sailing school

Learn to Sail

HURST POINT YACHT CHARTERS LTD

Lymington based sailing lessons at the spectacular western end of the Solent

Hurst Point Logo

Tel 01590 623765 mob 07932 140878
or email info@hurstpointyachts.co.uk

PRACTICAL COURSES

start yachting

competent crew

day skipper

coastal skipper

yachtmaster offshore

icc

own boat tuition

SHOREBASED COURSES

rya first aid

vhf radio

day skipper theory

theory coastal skipper/yachtmaster

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'Safe sailing is no accident'

Welcome to the Sailing School. This part of the web site is dedicated to helping you learn to sail. We can help you gain the knowledge and confidence to learn to sail and safely handle a cruising yacht in and around the Solent and beyond. For the RYA sailing lessons we use a Beneteau Oceanis 311 with lifting keel and 6 berths plus a larger Bavaria 38 with 7 berths. We also provide informal boat tuition and sailing refreshers to allow you to practice berthing and mooring, setting the sails correctly and all the other things that a skipper needs to know which cannot be perfected by reading the books.

PRACTICAL SAILING LESSONS

During all of the practical sailing lessons (apart from ICC and Start Yachting), you will live aboard the yacht for 5 days, sail at least 100 miles and log a minimum of 4 night hours. There will be a maximum of 4 students so the student/instructor ratio is 4:1 giving 25% more instruction than the normal 5:1 ratio other sailing schools use. Prices include on board accommodation and meals, berthing fees and life jacket hire. Generally price levels depend on whether or not a sailing course includes the weekend. Some of the courses include a Channel crossing.

Start Yachting (SY) This 2-day course is for beginners and those who would like to learn basic seamanship. The course provides a short introduction to sail cruising for novices. By the end of the course, participants will have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, rope work and be aware of safety on board. A further 3-day course can be taken at a later date to gain the RYA Competent Crew certificate. ( join up in evening giving 2 nights on board). Price includes meals onboard except first night, berthing fees, fuel and lifejackets.

Competent Crew (CC) This course is for beginners and those who would like to learn basic seamanship and become active crew members. By the end of the course you should be able to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy and assist in all the day to day routines. Also have a good knowledge of personal safety. This is a 5 day RYA approved sailing course. There is no pre-course knowledge or experience necessary. The course can be taken as 5 consecutive days, 2-day plus 3-day weekends, or 3 weekends. During the Competent Crew course you will live aboard the yacht for 5 days, and sail at least 100 miles and log a minimum of 4 night hours. There will be a maximum of 4 students. Typical harbours that we would visit and/or stay at during the course include: Poole, Lymington, Yarmouth, Beaulieu, Cowes, Hamble, Wootten, Bembridge, Portsmouth, Langstone, Chichester, and for 5 consecutive day courses if the weather is suitable - Northern coasts of France and Channel Isles.

PRACTICAL SAILING COURSES DATES 2012
Please note that these sailing courses can accommodate a mix of training for Start Yachting, Comp Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore in various combinations, please refer to the course codes. Dates for September and October will be added later.


April 5-9 5 days inc Easter CC DS CS £525
April 12-15 3 days SY CC DS £315
April 20-22 2 days SY CC DS £215
May 4-7 3 days SY CC DS £315
May 18-20 2 days SY CC DS £215
May 30-4 5 days inc BH (x Channel) CC DS CS £525
June 8-11 3 days SY CC DS £315
June 15-17 2 days SY CC DS £215
June 20-25 5 days CC DS CS £495
July 5-8 3 days SY CC DS £315
July 13-15 2 days SY CC DS £215
July 22-27 5 days CC DS CS £495
Aug 12-14 2 days SY CC DS £215
Aug 19-21 2 days SY CC DS £215
Aug 24-27 3 days inc BH SY CC DS £325
Aug 19-24 5 days CC DS CS £495
Other dates are available for 3 or more people.
Coastal Skipper preparation and exam with relevant course above + £149 exam fee.
Yachtmaster preparation and exam with relevant course above + £170 exam fee.
Dates on Application 1-day Sailing experience Saturday £115 (not RYA course).
Dates on Application 1/2-day sailing Experience Saturday £79.
Dates on Application 2-days INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCE (ICC) £178

SHOREBASED COURSE DATES 2012


YACHTMASTER OCEAN Intensive 5 days
Use of Sextant, sun sights etc
Dates: TBA Lymington Daily 0900hrs to 1700hrs £355.

YACHTMASTER OFFSHORE/COASTAL SKIPPER (Intensive 6 days)
Dates: 21-25 March Lymington Daily 0900hrs to 1700hrs
£215

RYA DAY SKIPPER
Dates: 3 weekends TBA 0900 - 1700 daily
£215

GMDSS VHF SHOREBASED COURSE
Next one day course 3rd March Lymington 9am to 5pm 1 day £110 (need two passport photos)
Pm only same day as above: Conversion course to Digital Sets £45

RYA DIESEL ENGINE COURSE
Next Course Saturday TBA 9am to 5pm 1 day £85

RYA FIRST AID AT SEA
Next Course TBA 9am to 5pm 1 day £85

RYA RADAR OPERATOR
Next Course TBA 9am to 2.30pm 1 day £95

Coastal Skipper Certificate of Competence - Preparation and Examination This is a 5-day preparation course, including a 1-day examination, leading to a RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper Certificate of Competence. An independent approved RYA examiner carries out the examination. Pre-requisites: 30 days at sea (2 days as skipper) logging 800 miles including 12 night hours; Shortwave Radio Course and First Aid certificates. Age limit 17 or over. The examination fee is an extra charge.

