Tel: +44 7971 546378 - Email: info@005degreeswest.co.uk
Welcome to 005 Degrees West, home of Yachtmaster Instructor Phil Soltys and his motor cruiser, Yolo Alpha.
We are a purely motor cruising focussed training centre. We specialise in practical courses only and operate from Falmouth Marina up and down the South Coast of Cornwall – Deep in Poldark country.
This course is ideal for introducing friends or family members to crewing a motor boat, and for giving them an understanding of how they can assist the helm.
Duration: 1 day as a stand-alone course, 2 days if accompanying another course
Minimum age: 8 years.
This course is ideal for new owners conscious of the difficulty and hazards of boat handling in the marina.
Minimum Duration: 2 days.
It is useful for crews as well as skippers. Apart from the obvious safety benefits of extra boat handlers on board, it adds interest if everyone can contribute to the trip.
Minimum age: 12 years.
Take charge on short passages under instruction, with help and advice from your instructor.
This course can also help you get the best from your modern electronic aids such as GPS and radar, which are now virtually standard equipment on modern motor cruisers.
Minimum Duration: 4 days.
Minimum age: 16 years.
This is a higher level course for people moving on from Day Skipper towards Coastal Skipper.
This course is ideal for those who want to progress their night pilotage skills, but might not yet have the experience required for the Coastal Skipper course.
Minimum Duration: 2 days including 1 evening.
Minimum age: 17 years.
Coastal Skipper is for the more ambitious skipper to improve their skills, take charge and learn to make full use of the boat on longer, more complex passages.
Before taking this course it is virtually essential to have attended the equivalent shorebased course, to ensure that time is not wasted teaching theory on board.
An important aspect of this course is learning to take command and make decisions resulting in relaxed, well-planned passages and a happy crew.
Minimum Duration: 5 days.
Minimum age: 17 years.
An RYA Yachtmaster™ Certificate of Competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a well known, highly respected qualification worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper.
Unlike other courses in the cruising programme, there is no formal training to complete in order to become a Yachtmaster™. Instead, provided that you have sufficient experience and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge.
Many Yachtmaster™ candidates choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for some tailor-made tuition to prepare them for the exam, but this is not compulsory.
Milebuilders are designed not only for bashing out long passages. You will have a RYA Instructor or Commercially Endorsed RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore on board to pass on as much knowledge and skill as you require and certify your miles and qualifying passages.
For those candidates who are suitably qualified at the start of the passage, we can build in wherever possible your 60 mile qualifying Yachtmaster passages.
Yolo Alpha is available for skippered charter for up to 12 guests for full day or half day bookings or 4 guests on a residential basis for those who really want to explore the Cornish coast and beyond.
A typical half day gives sufficient time to visit local ports and harbours like St Mawes and Mylor. Full day charters give you the option to travel up or down the coast.
