RYA Start Yachting . . . ( Prices from £218 per person )

Minimum duration: weekend

This course provides a short introduction to sail cruising for novices. By the end of the course, participants will have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework and be aware of safety on board. We aim to ensure that all our students leave us having had a good all round introduction and have thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. Holders of a Start Yachting certificate can obtain a Competent Crew certificate by completing a further three days sailing: 1x 5-Day Sailing School or 3x Weekend Sailing Schools.

The course is conducted entirely on board one of our Sail Training yachts, which offer comfortable accommodation for 4/5 students and 1 instructor. We can assure all our students first class instruction within a friendly atmosphere. All meals are provided on board, your instructor will cook the evening meals, so don't expect to lose any weight!

We have set out here to describe a typical Start Yachting weekend, which in practice is difficult as our destinations shall be dictated by the weather. There are however plenty of constants.

First evening:

Join us on the yacht at Neyland Marina and meet your fellow crew members. Your skipper shall discuss the forthcoming days and what we propose to achieve. We should have a good idea of the forecast at this stage, so a rough itinerary will be discussed. We strongly believe that mixed ability courses work well, so you may find that there are a couple of Competent Crew or Day Skipper candidates on board. This encourages those students to share and enforce their own knowledge and also clearly demonstrates the requirements of the Competent Crew / Day Skipper course to their fellow crew members. We shall enjoy our first meal together and then possibly try one of the local hostelries before jumping into our sleeping bags.

Saturday & Sunday:

Your skipper will show you right through the boat from stem to stern, pulling everything out of the cupboards and lockers and describing how/when and why it all works. Safety gear, which is all provided, will be carefully considered and fitted correctly for each crew member for future use. We shall then go sailing for the weekend, perhaps visiting Skomer Island for a lunch or teatime stop. Our destination for Saturday night shall of course depend upon the weather, but our options include some lovely anchorages and small harbours around our coast. During the weekend everyone will be involved with sailing the yacht, from learning how to handle the ropes to steering. Understanding the safety aspects on board is hugely important and your instructor shall discuss and demonstrate various techniques throughout the weekend.

USEFUL BACKGROUND READING
RYA Cruising Log Book. Contains all syllabi for the courses which will be duly signed off by your instructor and will also be your personal log of sea miles, night hours etc.
	£5.25
RYA Competent Crew practical course notes (also suitable for a SY course) It gives advice on basic crewing techniques and seamanship and is designed to help you make sense of your first few days on board a yacht
	£10.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Available from ourselves, or direct from the RYA website.
Click on images to purchase.

For more info on our courses, contact us