Southern Sailing School

[billmacfarlane]

Having been sailing for umpteen years and never had any formal tuition , I've decided to get the bad habits out of my system and after a few phone calls plumped for a course with Southern Sailing School. The boats are old but I was impressed by the guy I talked to. Anyone ever been on one of their courses and if so what were they like ?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Bought my wife an SSS course a couple of years back. She was impressed with the tuition, but not with the hygiene habits of her fellow pupils!

 

[steve_cronin]

Although I did Yachtmaster in the last year of the BoT's very formal stewardship, when I offered to take Scouts offshore I was required by the Scout Association to provide them with a "Modern" qualification.

I went to John Goode's Southern Sea School and combined the pressing requirement with getting an ICC so opted for "Dayskipper". (it was the cheapest way of getting a cert.) The examiner was extremely efficient and friendly and the test demanding even for an old salt of 28yrs experience. Everything was fine not like some of the horrors recently related here.

Can thoroughly recommend them.

Steve Cronin

 

[CPN]

Was in the same position last year - many years experience, no certificates to show for them, and lots of bad habits !!
Took a day-skipper shore-based course at Southern Sailing, but upgraded to coastal skipper during the course. Followed this with week on the water, doing the practical day skipper. Never regretted my choice of shool.
Tuition was excellent, with four of us in the class room and only three on the boat so instruction was very attuned to personal needs and ability. Also plenty of opportunity to sail and skipper.
Boats may not be the newest, but they are well looked after and not all of us are expecting to sail a new Bav/Jen/Ben as soon as we leave school !!

Hope you enjoy the course as much as I did.
Peter

 

[Chris_Stannard]

Seconded, wife went on a course and said they always picked up mooorings late and left early (part of the keeping the cost down strategy?). She throughly enjoyed it and learned a lot, but came home needing a bath

Chris Stannard

 

[Twister_Ken]

Trouble is I now have a wife who feels confident about doing things like entering Keyhaven, in the dark, on a falling tide. Humbling stuff!

 

[Viking]

I thing Hygiene must comes on a different course for some people?. (home studies)

 

[billmacfarlane]

Thanks Steve , I'm doing something similar. They recommended I do Coastal Skipper and the ICC certificate as I'm thinking of taking the boat abroad , Med , in years to come.Even with my twenty-something years experience I've been warned that it's fairly rigourous.

 

[Joe_Cole]

I used Southern Sailing and thought they were superb. They made sure that everyone got through the course but did not restrict things to the sylabus. I learnt far more than was strictly required.

I must get round to booking the next course!


Joe

 

[Guest]

I totally agree with all the comments made, I took a Day Skipper Practical course a few years ago with SSS, Boat not new, but very well equiped, and the instruction was very good, with only 4 students, you always had something to do, plus I liked the hands off approach by the instructor, leaving you to make the decisions, which is great for confidence, the social side was great we had a good mix, great sailing weather rained a lot but nothing less than a F4. Unlike other schools who have shinier boats but work on a ratio of 6/7:1 pupils to instructor, which is no good for building confidence. They would be my first choice all the time. Infact I am looking forward to upgrading my Dayskipper to Coastal one I have logged enough miles/time

 

[Guest]

I am a RYA shorebased theory instructor with no connection to Southern Sailing School other than that I did my Yachtmaster Offshore with them some years ago.Since then I have recommended all my students to go there and have never had a bad report yet.My wife recently did her day skipper with them and returned full of praise and more importantly - confidence.If you have got it in you they will bring it out!

 

[Budgie]

I did a Day Skipper week with them a few years ago and found them very good.

The reason for my choice at the time was that they have fewer students per boat.

The boat was rather elderly, and there was no hot water, but the instruction was excellent.

 

[david_e]

Has this got anything to do with the planned trip to Ireland Bill? (won't see your reply as we leave for Cork 2mo morning)

 

[Guest]

Highly recommended. I went as crew on my friends Rival 38 when he did a one-to-one YM and then went back some years later do do my own YM. As other people have said, old boats but they don't mind if you bump them - as they say they are working boats. Very friendly and professional. Am thinking about doing a Motor Boat course with them

 

[Boatman]

Bill, did the same thing 2 years ago (got some paper) the things that tend to catch people out are the small things that we all forget not having used them. I found that reading one of tha many technical sailing books aimed at beginners to intermediate although boring in lots of respects did cover lots of the smaller things.

Hope all goes well

 

[Guest]

Great reputation and deservadly so.

I did my Coastal Skipper practical over a week with them, great tuition! The issue with the boats didn't really figure to me, they are work horses and thats all I was looking for.

It's no holiday doing there courses but again, thats what you want. Couldn't recommend them enough... And that does seem to be the word on the street!!!

 

[Guest]

A group of us did a coastal skipper course with Southern Professional Training, a branch of SSS, some 10 years ago and were very happy. We received excellent tuition tailored in large part to our type of vessels (big black tarry things that are not welcome alongside ye average plastic fender) and the tuition was realistic, not pedantic, and took note of the fact that our group of five had something like 200 years experience but few pieces of paper. Given that we had representatives from the boat building industry, a marine surveyor and an insurance broker on board we were well equipped to deal with a minor steering failure (it broke!), which was skilfully passed off as all part of the course! Thoroughly recommended!!

 

[billmacfarlane]

Thanks for all the replies on this one. I start 1st September for a 5 day course. Let you know how I get on .