Motor Cruising at Plymouth RWYC
Plymouth Power Boating
Motor Cruising – ‘It’s quiet, it’s relaxing and we can be out in 10 minutes’ Get Afloat, see the RYA video.
Probably the fastest growing sector in recent years, Power Boat sales of new boats now represents over two thirds of the leisure marine industry turnover. In response to this increased interest the Club has formed a new Power Boating Section open to anyone with an interest in powered craft of all sorts from RIBS to Super Yachts, and interests as varied as local fishing through boat handling and seamanship development, navigational challenges to long haul passage making.
Social activities include shadowing the coastal yacht races and joining in the shore side events; the winter programme of Wednesday evening club house talks with supper; monthly outings on members craft to local beauty spots with lunch; Friday evening seminars and workshops on Power Boat related topics, and the general Club programme running throughout the year.
Monthly Motors
This activity is primarily aimed at those who no longer have their own boats or access to boats but still wish to get out on the water. They are monthly pre-arranged outings running in most seasons and weather.
A small group of powerboat owners have volunteered to give their time and access to their boats. The crews are mostly club members or potential members of about 6 people and the destinations somewhere in the Plymouth Sound or local rivers. Costs of fuel, berthing etc are covered by a voluntary contribution of about £10 per head for local trips with lunch costs borne personally.
A typical day would start by meeting at the clubhouse at 10:00 with a lunch venue at 12:30 and a return to the berth by 16:00. If you’d like to get involved as either a boat owning skipper or a crew then please look out for the Crew Roster on the Club Notice Board or by email inviting attendance for the following week.
The Predicted Log Challenge
A Predicted Log Navigation Challenge is an exercise in navigational skills where the Contestants predict in advance the time necessary for their boats to complete a predefined course. It is not a speed contest – each Contestant chooses a speed or engine rpm for their own boat which is comfortable and safe. The objective of the challenge is to complete the course in as close as possible to the predicted time without using a timepiece, and the winner is the boat which has the lowest percentage time error.
Each boat needs an independent Observer onboard to record start & finish times and watch for infringements. Interested to know more, then download the Sailing Instructions & Observer Instructions below:
Predicted Log Observer Instructions
Predicted Log Challenges are very popular in North America. Watch this YouTube video clip – or read the report from a recent Predicted Log Challenge.
Training Seminars & Workshops
These are informal (not RYA Qualification) seminars, workshops and knowledge transfer sessions provided at very low cost or free of charge to members. They will typically run for an hour on a Friday evening, be interactive and fun, and assume little or no previous knowledge. Some will be marina pontoon based, and some will involve a trip out onto the water or to the University Ship Simulator or QHM Longroom.
There is no boat ownership, experience or qualification pre-condition to these sessions, but they may be particularly appealing to power boat owners as wherever possible the content is geared towards their needs.
This list of sessions is developing, will change and may be repeated.
In no particular order:
- VHF DSC Radio Refresher. An interactive session using real VHF radios to demonstrate how to use DSC for non emergency boat to boat comms, and some little known features of DSC.
- A Night Navigation Exercise. What would you expect to see and how would you brief your crew and then pilot your vessel into QAB from the Breakwater on a very dark night.
- A visit to the University Ship Simulator to re-enact the Night Navigation Exercise.
- A Predicted Log Exercise. What is it, how do I plan my course, how do I get involved?
- An ‘on the water’ Predicted Log Event – with prizes.
- Marina Boat Handling under power. Warping, single line mooring, springing off, turning around in own length. Using member’s boats with different power drive configurations and possibly Fulmar to make it really difficult.
- A shore based, light hearted look at mooring your boat and onboard – non verbal communications – using actors of varying degree of competence.
- Monthly Power Boat mid week outings – for those owners willing to share their boats with members – and members interested in enjoying ‘the dark side’ of boating. Also Secchi Disc data gathering for the (MDL sponsored) Community Seagrass Initiative.
- A short session on the RWYC Anchoring Guide to encourage members to try some of them out, to add new anchorages and to create new sections, for the benefit of all boat owners.