Sailing Apprentice Scheme
At pyd we have for some while been concerned at the gap between the experience and competence level shown by sailors who are qualified at various levels and the standards required in the professional maritime environment.
As a result, in 2005 we introduced a six-month programme for recently qualified Offshore Yachtmasters in which they would complete a structured and thoroughly assessed 10,000 nautical miles of sailing worldwide (minimum) as Mate to a variety of experienced pyd skippers.
Results from this scheme have been excellent and we have now expanded its scope to offer six such placements annually for candidates qualified to Day or Coastal Skipper level (as Deckhand) and Yachtmaster Offshore (as Mate).
The cost to participants is limited to a fixed contribution towards administration, equipment supplied and travel expenditure. Naturally, competition for this limited number of places is considerable. The combination of intensive and varied experience gained; coupled with ongoing assessment, a reference and a completion certificate, means they represent an unrivalled opportunity for progressing a career in the marine industry.
What Do You Get For Your Money?
- At least 10,000 nautical miles at sea including a Yachtmaster Ocean qualifying passage.
- The chance to complete the practical requirements of the RYA/ MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate (for which you must have Yachtmaster Offshore first in order to qualify).
- Experience aboard different yachts with varying levels of complexity.
- All flights to and from vessels.
- Travel and Medical Insurance for the duration of the scheme.
- All onboard victuals.
- Crew uniform of Jacket and Polo shirts.
- Help and guidance from Skippers with years of experience and many thousands of sea miles.
- Astro navigation learning pack.
- Regular progress reviews by a member of PYD management.
- Course completion certificate.
- Detailed reference on completion of course.
We maintain a record of all expenditure for each apprentice and will refund any unused contribution at the end of the scheme.
The pyd Sailing Apprentice Scheme continues to be honed and improved and remains a unique path into the exclusive and highly demanding world of the professional delivery skipper.
For those who are sufficiently motivated for the challenge and have the necessary experience, pyd are now accepting applicants and an interview can be arranged at mutual convenience. If you feel you are up for the challenge then apply online or contact us for a more detailed brochure.
Thoughts On The Sailing Apprentice Scheme
"When I joined the Sailing Apprenticeship Scheme I thought that I would be getting the opportunity to see some new places, work with a variety of different people, and increase my overall mileage and experience to a point where I could comfortably and confidently apply for any suitable job within the yachting and superyachting industries. I'm pleased to say that all of the above has been achieved and more. I expected that I would sail with a wide variety of different people, all of whom would bring their own experiences to sailing. What I did not expect was the willingness of these people, the Skippers, to share with me their experiences and knowledge of a multitude of aspects of sailing and yacht management, marina and customs procedures and general advice for finding paid work in many different areas of the yachting world.
With the exception of one Skipper I have had a fantastic set of experiences on the Sailing Apprentice Scheme, and indeed in the case of the one skipper I learnt a lot about how the fine art of crew management and general approach to sea going tasks, if mishandled, can lead to an unhappy crew and a tense and frustrating trip overall. Indeed I can honestly say that I learned more about what can bring a crew together from the absence of crew cohesion in one crew than on the other trips, where a sense of team membership and an overall common goal were much more in evidence.
My overall impression of PYD and the Sailing Apprentice Scheme is very positive. From the first email to Bill King, expressing an interest in the Scheme, to meeting Bill in Lancaster and being interviewed as a potential candidate was a swift but unhurried process. Once I was approved as a Scheme member by Bill and Phil, the process of setting me up with the necessary equipment and uniform was started and indeed but for the exceptional speed at which I received a position as crew on my first PYD delivery, the uniform would have been ready for me in time. However I did not go without uniform, I received a crew fleece and t-shirt in the post before I left with the promise of the scheme uniform to follow soon.
Each trip that I have been on has been very different. I have been on old yachts and newer yachts, well-equipped yachts, and yachts with no equipment at all coming straight from brokerage. Most of the deliveries have been back to the UK from somewhere in Europe, one has been from the UK to Sweden, and at present I am Mate on a delivery from Croatia to Australia. The variety and backgrounds of the various Skippers and their experiences has made for fascinating conversations whilst on board. The different people that I have been involved with, from owners’ representatives and indeed the owners themselves have presented a fascinating cross section of the different backgrounds that these people come from.
As I come towards the completion of my Sailing Apprenticeship I find myself looking back at the person I was before starting on the Scheme and the person I am now finishing the Scheme and I marvel at the changes that I have gone through. Physically I am still the same person but mentally I am completely changed. I am more resilient, having faced different challenges and succeeded in completing them. I am more knowledgeable having acquired a much better understanding of the procedures and paperwork that goes with taking a yacht from place to place, along with her crew. I am more confident because I have far more experience to draw upon, of yachts and their systems, of people and their limitations and of weather and its regular effects on planning and execution of planning.
For me the Sailing Apprentice Scheme has been ideal. I have achieved all that was promised by PYD and much more. I have been able to continue to lead my life on land around the various trips. Indeed I was able to schedule my trips around my cousin’s wedding, which was an important event for me to attend, all without any fuss or frustration. I have met both Bill and Phil and been impressed by their genuine interest in my progress through the Sailing Apprentice scheme. For me it is definitely worth the financial cost."
Giles
pyd Sailing Apprentice Scheme 2010
