A
warm Welcome to Tom Jones Cruising
This
web site is the home page for ' Tom Jones
Cruising',
The
training done :
Day
Skipper (shorebased) course - theory
Yachtmaster
(shorebased) - theory
DSC
VHF Radio course
ICC
CEVNI test
Essential
Navigation & Seamanship
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Why
are we called Tom Jones Cruising ?
When
I set up the Training Centre the training was done
on my boat - a 60ft steel hull motor cruiser berthed
at Liverpool Marina.
You've
guessed it - the boat was called Tom Jones,
nothing whatsoever to do with the singer or the book
!
I
have now moved into the main marina building and have
been there for over 6 years - but why change a name
?
The
Boat Tom Jones can be seen on the header
above and the picture below. My wife and I used her
for charter cruises on the inland waterways of Europe
but she has now gone to a new cruising ground in Poland
and We now have another boat, an 11.2m Dutch motor
cruiser that we spend the summers on - cruising the
inland waterways of Europe. In 2010 we took the boat
from its home on the Thames over to Calais and through
the French inland system to the Mediterranean via
Paris. This summer, 2011, we will be touring the Canal
du Midi.
Your
training will be conducted by Doug McGarvie
Doug
started his sailing in dinghys and then moved on to
a Folkboat, Argo, which
he sailed extensively around the River Mersey and
Irish Sea. He raced on the Mersey and Irish Sea and
he and the boat were a reasonably successful team.
Circumstances changed and Doug moved to a 60ft twin
engine, steel hulled motor cruiser which again was
cruised around the Irish Sea. Doug and his wife then
chartered the boat for a few years on the inland waterways
of Europe.
Times
changed again and Doug now has an 11.2m Dutch-built
motor cruiser which he cruises, with his wife, on
the inland waterways of France.
All
in all Doug has a wide and varied experience and is
able to advise both sail and power boaters through
the experience he has gained
Doug
holds the MCA/RYA Yachtmaster
Offshore practical qualifications for
both Power and Sail, with a Commercial Endorsement
He
is the holder on an International
Certificate of Competence for Power
vessels over 15m and sailing vessels, both offshore
and inland, with a CEVNI endorsement
Doug
is an Associate Fellow of
the Royal Institute of Navigation
If
you have an enquiry he can contacted by email or phone
: 07870 295 736
DSC
VHF RADIO COURSE
If
you operate VHF radio fitted with Digital Selective
Calling (DSC) on any British vessel voluntarily
fitted with a radio, it is required by law that
you gain the Short Range Certificate.
The
DSC VHF radio course is a one
day course which is run at Liverpool Marina.
The start time is 09.30 hrs finishing at 17.00
hrs
bar
meals are available at the marina but are not
included in the course fees
The
cost of the course is £105 which includes
£30 for your Radio Licence issued by the
RYA
You
will need to bring with you on your course a
passport size photo for your licence together
with normal writing materials
I
normally work with a maximum of 6 people on
the radio course
A
working knowledge of the Nato phonetic alphabet
is an advantage
If
you already hold the 'old' restricted radio
licence this can be upgraded to a DSC licence
by taking a half day course at a cost of £55
plus the licence fee of £30.
Contact
me for details
If
you are a club member and want training done
on your premises - this can be arranged.
Provided
you are able to get together 6 people for training,
I will come to you
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This
is the new boat
CEVNI
TEST
CEVNI
stands for Code Européen des Voies
de Navigation Intérieure.
It
is the code governing navigation on the interconnected
European inland waterways.
Signs, rules and procedures for navigating
the European inland waterways are all included
within the CEVNI code, and pleasure craft
are expected to know and follow the code.
Knowing and abiding by the regulations is
the best way to protect yourself and your
boat
A
valid ICC is required for cruising Europe’s
inland waters.
To
validate your ICC (International Certificate
of Competence) for inland waters you must
take the CEVNI test, which checks your knowledge
of the rules and signs that skippers of pleasure
craft are expected to know and follow.
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The
RYA ICC CEVNI test is a short multiple choice
paper which can be taken either at a CEVNI
test centre or online.
The
actual on-line test is split into two parts
Part
1: Signs and buoyage.
Part 2: Sound signals, lights and shapes.
There
are seven questions in each part, and you
must answer at least five questions correctly
in each part to pass the complete test.
After
you have passed, you can download a certificate
that can be used to apply for your ICC Inland
endorsement
The
"RYA European waterways regulations (the
CEVNI rules explained)" publication G17
provides the information you need to learn
the code in a clear and concise way - a sample
paper can be found at the back of the book.
