Has anyone been on a sailing course?

[CisMyArse]

DH has romantic ideas of getting a boat. His birthday is coming up and I'm wondering if any of you have done a sailing weekend? There are courses available around our coastline and I'd like to find out more before committing.

My husband is a sailor. There are so many different kinds of boats, are you thinking if a dinghy or day boat? Has he done any sailing before? Look at the RYA website, contact a local sailing club. You can sail on the coast or on inland lakes.

Where are you? . I have done several courses with Flying Fish at Cowes who sail on the Solent .. tThey have accommodation also.. Make sure what ever you book is an RYA course.. Competent Crew is the entry level.. a nice 2 day course . if he has any previous experience go for Day Skipper

If you book a Neilson sun sail holiday you an do RYA certificates as part of your week’s holiday, no additional cost.

Actually I don’t know that is the case for all of them but certainly so at Vounaki Beach, might depend on facilities I guess.

Yes I’ve done quite a few, where in the country are you? Local marinas are likely to have private training companies - I’ve used scotsail up here - 3 weekends to get comp crew is about £600.

That’s start yachting Laska, comp crew is 5 days or 3 weekends.

Yes, do it. Great way to build up to getting a boat.
Both yacht courses and dinghy courses are worth it in different ways.
Go separately though, not together - you will learn more.

I have gone from complete terrifief beginner to dinghy racing via neilson holiday courses.
It depends what he wants to sail.
Dinghys or yachts

We did courses at Neilson but more recently did our ICC via Bisham Abbey, the national sports centre on the Thames. We did one day rather than two but stayed overnight. It was fun. It meant we were qualified to move our boat from it’s marina base in France.

Friends did their offshore from a place on the Hamble and highly recommend it. Others, including our daughter, used UKSA in Cowes. She did yachtmaster a couple of years ago to improve her skills before captaining for the RTI and in Cowes Week.

chronic yes, quite right..It is Start Yachting.. Its been such a long time since i did them id forgotten! I did my Competent crew and day skippers over several weeks s as lucky enough to live here on Island

I used to work for the RYA (Royal Yachting Association). Look on their website, there is lots of info there, or give them a call.

several weekends that was..

Sailing is great, we’ve done the lot. We did a course in Gibraltar which was brilliant. It’s so much nicer sailing in a warm climate. We’ve had our own yacht, we’ve been on flotillas and we’ve chartered in the Mediterranean.

Sailing in U.K. waters is very often chilly, it’s ok if you’re very hardy. Owning your own boat is fantastic but very expensive. My DH compared it to digging a big hole and throwing your money into it.

Or standing in a freezing cold shower in a wind tunnel and posting £50 notes as fast as you can down the plughole!

(which is why we now dont have a boat ....)

I did a day skipper course in the Solent, the theory was done in evening classes, then a 2 day assessment in the Solent. I remember it was very cold and quite challenging, but then, my previous sailing experience was in Greece and Turkey. I highly recommend sailing in warm, tideless waters. It's a whole different ball game in this country!

It's a whole different ball game in this country!

I see why you say that, but the dinghy sailing course I did in a reservoir one August was very pleasant

I only sail in warm places. Last time I did it in the UK conditions were so bad that I couldn’t eat or speak for hours when I got to the IOW. Full gear, tethered etc., etc.. awful day.

I enjoy it when not wearing ten layers on calm waters in the sun .... gave up on anything other than that in 2005!

Wow thanks everyone. Didn't expect this many replies! I've not read through them all just yet, but I will.

We're on the coast in South Wales. I had an online chat with a company in Southampton that does weekends and they said it would be an ideal taster team session for DH. It's about £249 all in but have not committed yet.