Chieftain Training

RYA & STCW Courses – Sail, Power, Super-Yacht & Workboat

Motorboat Mile Builder

Home » Motorboat Mile Builder

MOTORBOAT MILE-BUILDER COURSE DETAILS

On the pathway to RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore, one of the hurdles that often stumps would-be candidates is obtaining the required mileage, in particular the sixty mile passages as both skipper and crew in tidal waters.

Aspiring Yachtmaster Offshore candidates require
  • 5 logged passages of 60 miles or more
  • at least 3 of those passages should be in tidal waters
  • at least 2 should be as skipper.
For existing Yachtmaster Sail holders converting to Yachtmaster Power you only require
  • 3 sixty milers on a motorboat
  • at least 2 of them in tidal waters
  • at least one of them as skipper.

Our solution is the motorboat mile-builder. Wherever possible you will complete 60+ miles passages, some as skipper, some as crew, all in tidal waters. Candidates must be aware that the prevailing weather may make passage making beyond the Solent unwise. For that reason mile builders are not scheduled in the winter months.

MOTOR CRUISING MILE-BUILDER COURSE AIMS

If you require skippered mile building then you will have opportunity to skipper one or more passages under the watchful eye of our Instructor as well as crew for other trainees. If you are happy just to crew then the pre requisites (below) are lower and the course fee is discounted at the point of booking.

60-mile-passage

MOTOR CRUISING MILEBUILDER COURSE DURATION

Courses are usually scheduled over two or four days to give the crew options, however if the relevant destination/passages are achieved in less than that then the course will finish early.

Motor-Cruiser-mile-Builder

 

MOTORBOAT MILEBUILDER COURSE PRE REQUISITES

SKIPPER MILE BUILDER

CREW MILE BUILDER

MOTOR CRUISING MILEBUILDER CONDITIONS

  1. If in our opinion the weather forecast makes it un-prudent to carry out 60 mile passages or passages beyond the Solent then mileage may be limited accordingly.
  2. When booking travel and accommodation please ensure it is fully flexible. By the very nature of this particular course, good seamanship can and will dictate last minute changes to the plan.
  3. Course dates allow some time to deal with delays. Once the planned mileage or destination has been achieved the course ends.

MOTORBOAT MILEBUILDER COURSE CONTENT

  • Intro to the boat/safety equipment on board
  • Practical handling familiarisation
  • MOB drill
  • Passage planning
  • Safety brief by the trainee skippers
  • Passage making
  • Digital navigation
  • Position fixing and monitoring (running fix, radar etc.)

DESTINATION MILEBUILDERS

For some cruises we specify a destination

Route Expected Mileage 60 mile Passages Possible Stops
Southampton to Falmouth 175-190 Nm 2 or 3 Portland, Salcombe
Falmouth to Southampton 175-190 Nm 2 or 3 Salcombe, Weymouth
Southampton to Holland (Final destination port varies) 215-260 Nm 3 or 4 Newhaven, Dover, Niewport
Rotterdam to Southampton 260 Nm 4 Blankenberg, Calais, Eastbourne

Allow three to four days for each of the above mile builders and budget for accommodation between passages. In the right conditions it is possible to complete two sixty milers in 1 day. We suggest you delay booking onward travel until a final arrival time is clear.

ROUND TRIP MILE BUILDERS

These courses meet and end at SWAC  and the Instructor will aim for you to complete two 60-mile passages,  He/she may select one of the following.

  • SWAC to Chesil Cove and return (61 miles each way)
  • SWAC to Bridport and return (73 miles each way)
  • SWAC to Newhaven and return (63 miles each way)
  • SWAC to Alderney and return (83 miles each way)
  • Marchwoor to Portland Marina and return (60 miles each way)
  • Marchwood to Weymouth Marina and return (60 miles each way)

Prior to the day the Instructor and students discuss the weather in a small WhatsApp group. These round trips usually involve an early start. Following a safety brief and a MOB drill the crew set off to achieve two sixty milers in one day If in our Instructor’s opinion it is not prudent to leave the Solent then milage will be dramatically reduced, We request you keep the following day available in case it is required.

VESSEL & RATIO

This course is created by us and not subject to any RYA ratio, none the less we self impose a ratio of four students to one Instructor (4:1) or better. We plan for each trainee skipper to skipper a 60 mile passage. For round trip mile builders there will typically be two trainee skipper and up to two trainee crew. For destination trips with more 60 mile legs there mat be more trainee skippers.

We run two sensible sized (8.5m and 10.5m) motor boats which can each be operated safely by just 2 crew.

  • Cherokee (8.5m, single engine): maximum 3:1
  • Sybarus (10.5m, twin engine): maximum 4:1

Click here for information about our training vessel(s). Vessel allocation for a particular course is based-on our operational requirements.

 

Power Mile Builder

WHAT’S INCLUDED MOTORBOAT MILE-BUILDER COURSE

  • Use of our motor cruiser
  • Instruction
  • Opportunity to skipper and/or crew passages
  • Diesel and on board consumables
  • Tea/coffee
  • Meals on board when at sea
  • Loan of a life jacket
  • Free parking (on street) at our centre in Southampton

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED ON THE MOTORBOAT MILE-BUILDER COURSE

  • Hire of wet weather gear (£5/day)
  • Accommodation ashore
  • Meals ashore
  • Transport (required for those mile builders that start or end away from our base)