Recommendations for learning to sail in Norfolk

[MeavyHetal]

Hello, new here and looking for a bit of advice.

I am looking to get back into sailing and am looking into the RYA courses. I am now approaching 40 and have sailed in the past but not for over 20 years. Was lucky enough to grow up sailing on Alde but more as a young passenger. Took lessons on Toppers and Mirrors when I was at school.

What would be the best way to get back into it? The Broads would be the nearest water to me coming from Breckland. Are there any recommendations of schools? My ultimate goal is to have a small yacht on the broads or river nearby. I quite like the look of Hunter's Yard boats for learning.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[johnalison]

I’m sorry that I am not sufficiently local to answer properly but I reckon that if you can sail at all, then hiring a boat on the Broads will give you as good an education as any. If a cruiser is too daunting, than any sort of day boat would do for a start. Much of my early learning was in lugs’l dinghies up there but there are or should be plenty of boats around 18’ or so that can be fun and easy to handle. I had sailed dinghies for a few years and had holidays with such craft as Yare & Bure ODs and took the plunge when I was a student and hired a Summer Breeze with three berths. Providing you don’t hit anything hard it’s pretty straightforward. I am out of touch with current hire boats but Hunter’s always had a good reputation. If you can sail on the Broads, you can probably sail almost anywhere.

 

[MeavyHetal]

Thanks John for the reply. Perhaps I'll see if I can hire something with a bit of a refresher session just as a confidence booster. I like the sound of Summer Breeze, what sort of craft were they?

 

[Concerto]

This Google search gives all your local sailing schools in Norfolk and Suffolk. One should be able to brush up your basic sailing skills.

sailing schools in norfolk or suffolk uk - Google Suche

Another alternative is to join a club and sail on other peoples boats as crew.

Also look at the RYA web site. Start Boating

 

[Obi]

I don't know what constraints you have, but I found the change of lifestyle amazing when I gave up work for a while and did a full time zero to hero RYA YM course over six months. For that period of time I was fully immersed in all things boaty and I loved it. It was worth every penny providing some amazing times to look back on and some great friendships that were formed as we learned to trust each other with our lives and a lot of laughs too.
If you are able to do something like that it can be an unforgettable and rewarding experience that will certainly help you figure out and consolidate your ideas regarding how you want to go about your own boating life afterwards.

 

[ylop]

I don't know what constraints you have, but I found the change of lifestyle amazing when I gave up work for a while and did a full time zero to hero RYA YM course over six months. For that period of time I was fully immersed in all things boaty and I loved it. It was worth every penny providing some amazing times to look back on and some great friendships that were formed as we learned to trust each other with our lives and a lot of laughs too.
If you are able to do something like that it can be an unforgettable and rewarding experience that will certainly help you figure out and consolidate your ideas regarding how you want to go about your own boating life afterwards.

You’ve got to love this place. One person says - you’ll be fine, just hire a boat and work it out and another says take six months off and do the YM zero to hero! Concerto’s answer is probably the most credible for the actual background and experience the OP has and the intentions they described.

 

[johnalison]

You’ve got to love this place. One person says - you’ll be fine, just hire a boat and work it out and another says take six months off and do the YM zero to hero! Concerto’s answer is probably the most credible for the actual background and experience the OP has and the intentions they described.

We all learn in different ways, but the idea of forking out good money to be ‘taught’ how to sail on inland waters goes against the grain with me. It is not as if the OP has never sailed before.

 

[Wansworth]

To start with get a proper yachting cap

 

[johnalison]

Thanks John for the reply. Perhaps I'll see if I can hire something with a bit of a refresher session just as a confidence booster. I like the sound of Summer Breeze, what sort of craft were they?

This was Summer Breeze, one of the class of several from Herbert Woods. I enjoyed it, if only because I allocated the forepeak berth to my friend.


And this was the same friend on the first day he had ever sailed. All I said was "you can go this way or this way, but not that way because it's where the wind is coming from"

 

[ashtead]

You could just book yourself on a sailing club holiday in the Med and capture lost youth by sailing say a Lazer type vessel for a couple of weeks - nothing wrong with the broads (memories of sailing there with snow on decks and old wooden boats with lifting saloon tops and canvas sides) but somehow with age sailing dinghies in warm waters becomes more attractive . I believe holidays offered in say Majorca where you might take a basic rya course . It is somewhat surprising when resuming topper or mirror sailing in later/middle age how clumsy one can become and hence warmer water is welcome even when regularly sailing a crusing yacht. You don’t say if the sailing is to be a solo or family activity but if family a sailing holiday club also offers lots of additional activities for rest of family.

