Day Skipper - Typical Course

Meet at Landers for a drink a meal and generally get to know each other. Introduction to the boat and stow your gear. This is one of our standard training yachts, a modern, clean and very well equipped Jeanneau 40. Substantially larger and more comfortable than a typical sailing school yacht, this is after all a holiday for you as well as a training exercise! We then aim to get a good nights sleep ready to start bright and early the following morning. although some people get over-excited and go for a nightcap at the bar before getting their heads down!

Tea or coffee at about 0730, followed by showers and breakfast.

Tuition starts in earnest at about 0930 with a thorough safety briefing and familiarisation of all the relevant equipment on board. One of the most important duties of a skipper is to deliver a clear and reassuring safety brief to your crew before you take them onto the water.We aim to leave the dock at 1130 ish, for a gentle sail up the Solent, where we pick a spot for lunch. Afternoon spent becoming familiar with sails, their control and setting, steering etc.

We normally tie up at a marina, usually in Cowes for the first night at about 6.00pm. Supper goes into the oven to heat up, and we go off to the pub for a well-earned drink and to discuss the day. Supper back on board at about 8.00pm, maybe a cheeky glass of wine to wash it down and then bed - you will have had a lot to take in and all that sea air will make you tired.

Usual start, tea or coffee at about 7.30 - 8.00am, showers and breakfast and then back to the task in hand. Perhaps some 'parking' practice in and amongst local pontoons and jetties. We spend a fair bit of time on this as it is the most scary bit! Lunch and then out onto the Solent to put into practise your chartwork and navigational skills. We would decide on an evening venue and plan our trip to ensure that we are safely secured in our berth before beer!

By wednesday morning the routine will have become well established! After the usual start we might spend some time considerig the problems we might face leaving our berth, and trying different techniques to take the boat safely out of the mooring. Thereafter back out onto the ocean and more navigational exercises, calculating courses to steer and estimated positions. You will draw up a couple of pilotage plans for enterning a harbour safely.

Beer and then supper.

Standard start to the day followed by more accurate pilotage and boathandling.  We will practise a man overboard recovery exercise under sail and possibly engine.  This is especially useful as it really teaches you how to control the boat at slow speeds using the sails.  Tidal height calculations are dealt with, and daily movements of the tide and the impact that this would have on your plan for the day.  Meteorology is discussed and the impacty of a forecast on your plan for a weekend.

Your last day and it seems an age since Monday

We aim to tie up in the home berth by about 2.30 pm, which should see you on your way by about 3.30 after we have emptied and tidied the boat. This allows you to miss the Friday afternoon traffic if you have far to go. You will have had the most fantastic week!