Moonfleet Sailing - Cruise from Hell

[webcraft]

[ QUOTE ]
Of course there are, inevitably, some fantastic instructors around, witty, charming and erudite in all company.

[/ QUOTE ] Have you been on a course I have run then? I don't remember you . . .

 

[yelbis]

wasnt in january on sunsail a couple of years back by any chance. the guy was a diver, but a major PITA

 

[fireball]

You dufus - it is a service that was being provided .... the clients do not have to be there and they are paying for the service ...
If they are not happy then they will complain somewhere, Carol has complained here, I hope she has also voiced her concerns to the school as well.
We are all adult enough (well most of us are) to know that there are two sides, but for there to be a complaint there has to be something to complain about - and for me, as others have also said - it seems the key area was that the Instructor/Skipper was not fit for purpose.. perhaps he was having an off week ...

 

[yelbis]

laughing my head off!

 

[capnsensible]

Some of us have got it...... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Heckler]

what was her name? samantha? blonde petit large chest? used to know her well!!

 

[capnsensible]

Knew her well? Wish I knew someone who had personal rights to an underground water source......

 

[Chrissie]

I been on courses and crewed on courses, and one thing that is a constant is that it is the group and how they interact that makes the experience good or bad.
We all know that pupils shove wet lifejackets and waterproofs in the cupboard before they leave, by the time the next group are getting them out theres a chance they might have gone a bit mouldy, but they will still work.
Ive sailed with people who think that they are just there to sail, and have no intention of making cups of tea, meals or washing up, which puts extra pressure on the others.
I would rather the skipper or instructor was checking sailplans and the boat than cooking me breakfast anyway.

Ive done the provisioning for boats, and a little bit of effort goes a long way, Ive made homemade chilli, or shepherds pie, stews or caseroles which have gone down really well and been comented on favourably in the feedback forms, and has cost less than the usual fare on a course.

I know some people only drink bottled or filterred water, but going back just 10 years, that was rare and those people would bring their own supplies, how things have changed that now people think they are hard done by if they are not given expensive bottled water to drink.

Ive had more enjoyment sailing soaked through, with just a cornish pasty and bag of crisps, as I have with unpleasant company on a course with expensive food, It really is about what you put in and your attitude to others.

 

[Heckler]

bit of a stupid observation, look at the words in my post again, basic ingredients, good chef, i mean to say, i look out of my window, loads of lambs with [--word removed--] clinkers hanging off their arse, a stream down the dip with green stuff stinking of sulphur growing wild, and tubers growing across the road that were planted in the pile of horse [--word removed--] that was dumped in my drive last winter.
go to M&S and buy prime welsh lamb in a garlic sauce with organic new potatoes, and that above is what you would be buying, you just dont get it do you.
go to lidl, buy some garlic, tinned chopped tomatoes, a bottle of virgin olive oil, a tub of live basil, some onions, a pack of fresh tortollini stuffed with ricotta, some feta cheese and some chicken stock cubes as used by the swearing chef.
sweat the onions and garlic in a drizzle of oil, add the tinned chopped toms, a stock cube and cook for a few mins, put the tortillini in a heat proof dish, cover with the chopped toms etc, add the basil chopped, put in oven at 180ish for 25 mins, slice the feta and put on top and finish off till brown.
Now what is wrong with that? I can assure you that presented with this in a pub grub or bistro type place you would be paying top money for it and wouldnt have a clue where the ingredients came from and would praise the chef.
Snob is the word that comes to mind!

 

[MarkJohnson12345]

My 2p worth.

Seems though the boat and kit where well used, a good sign if you think about it.

You really do not want a full English breakfast before sailing.

But

The skipper, whilst may have been a competent and qualified sailor, seems to have had the charisma of a porquipine.

I agree with you, that the industry needs not only to teach sailing, but to make it a great and unforgettable (for the right reasons) experience.

What ever the state of the kit, an enthusiastic skipper would have made you enjoy every minute of the trip.

