

 

Just done my Helmsmans course at Rugby with Willow Wren.

 

It was very good, I have genuinly learnt and feel much more confident about the trivialities of boating now.

 

Well worth your time and effort. People who go on a boat holiday can sometimes take 2 or 3 days to become familiar with things, and then they are only doing it thier way.

 

Better to learn correctly from the start and enjoy your holiday.

 

Good luck

[steaming floater]

My birthday is coming up soon and as we will hopefully be liveaboards

at sometime in the not too distant future books, ornaments and other stuff is what we don't need

so was thinking about asking the birthday fairy ( Dave) for a Helmsmans Course..

have other people been on these?..are they good?...any recommendations as to which firms are good..

or are the courses all standard?..

..so many questions!!

 

thanks

 

gillie

 

 

Ditto "Willow Wren", a very calm and exact science, I was soaked from start to finish but never lost the plot, Andy Newman is a very knowledgable fellow, he wrote the book more or less, and started his life aboard a boat dare I say about 45 years ago (not sure of his age)

 

You wont be dissapointed

 

Quote from Andy - Narrowboating is a contact sport. (mainly from day trippers etc....we didnt collide once much to my amazement !!!! )

[John Orentas]

I have merged the two very similar topics.