Day Skipper (Tidal) (DS) For skippering a yacht. This is an official RYA course of 5 days duration. The Day Skipper qualification provides you with the knowledge and experience to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day. The Day Skipper practical course pre-requisite theory knowledge is to have basic navigation and sailing ability, including drawing an estimated position on a chart (using course steered and tidal streams to estimate position), have a reasonable idea of tidal heights and streams, use of GPS, knowledge of collision regulations, basic chartwork and seamanship. Chartwork would include knowledge of IALA buoyage and working out a course to steer accounting for tidal streams. This knowledge is best obtained by completing the RYA Day Skipper theory course, either in the classroom or by correspondence course, but may alternatively be obtained by self-study. The pre-requisite practical experience, is 100 logged miles, 5 days living aboard a yacht and 4 night hours of sailing. Other knowledge should include the Competent Crew course syllabus above. The sailing tuition can be taken in a variety of ways to suit the student. The course does not have to be taken as five straight days. A combination of weekdays and weekend days may fit in more easily with your schedule.

Coastal Skipper (Tidal) (CS) This is an advanced skippering course for yachtsmen and women who have considerable knowledge of sailing and navigation and are usually aspiring toward a Certificate of Competence. Designed for Tidal waters. Aimed at persons with navigation experience to Coastal Skipper shore based standard and sailing experience to Day Skipper practical standard. Ideally you will also have spent 15 days at sea (2 days as skipper) logging 300 miles including 8 night hours. By the end of the course you should be able to skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day and night. Age limit 17 or over. Coastal Skipper practical sailing courses costs are similar to Day Skipper but the RYA stipulate that the course must be run over 5 consecutive days.

Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence - Preparation and Examination This is a 5-day preparation sailing course course, including a 1-day examination, leading to a RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence. This sailing course prepares you for the RYA/MCA examination where candidates have to demonstrate their ability as skipper on an offshore cruising yacht and answer questions on any part of the syllabus for all courses (except Yachtmaster Ocean). An independent approved RYA examiner carries out the examination for the sea school. The course is aimed at people with substantial sailing ability and experience, including 50 days at sea (5 days as skipper), 2,500 miles, five passages over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper. Other Pre-requisites: SRC and First Aid certificates. Age limit 18 or over.

International Certificate of Competence (ICC) Did you know that if you intend to sail over to Cherbourg, you will need the ICC even if you have a RYA Day Skipper or RYA Coastal Skipper certificate? The ICC is accepted on the continent as evidence of ability to handle a cruising yacht whereas the RYA qualifications are not (even though they are more advanced courses). This course is a half-day practical and theory assessment, culminating in taking the certificate, for persons who have a level of sailing ability equal to Day Skipper or above, but without the formal RYA qualifications. Cost is £140 or £95 own boat. The good news is that if you do have the Day Skipper certificate or above, then the ICC can be issued following a theory test only of approximately one hours duration, cost £40. The knowledge required is detailed in the 'RYA Book of the International Certificate of Competence' by Bill Anderson price £10.99 (ISBN 0-7136-6248-4) available from our bookstore

Own Boat tuition is available and costs £165 to £240 per day, depending on whether sail or powerboat, for Christchurch Bay and the Solent.

RYA First Aid at Sea Course This one day course includes practical demonstarations of the life saving techniques such as mouth to mouth resuscitation. It also examines the contents of the First Aid kit. Price includes the St Johns manual. The certificate is required for anyone taking the RYA Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster certificates of competance. Also a MCA requirement for one person to hold when chartering a yacht.

SHOREBASED SAILING COURSES

Day Skipper This is an elementary course in basic seamanship, navigation and meteorology, suitable for beginners and people with little experience in cruising yachts or motor cruisers. The course gives skippers enough theoretical knowledge to take charge of a boat and navigate around familiar waters by day. The shore based course costs £315 - £355

Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore A more advanced course for students who have already completed the Day Skipper course, or skippers who have a background of sailing, motor cruising or offshore racing experience, and which takes them up to the theory knowledge required for Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Practical Examination. This is a 5 day intensive advanced course aimed towards students who wish to skipper a yacht on longer coastal passages. The course covers advanced navigation techniques, tidal heights including detailed secondary port calculations, tidal Streams, GPS and chart plotters, meteorology including weather prediction by observation. Collision regulations, stability and safety at sea.

Marine VHF Radio Short Range Certificate (SRC) A one-day course and examination for the Short Range Certificate (SRC) covers all the radio procedures. The course requires no prior knowledge and will include-
How to Initiate a DSC Distress Alert , Respond appropriately to a DSC Distress Alert and to a Mayday call and message, including relay of a distress message, Send a Mayday call and message by voice, Employ an EPIRB and a START , Send a Pan Pan call and message by voice, Receive Maritime Safety and weather Information by NAVTEX, Establish communication and exchange messages with other stations by voice on appropriate channels.
No age limit, but certificate post-dated to 16th birthday. See available dates above. Cost is £95 including lunch plus £20 for the DSc (Digital Selective Calling) certificate.

RadarUse of RADAR in a small boat. Essential information for anyone who operates RADAR on board their yacht or motor cruiser.

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learn to sail

All of these sailing lessons are offered through our recommended sailing school partners Christchurch Yachting.

Please contact us for further information on sailing school courses and available dates.

Clive Cutler
Tel 01590 623765 mob 07932 140878

email info@hurstpointyachts.co.uk