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Arrranging
to take the CEVNI test online
It is possible to take your CEVNI test online,
anywhere, anytime. The online test is an alternative
to the paper-based test that has been in operation
since the 1990s and provides ease of access
to test facilities for those who don’t
live near a RYA training centre.
The
online CEVNI test, like all RYA courses and
tests, is run through RYA training centres.
Only
some traning centres offer the online test.
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To
access the online tests go to the link below.
www.ryainteractive.org
Creating
a new account
Students
register themselves by clicking ‘Login’
in the top right corner of the RYA Interactive
site home page, and then clicking ‘Create
new account’.
Then
you will be asked for simple personal details
and must select Tom Jones Cruising as the
training centre from a drop down list.
You
choose your own user name and password and
will then have access to the site generally.
It
is highly recommended that you try the practice
tests online first before attempting the real
thing, you don’t need to register to
take the practice tests.
Don't
conduct the test unless you have read thoroughly
the CEVNI rules and you feel confident
I
would strongly suggest that you do the practice
test at least once before taking the CEVNI
test
Complete the CEVNI test. You will be told
immediately whether you have been successful
or not.
Print off your CEVNI test confirmation.
Send your CEVNI test confirmation, together
with the other items required for your application
or renewal to the RYA Certification Department.
In
addition to the passing the CEVNI test, for
an ICC to be issued you must present a qualifying
RYA practical course completion certificate
or pass an ICC practical test at an RYA recognised
training centre and be eligible to be issued
with an ICC.
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The
RYA Essential Navigation
& Seamanship course is
now available to you wherever you have access
to the Internet.
You
will be able to complete the course in your
own time at your own pace, this will be backed
up with support from your course tutor, via
phone, email support and post.
This course
is an excellent introduction to navigation
and safety awareness for new, inexperienced,
rusty skippers or crew. It is the perfect
stepping stone to the more in-depth Day Skipper
and Yactmaster theory courses.
for
more information click onto
www.ryainteractive.org
Previous
Experience is NOT Required
This course
is perfect for you if are new to sailing,
motor boating, powerboating, sea angling and
diving as well as experienced dinghy and keelboat
sailors and inshore racers.
Course
Content
•Anchoring
•Buoyage
•Charts and publications
•Engine checks
•Passage planning
•Pilotage
•Rules of the road
•Safety
•Pyrotechnics (Distress Signals)
•Tidal awareness
•Visual and electronic navigation (GPS)
•Weather forecasts
You will receive a course pack whitch includes
a chart plotter, course handbook, excercises
and an electronic chart plotter CD.
You will also
be in constant contact with your course tutor
via Phone, email support and by post if you
get stuck during the course.
You will
be sent a stamped, addressed envelope to return
your chart work and RYA exercises for marking
and feedback on your progress throughout the
course.
Other items
you will need to complete this course
A Notebook, soft leaded pencils (2B), pencil
sharpener and a soft rubber
This course is NOW
available through Tom Jones Cruising
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Day
Skipper and Yachtmaster shorebased (theory)
training
all
Day Skipper and Yachtmaster courses
are
fully booked for this season
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At
present there are no statutory qualifications
required for those of us who sail in small
boats for leisure purposes in the UK. Increasingly
it can be an advantage to have a recognised
qualification for insurance or chartering
purposes, but despite the potential introduction
of compulsory qualification it remains possible,
albeit foolhardy, for anyone to step on board
and skipper a boat with little knowledge and
no experience.
The situation overseas is more complicated
with many countries insisting on some written
evidence of competence. The RYA training scheme
is an attempt to counter both these problems
by persuading people of the benefits of formal
tuition whilst providing internationally recognised
certificates of competence.
Shorebased
and practical courses
Learning to sail is a combination of theoretical
knowledge and practical experience. It is
of little use to be able to manoeuvre a boat
sideways out of a marina if, when at the lock
gate, the skipper cannot plot and set a course.
Conversely, knowing the difference between
an Alpine Butterfly knot and a Constrictor
hitch may be academically fascinating but
of little practical use if you are unable
to tie a clove hitch to secure a fender.
The
RYA courses are thus intended to complement
one another - the shorebased (theory) courses
will give you the knowledge, and the practical
courses will give you the opportunity to apply
that knowledge at sea under qualified guidance.
With the exception of the Competent Crew
course, it is assumed that students attending
practical courses will have a good knowledge
of navigation and meteorology so that the
instructor will be able to concentrate on
practical aspects of the syllabus.
Although the courses are progressive, there
is no requirement to possess an earlier certificate
before enrolling in a later course. For example,
if you have a basic knowledge of navigation
and seamanship, you may consider enrolling
for the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster course.