 

[ylop]

We all learn in different ways, but the idea of forking out good money to be ‘taught’ how to sail on inland waters goes against the grain with me. It is not as if the OP has never sailed before.

I get that but there’s a world of difference between sailing a topper or mirror as part of a school group (presumably with a rescue boat and instructors around to provide advice) and just getting in your own boat and sailing off, you can teach yourself but often many hours are wasted learning the hard way (or perhaps equipment or people are endangered) when an instructor can show a simple process. Unless rental on the broads is unusually cheap or he wants to learn whilst cramming a whole family on board it’s not likely to be cheaper than a 5 day RYA course.

. It is somewhat surprising when resuming topper or mirror sailing in later/middle age how clumsy one can become

I went back to sailing a dinghy when I was about the OP’s age - and the most noticable thing was I am nowhere near as flexible as I was 20 years before.

 

[MeavyHetal]

Thanks very much for the replies. Would love to take 6 months off but I'm involved in farming so could be a conflict of interests if I disappear off and leave the combine parked up in a corner. The aim is to hopefully get something like a Westerly Centaur or similar sized bilge keel to use with friends and family, just like to brush up on the basics first. Good comments about water temperature and re learning- a week in med might be a good option and keep the missus happy! Will look into club membership as well.

Great pictures John, believe they still operate those boats, ended up watching a youtube video on how to raise and lower the cabin/deck so I'm halfway there!

 

[johnalison]

Thanks very much for the replies. Would love to take 6 months off but I'm involved in farming so could be a conflict of interests if I disappear off and leave the combine parked up in a corner. The aim is to hopefully get something like a Westerly Centaur or similar sized bilge keel to use with friends and family, just like to brush up on the basics first. Good comments about water temperature and re learning- a week in med might be a good option and keep the missus happy! Will look into club membership as well.

Great pictures John, believe they still operate those boats, ended up watching a youtube video on how to raise and lower the cabin/deck so I'm halfway there!

Do they have the advanced version - how to lower and raise the mast? Lowering was always easy but something always got snagged when raising.

 

[Leighb]

Do they have the advanced version - how to lower and raise the mast? Lowering was always easy but something always got snagged when raising.

For a hilarious account of what can go wrong read “The Art of Coarse Sailing” by Michael Green.

 

[MeavyHetal]

Here it is John, potential snagging points warned!

 

[ashtead]

It’s lowering the mast having got the hatch out the way as you approach the bridge which adds a whole new skill to broads sailing when it’s about 0 degrees outside and ropes seem to freeze but I guess thats what mud banks and quant pole skills are for .

 

[The Q]

Horning sailing club Horning Sailing Club have a sailing school, all are properly qualified instructors, but the club is manned by volunteers, so our background costs are vastly cheaper than almost anywhere else.
We have a couple of Yeoman,
to teach keelboat sailing in. ( 3/4 ton 20ft long)

Come down and visit on a Sunday to see the club or any day we've got a sailing programme on ( check the sailing calender to see if we've not sailed off down river on a race to a pub though). Horning Sailing Club
Or contact trainingcentre@horning-sailing.club
I'd offer to take you out myself but I've only got a 16 ft single handed keelboat.

family membership last year was only about £150... We also have moorings, social events etc.

Coming down to the club, remember to ask for someone in officialdom, a sailing school instructor or the commodore or you might be ignored as everyone will be getting their boats ready.

For total confusion visit 31st July to 4th August, it's our regatta week, they teach the children to sail in that. 100 ish sailing boats on 1.5 miles of river, from 8ft to 45ft, plus hire motor cruisers who've has 15minutes instruction driving down the river each way. If they can cope with that so can you easily.
It's an open regatta anyone is welcome to wander onto the club island and see what's going on.

First instruction is likely to be up on Black Horse broad away from the traffic though...

Ps the bacon rolls are good at the tea bar in the mornings.
PPS we have some farmer members who come from kings Lynn way, they sail a Yare and Bure one design ,aka white boat.
t.

 

[The Q]

We've just had the 3 Rivers Race for this year, but this is how to lower your mast. 2019.

 

[MeavyHetal]

We've just had the 3 Rivers Race for this year, but this is how to lower your mast. 2019.

Thanks very much for all the info. I may even swing by tomorrow as I am heading in that direction, better try and be there in time for a bacon roll! Sounds like a friendly club with plenty going on.

Farmers must have a thing for one designs- dad had an Essex one design .

I watched the 3 Rivers Race video on YouTube .

 

[The Q]

Sadly I won't be there tomorrow as SWMBO is out all day and I'm dog sitting. He's too ancient to go over the footbridge to the club island.
Note our car park is behind the public one, use the gravel track by what looks like a brick shed.

A regatta week video