Sleeping on training boats

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SirGeorgeSomers

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Hello one and all, I am new around here but have looked at the forum before and found it interesting.

I am planning to book onto a Day Skipper Practical course, not yet decided which school, but am concerned about having to sleep with strangers.

Is it reasonable to expect that I will get a bunk of my own or might I need to share a double with somebody else?

What if there is a mixture of men and women?
 
When I did my ds there were 6 on board. 5 blokes and a girly. Because she arrived at the same time as one of the blokes the instructor assumed that they were an item so put them in the aft cabin together. They said nothing for 3 days. We assumed ther bloke couldn't believe his lick, till he outed himself as gay. You can imagine the complications of pairing that group up after that!

I just had to put up with my mates snoring. I suppose I was lucky.
 
You won't need to sleep. In my experience sailing is only a way to get between pubs, sleeping is a waste of drinking time, go well rested and catch up on lost sleep at the end of the course.

The sleep deprivation will put you in good stead when keeping watch on passage.

HTH
 
SirGeorgeSomers said:
Hello one and all, I am new around here but have looked at the forum before and found it interesting.

I am planning to book onto a Day Skipper Practical course, not yet decided which school, but am concerned about having to sleep with strangers.

Is it reasonable to expect that I will get a bunk of my own or might I need to share a double with somebody else?

What if there is a mixture of men and women?
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Don't worry about it and just enjoy the experience, if your old and ugly no-one will bother you (my experience) if you're young and handsome you'll have fun.

If I may recommend (no advantage to me!) Hamble School of Sailing - brilliant and soooo much food:cool:
 
Sir George, you may find yourself sleeping in the saloon which is no bad thing.........easy access for the heads during the night.
If you have not chosen who to go with and you fancy west coast of Scotland, I went with New Horizon sailing with Richard on his Oyster 435 and every aspect of it was superb. Even the food. Happy sailing !!
 
May I suggest you take lots of Cuppa soup, chocolate, nuts, as the fare onboard can be pretty basic.

As for bunking arragements; sometimes you get lucky often you don't.
 
...and I've read that many modern AWB's have en-suite heads. Oh goodie. Are white towelling robes provided or should I bring my own? What about breakfast, will the chef wake me with fresh pot of tea first or will the smell of the bacon being prepared get me out of my bed.

A rude awakening awaits, me thinks..........

First rule of sailing: leave your inhibitions on the shore.
Second rule of sailing: if you're not prepared to lose it, break it or bleed, don't do it!
Third rule of sailing: enjoy it with a passion.
 
davidjackson said:
First rule of sailing: leave your inhibitions on the shore.
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Why? If I was on a training boat with a mixed crew I would not expect everyone to get changed in front of each other. I show everyone the same level of respect and privacy if I was afloat or on the shore.
 
davidjackson said:
A rude awakening awaits, me thinks..........

First rule of sailing: leave your inhibitions on the shore.
Second rule of sailing: if you're not prepared to lose it, break it or bleed, don't do it!
Third rule of sailing: enjoy it with a passion.
Click to expand...

Only Rule : enjoy it with a passion.

Roughing it is not compulsory.
 
i was the only girl on a ds course. didn't find this out until i turned up. they arranged it so i slept alone in the galley area. have to admit i would have felt a bit awkward shacked up with a strange bloke in a small cabin and don't think the OH would have been too happy either. i've since found out there are women only courses (there's a school in gosport that does these). but don't know of any men only. i reckon if you have an issue about it you should talk to the sailing school when you book the course. after all you are a paying customer and they should be able to let you know the sharing situation beforehand.
 
Having been on many sea school training courses - both as a student (from Comp Crew up to YM prep) and helping out as first mate - it varies depending on sex, number and ages of crew, but overall, you should go with the attitude that you won't have your own cabin.

For typical max. 5 students to 1 instructor ratio (stipulated by the RYA) on a ~35ft AWB:

If there is an under-18 onboard they will be given their own cabin for child protection reasons (I didn't want to turn 18!).

If there is a couple onboard they will be given their own cabin - likewise for friends of two.

Males and females will be kept separate where possible - possibly even prioritised over couples together if it is an issue given mix of crew.

The instructor will have their own cabin.

Leftovers will share cabins - yes, sometimes you will be with a stranger in a double aft cabin, or forepeak (nice instructors won't put two burly men in a small forepeak!), or a bunk each in the saloon. Sharing double afts isn't too bad, you're so constrained in your mummy sleeping bag anyway, and 35ft AWBs tend to have pretty big aft cabins.

By the first night, however, you'll be so knackered you won't give a damn where you sleep... and it's all part of the fun :-)
 
jellyellie said:
By the first night, however, you'll be so knackered you won't give a damn where you sleep... and it's all part of the fun :-)
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I was knackered the first time I went yachting but I never got any sleep at all due to the foghorn snoring three feet across from me. :mad:
 
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