Advice on choosing a sea school for DS course wanted?

[Olly]

Am ringing around gathering info on sea schools (West Coast Scotland) as want to do a day Skipper Practical before the end of the year. Being new to all this what ctiteria should I be using to select one? Any advice? Or any recommendations/warnings?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[pragmatist]

Re: Advice on choosing a sea school for DS course

My suggestion (which is difficult over the phone admittedly) is to find an instructor with a sense of humour who understands that we go sailing for fun. There are lot of stuffed shirts out there - add the RYA syllabus and you could have a rotten time. I haven't done a practical course but have shared a boat with an instructor a few times and done a theory course. 48 hours with one instructor was sufficient to reduce me to apoplexy - the rest was fun. And when on the theory course I asked "do you really do it that way ?" about a few of the more nonsensical RYA edits it helped greatly to be told "well, no not really but ..."

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is an optimist with a boat in the UK

 

[copterdoctor]

Re: Advice on choosing a sea school for DS course

Couldn't agree more. From my experience, I can say there are very few RYA MUST DO's you just need someone with the imagination to consider all the options and find something that works for the student. Most of all sailing (even learning) should be fun.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[AliM]

Re: Advice on choosing a sea school for DS course

Yes, phone a RYA-approved school, explain what you want, and see if you can get a weekend learning the things you want to learn, rather than being bound into a syllabus. It may not get you a bit of paper, but it will be infinitely more useful! We did that, and had a great time with a very helpful instructor. We ended up with ICC qualifications, but along the way were able to work on the things we needed to learn - in our case, manoevering round a marina under engine, which you are probably very competent with. Go for it - with the right instructor it will be great fun, too.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[nonchalant]

The only other advice I would add, based on experience, is try and make sure you get the school principal/owner as the course skipper, or if that's not possible get as much info as you can about the experience (as a trainer) of whoever would be skipper instead. Both my wife and I have had less than satisfactory experiences where the owner has not been available to sail and has engaged someone else to run the course. That said, we've also had excellent tuition from a "substitute". I guess the key point is that good sailors are not necessarily good teachers.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[walker]

After my recent experience of doing DS Practical in the Solent I would give Sunsail a wide berth.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[MissTrish]

I did my dazed kipper at Plymouth Sailing School a couple of years ago. V friendly and efficient with nearly new Bavs and not mean with the groceries! Being at Plymouth means that there are plenty of options in all but the worst conditions. I agree it's down to the instructor at the end of the day. I went with Mike Hannay, calm, safe but demanding - all-round good guy.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[BlackSheep]

Give Bob Johnson at Troon Marina a call- Very experienced, Ocean Yachmaster examiner, Lifeboat Operations Manager, sense of humour (mostly warped!) and never been known to turn down a wee dram!!

www.maritimeconnection.co.uk

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Rowana]

I have to agree. Did coastal skipper course with Bob earlier this year, and found him to be very good.

I've also heard that second wind are also very good -
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.secondwindsailing.co.uk/>http://www.secondwindsailing.co.uk/</A>

It all depends on your personality as to who you will get along with. I've sailed with skippers who, although excellent sailors, I just didn't "gell" with. On the other hand, I've also sailed with guys who were perhaps not quite so good at the skipper bit, but were good blokes to get along with.

Just to complete the picture, I've also sailed with skippers who were both excellent sailors and easy to get along with.

Hope this helps!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Spuddy]

I did a DS practical with Ron McInnes out of Troon. Don't know if he's still operating but I learned alot and got along with him just fine. I think he was trading as Gael Sail or similar. I was intending to get in touch with him again about coastal skipper course.
regards, spuddy.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Olly]

Re: Advice on choosing a sea school for DS course

Many thanks to all who have replied. I'm off line for next week............going sailing!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Jeremy_W]

Criteria I would suggest:-
1. Ask them how often they fail people at Day Skipper level.
- Choose a school that says "hardly ever" or "we re-direct them onto Competent Crew". Avoid any school that says never. Not everyone can reach DS level. A school that just hands out the certificate at the end of the week isn't doing its job.

2. Decide how much comfort you want
- Within the Clyde it's perfectly possible to stop somewhere with showers and a hose to refill your water tanks every night. Go outside the Mull and it's a lot harder. Water conservation, having trickle-showers on board and rowing ashore to a hotel to have a shower are the order of the day.

3. Decide which skills you want to develop most
- Within the Clyde you'll do more motoring into marinas and more collision avoidance because the area is more congested. Outside the Mull you'll be anchoring for real (not just as a practice over lunch) more often.

IMHO the Hebrides give a better all-round sailing holiday, but for learning Day Skipper skills the Clyde has the edge.

<hr width=100% size=1>