But do moan to the management, not us.

Hope you continue to enjoyn the sport....

 

[tangomoon]

When the RYA and catering get together!
Thanks for the warning.

Wonderful experience and you'll still go to another place where they try to poison you.

Is that Moon Fleet of Dorset fame?

 

[tangomoon]

On reading other posts, I see you have suffered from the usual low-lifes who inhabit the bilges saying 'this is sailing',

They are wrong, it isn't, it's how they do it.

Welcome to the forums, the information on PBO is excellent.

Scuttlebutt and the Lounge, you need your wellies and a sharp stick.

 

[l'escargot]

[ QUOTE ]
... "Oh lets go and have a tin of heinz baked beans on toast to night" I think not, most normal people say "Oh lets have beans on toast tonight"

[/ QUOTE ]
And no one ever says "Lets have 'Happy Shopper' beans on toast tonight" or "Don't get those crap 'Heinz Beans' again, get something decent like "Happy Shopper" for a change".

[ QUOTE ]
Happy Shopper can provide a good reasonable priced staple to be used as a base for something nice!

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope I never sail on a boat that you have provisioned.

 

[tangomoon]

Way to go L'Escargot!

It's bad enough arriving wet, cold and too late for even fish and chips withut discovering you now have to eat a LIDL or Happy Shopper tinned delight.

 

[SirSnoozalot]

[ QUOTE ]
I read this thread with great interest as we are about to do our competent crew in 2 weeks time.

[/ QUOTE ]

It would be most interesting to hear your views after you have completed the course. Specifically on the issues of offer - expectation.

 

[curve]

[ QUOTE ]
Way to go L'Escargot!

It's bad enough arriving wet, cold and too late for even fish and chips withut discovering you now have to eat a LIDL or Happy Shopper tinned delight.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hear! Hear!

It does not take much to provide some decent grub on board and will certainly help to make any voyage bearable no matter how grumpy the skipper turns out to be.

 

[Tranona]

I have difficulty in understanding why this thread is still going - or indeed why it started in the first place.

It started with a first time poster (well post 2 anyway) making unsubtantiated claims about a commercial organisation. From there it has taken on a life of its own.

Lets be clear. This is none of "our" business. It concerns a private contract. If the poster had come on asking for advice about how she might pursue her complaint, that would be very different. The advice would be simple

1 Take it up with the company
2 If that does not resolve the issue, then
3 If it is a case of misrepresentation, take it to Trading Standards
3 If it is a contract issue - ie the provider did not provide what he contracted to supply, the remedy is in law
4 If the complaint is about the standard of instruction, then the school is RYA approved and that is where any complaint should be directed.

This forum should not be hijacked by people pursuing their own private interests. Regular users may recall a recent thread on the MOBO forum started by a couple who were unhappy with a new boat they had bought (another private dispute). The thread escalated with ever increasing wild statements being made - most with sympathy for the original poster. After the moderator had suspended the thread, the boat builder was prevailed upon to put their side. The thread stopped stone dead.

I suspect the same would happen here. Moonfleet are probably unaware of what is going on here - they probably have more important things to do than browse fora! I do not see any reason why they should be required to make any public statement except to stop this thread.

It is interesting that the original poster has made no meaningful contribution since the original post - I wonder why?

So, come on folks keep these fora for exchanging information providing advice and debating issues to do with sailing.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Agree entirely.

Have asked twice if he/she has taken up their complaint with Moonfleet. So far no response. I suspect we'll hear no more from the poster.

 

[nct1]

For all the pontificating about how easy it is to run a fantastic training course with high culinary standards, and up to date sailing gear, I see none of the armchair trainers offering to take CG on a 3 day channel cross cruise themselves, to show how it should be done.

 

[hannahjames]

[ QUOTE ]
It would be most interesting to hear your views after you have completed the course. Specifically on the issues of offer - expectation.

[/ QUOTE ]

We shall be only too happy to recount tails of our experience and provide photographic evidence to boot!
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif