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Original poster

DS (9) wants to do some sailing - has anyone any experience of children's sailing activities in Docklands or SE London?

21 replies

tigermoth · 27/01/2009 21:18

Anyone? I know there's a Docklands sailing club and the AHOY centre in Deptford, also the Erith and the Greenwich Yatch Clubs, and some local boating centres - Danson Park and Southmere boating centre, for instance.

But I know of no one in real life who is involved with children's sailing activities and would welcome any recommendations or advice.

OP posts:
PuzzleRocks · 28/01/2009 10:01

Bumping for you.

Original poster
tigermoth · 28/01/2009 13:23

Thank you, puzzlerocks!

OP posts:
KatyMac · 28/01/2009 13:29

Well our sialing club has it's own children's bit on the website - so I would ave thought if any have a section - that would be a good thing

He will start in an optimist initially then move on to a topper

So look at the club fleets to see if they have Oppys or toppers as club boats & how much they cost to take out

How about bouyancy aids are they avaiable to borrow r does he need his own

are any of them RYA schools or are they clubs

Original poster
tigermoth · 28/01/2009 20:50

Katymac, not sure what optimists and toppers are, but they sound interesting

I have looked on the websites of most of the organisations in my OP to see what youth activities they have. I know websites can sometimes be out of date, though. I think some of the organisations run RYA courses.

It's all new to me - do you sail much?

OP posts:
KatyMac · 28/01/2009 20:55

A fair amount

Here look at my SS website here

Optimists are small boats made out of the stuff your washing up bowl is made of - they are squareish & totally un-tip-able.

My DD (now 11) has been sailing since 7 last September she took a 4yo & a 2yo out in an optimist sailed them round & then let the 2yo out and let the 4yo steer the boat

Now she is 11, she is moving up to the next size of boat a Topper (her Grandad bought her one - still plastic) & she has classes at Filby about 1 mile from us

KatyMac · 28/01/2009 21:30

about optimists

about Toppers

marymay · 29/01/2009 09:50

Tigermoth...Not a big help.But both of my children have been a few times to the AHOY centre with their schools and have had a great time .
I have picked ds up from there and it seems to be very well run .

Original poster
tigermoth · 30/01/2009 20:07

katymac, thanks for that info. I never realised that there are boats out there specifically designed to teach children the rudiments of sailing.

I can see that ds is not too young to start sailing - I'll wait till this spell of freezing weather is over, I think before we go anywhere. I know it will seem even colder on the water, so I don't want that to put him off.

Marymay, going to the Ahoy centret must have been a fun school trip. I wish our school did that, but my ds goes to school right at the opposite end of the borough - towards Bexley.

OP posts:
madwomanintheattic · 30/01/2009 20:13

we were part of the schools sailing scheme... no idea if it's still running...

what about booking a nice summer hol in greece or somewhere with a kids sailing school?

KatyMac · 30/01/2009 20:15

DD loves sailing but she is a bit of a fair weather sailor

Original poster
tigermoth · 30/01/2009 20:16

....nice summer holiday in greece - ah if only!
But we will be staying with MIL near Salcombe, so I was thinking of bookng ds on a sailing course for a few days.

OP posts:
seeker · 30/01/2009 20:17

Have you tried Sea Scouts? My dd sails every Friday evening all summer - she is well taught and has a ball and all for a couple of quid a week! They have Toppers and Optimists and another one that I can't remember the name of.

madwomanintheattic · 30/01/2009 20:23

mirrors

or a big ole wayfarer,

or those nice zippy lasers for when they are slightly more competent lol.

KatyMac · 30/01/2009 20:25

I like a pico

seeker · 30/01/2009 20:25

Sea Scouts

Leeza2 · 30/01/2009 20:29

oh he's not too young. my Dd did her RYA level one last summer when she had just turned 8

round our way the courses and clubs don't start til easter

Original poster
tigermoth · 30/01/2009 21:03

Have looked into sea scouts (none in our area) and sea cadets won't take him till he is 10 years old so that's not till August.

I have seen that many of our local watersports centres start weekend courses in April.

A lovely man from Erith Yatch Club said ds could join the youth group at Millwall Dock for a day's sailing this Sunday. I am thinking about it, but the forecast is for freezing weather.

OP posts:
seeker · 30/01/2009 21:12

I really suggest that he has his first sailing experience in nice weather - August and Sea Scouts sounds like a good idea!

There is nothing - and I mean nothing - more miserable than sailing a small boat when you don't know what you're doing, you're scared and feeling a bit incompetent and you are also soaking wet and freezing cold! He may well get put off, which would be a shame.

KatyMac · 30/01/2009 21:17

I would so agree with Seeker - wet & cold & first time = bad

seeker · 31/01/2009 17:33

Katymac - do you remember last Easter my brother and his family went to the Norfolk Broads and we were speculating about how long they would last? He hasn't got his children into a boat since!

KatyMac · 01/02/2009 19:26

I hesitate to say...told ya so

If DD had been home we might have gone yesterday - it was cold but sunny

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