Sailing School

[Bathfanjim]

I'm looking for a highly recommended south coast based sailing school that have good quality yachts, aren't too expensive, sail in a nice area with which to do my Coastal Skipper next summer (2005)? Any ideas?

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[racingron]

Plain Sailing in Brixham is good - get to cruise Torbay, Dartmouth and Salcombe - all beautiful.

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[GazzaUK]

Commodore Yachting - good prices, new boats, nice and friendly.

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[Twister_Ken]

Southern Sailing Is reckoned to be the Canine Gonads in the Solent as far as instruction is concerned, but its boats are well past the first flush of youth.

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[billmacfarlane]

That's putting it mildly. I had to fix the engine before I started my course.

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[G8KMH]

Yep,
I'd second Commodore. Just had another new boat delivered I believe.
Lehane

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[powerskipper]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/>http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/
Julie

 

[Cornishman]

Bob Beggs' Performance Yachting in Mayflower Marina, Plymouth has a very good reputation.
Check with the RYA list of Practical Schools for details - Phone No, e-mail etc

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[Twister_Ken]

Exactly - where else do you get that sort of real life hands-on learning experience?

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[Steve Clayton]

Commodore have 3, (well I think it was 3 when I walked past last weekend) new Bavaria's. They are based in Royal Clarence Yard/Marina in Gosport.



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[Magic_Sailor]

As mentioned below - Southern Sailing have a good reputation with people travelling from Europe for their tuition.

Magic

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[john_morris_uk]

Why not Plymouth Sea School? It has a good reputation and fairly new boats.

Phone Sandy the principal for a chat.

(I declare an interest but only inasmuch as I am one of the examiners they use!)

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[Bathfanjim]

Thaks for all the help. John - a question for you as an examiner. I completed my Day Skipper practical about 2 yrs ago - and have done a lot of racing since then. After doing my Coastal Skipper/Yachmaster theory this winter amd I qualified to be able to take the Coastal Skipper course/exam? I have the necessary miles logged already.

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[Goodge]

From memory the mileage qulification for Coastal Skipper is 400 miles which I'm sure you have done already. On the course I did 135 miles including a Round the Island trip. Check the RYA website for full details but I suspect you have enough experience already.

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[Stemar]

Another vote for Commodore - could also try Team Sailing, also based in Haslar

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[Mudhook]

Before we get too tied up in new boats v. old boats, consider what you are expecting. Someone to watch over you, instruct, advise, even inspire while you undertake some quite exacting tasks (certainly exacting when close to shore). Mistakes will be made, from which you will learn. These may include clouting the pontoon/pier/mooring posts and, quite possibly, possibly going aground.

In my view, a school with older (well used but still of course fully compliant with stiff charter regulations) boats is more likely to let you make these mistakes and learn from them than one with new boats. No-one is going to let you put a brand new Bavaria aground, or even sniff the bottom with it. For my money, the school that treats their boats as educational tools, rather than something they are going to charter out for big bucks next weekend, is a much better bet if you really want to LEARN.

Anyway, it's hard to see quite what is so desirable about a new boat for training purposes. We all know that they are at least as likely to have teething faults - often major - as a well-used and well-maintained example. If the school is any good you'll be out from 8am till around midnight most days and won't care whether the curtains close or the table has a mirror-like sheen to it.

Regards, Mudhook

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[kesey]

Southern Sailing will give you a fun week, work the rear end off of you, feed you the epitome of haute cuisine and send you away happy, satisfied and tired.

They will give you the oppotunity of running a boat aground, and show you how to get her off. They won't mollycoddle you. Certainly not if Steve Brand is the instructor

I'd recommend them anytime,

Adrian

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[Twister_Ken]

Well said, Mudhook. nm

`

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[Benbow]

Fully agree. Southern are boats are well used and they are not afraid to let novices drive them. Why would anyone want to learn in an immaculate boat they were afraid to scratch?

I did my YM prep with them and recommend them unreservedly. I know they are very picky (not to say idiosyncratic) about their instructors.

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