Do other instuctors get these worried feelings?

[peterb]

I had a chap on a PBL2 course recently who had received no less than 2 RIBS recently as part of an inheritance. (Well its an ill wind etc etc).

He had no prior boating experience. The RIBS are pretty much new, with just a few odd hours on the engines. Kitted out with everything up to and including radar.

Lovely guy - and to be fair to him, he had already done his VHF course before he turned up for my PBL2, which makes you think hes a sensible sort of chap.

Speaking to him about the RIBS - it turns out that they are both 9 metre, and, wait for it, both have twin 250's on them.

Now, again to be fair, he was perfectly ok on the course, but we were using a RIB much smaller than his new plaything and with many times less horses on the back.

He is launching on Friday, and I have to say I am a little worried. Despite me saying "treat your boat with MASSIVE respect and just click the throttles when you are manoeuvring round the marina" - there is always the doubt that he will give a big handful of throttle and forget all about what I have told him.

I even went to the pub with him one evening just to talk about all the power and the respect it needs.

Other Instructors on here - am I worrying needlessly??? I do hope so.

[J.C.]

Hi Peter,

I think it's fair to say that 90% of the people I teach leave me feeling a little concerned about how they will fare when given a RIB/Boat of their own to play with. I think it's natural, they are on the course because in all probability they have little experience and want to learn more.

I have never passed anyone though who I was certain could NOT handle the boat. I am lucky in that I teach mostly in a Ribeye 7.85 with a 225 so I don't expect them to be totally overpowered when they move on to another boat.

I am also more worried about them having a high speed incident than a marina cockup.

I have to say that going to the pub with a student sounds an excellent idea, I assume he was buying? I also rather like the idea of two 9m RIBs as an inheritance!

Jon

[peterb]

Thanks for that Jon. Yes we had a pleasant hour or so in the local!

[nikster]

his name wasnt "Walter" by any chance????

[peterb]

Hello Nikster.

No it wasnt.

[Doug Stormforce]

Peter

I can see why you are concerned but he is no different from hundreds of other people, (not the inheritance but new to boating and starting in a big boat).

I dont completely agree that a bigger boat is a problem, you can get it just as wrong in smaller lighter boat with a smaller engine. However Did he learn in a single or twin engine? If single then maybe own boat tuiotion would have been more appropriate. (probabally not your decision unles you took the booking).

Personally I think its a testament to the guys common sense that he has underatken 3 days of training prior to going afloat.

Just like when someone passes their driving license they have never driven on a motorway, never driven alone etc. You have given him his training now its his time to learn and develop.

Best of luck to him

[Hightower]

I guess that if you're a Conscientious and caring instructor then you are bothered by what your students do after the course. Trouble is, it's out of your hands so hope that common sence prevails. I think that own boat training might well help in this case a little because of the shear size of the RIB in question. Not so much training in high speed manuvers but more training in the close quarter handling stuff (side winds, tidal current), as I think most new boaters are worried about this type of navigation more and most little accidents happen in or near a port and in close proximity to other vessels.