This is perfectly acceptable and you are not
required to have first achieved Day Skipper
qualification, however I would feel obliged
to check your level of knowledge before enrolment.
Both the Day Skipper and the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster
practical courses offer a choice of either
sail or power. Meteorology and navigation
remain the same, but the elements of seamanship
are biased towards your preference.
The
theory (shorebased) courses are common to
both sail and power
Navigation is the art and science of finding
your position at sea, of moving in the right
direction to your destination and of ensuring
that you have chosen a safe route and can
stay on it. The use of electronic navigation
aids is an increasing aspect of RYA courses
and are covered wherever appropriate.
Seamanship is the knowledge of ships and
boats in general, their construction and characteristics,
the equipment carried and its use, the environment
in which they sail (seas, rivers and estuaries),
safety precautions and emergency procedures.
Meteorology
is the science of the weather - the ally and
potential enemy of all small boats. You will
need to know sufficient about this subject
to interpret and act upon weather forecasts
and to prepare your own predictions from your
own observations.
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Day
Skipper (Shorebased) Course
The
Day Skipper course is designed primarily for
those who are new to sailing and boating,
those with dinghy or a little crewing experience,
and boat owners who have yet to make extended
passages at sea.
We
assume no previous knowledge and each topic
is fully explained and illustrated as it is
introduced.
Beginning with simple chartwork and nautical
terminology, the course progresses through
to tidal predictions, buoyage recognition,
position fixing (including GPS and electronic
chart plotters), steering and sailing rules,
weather patterns, and navigation in fog and
at night.
The
emphasis throughout the course is upon personal
safety, including the use of man-overboard
equipment, lifejackets, flares and VHF.
As
the course draws to a conclusion, all these
subjects are combined in a demonstration of
practical passage planning, giving sufficient
knowledge for conducting your own passage.
Syllabus
includes
Basic
Nautical Knowledge
Charts
and Publications:
Simple
Plotting, Variation and Deviation
Basic
Navigation: Position Fixing and Course to
Steer
Deck
Seamanship and Safety
Tides
and Tidal Streams
Buoys,
Beacons, Lights and Pilotage
Navigation
in restricted visibility
Rules
of the Road : International Regulations for
Preventing Collisions at Sea
Meteorology
Electronic
navigation aids - GPS and electronic chart
plotters
Mooring
and anchoring
Passage
Planning
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RYA/MCA
Yachtmaster course
This course
is a natural progression from the Day Skipper
course and therefore assumes a degree of prior
knowledge.
In order to
assist those who are self-taught, or who may
have completed a Day Skipper course some years
ago, the format of this course is such that
the introductory modules act as a refresher
of the basic concepts of navigation.
This
revision element is too brief to be of value
to beginners but is intended to assist those
who are just a little rusty.
Navigational
techniques are refined and expanded upon and
whilst chartwork (including electronic aids)
and tidal factors are studied to an advanced
level, the emphasis is upon the practical
knowledge required to become a skilled offshore
skipper.
Safety is
stressed throughout with emphasis on collision
regulations, interpreting weather forecasts,
boat handling and coping with emergencies.
The planning
and skippering of a simulated passage, from
customs clearance to safe arrival at your
destination concludes the course at an internationally
recognised level of competence.
Syllabus
includes
Navigational
Aids
Fire Safety
on Small Craft
The Compass,
Course Correction and Time
Communications
at Sea
Tidal Streams
and Tide Tables
Visual and
Electronic Position Fixing
Meteorology
Finding Tidal
Heights and Times
Shipping Forecasts
and Weather Maps
Passage
Planning
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Teaching
/ Learning Strategies
The majority
of topics for both courses will take the form
of an illustrated lesson using computer and
projector, models, whiteboard, with questions
and answers, with practical workshops were
appropriate. This is reinforced with homework
on the subjects covered, which will be marked
within a week of being handed in, to provide
meaningful and timely feedback.
Assessment
exercises will be conducted throughout the
course to provide revision of subjects and
give both the student and instructor a method
of monitoring progress as the course progresses.
Learning
Objectives
To enable
the student to gain the knowledge and skills
of Seamanship, Navigation and Meteorology,
in order for them to successfully undertake
either the Day Skipper or Yachtmaster Shorebased
Examinations and progress to the Practical
courses. The ability to skipper a yacht or
motor cruiser, in a leisure environment, with
confidence.
Your
Instructor is Doug McGarvie
He can be
contacted on : Mobile phone : 07870 295 736
email : doug@tomjonescruising.com
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