Our RYA First Aid Course is delivered by experienced First Aiders, most of whom work in the medical profession and have extensive boating experience. Most importantly however, is that they are also yachtsmen, and so appreciate the added problems that dealing with a first aid situation at sea presents.
During the course you will be taught how to do mouth to mouth resuscitation and chest compressions, in both the classroom, and a more confined location such as in a yacht galley. You will go through putting someone in the recovery position, dealing with common medical emergencies such as asthma, epilepsy and diabetes, as well as dangers specific to sailing  such as drowning and hypothermia.

Yacht Handling Day – Full days hand’s on experience, mooring up, coming alongside, reversing, manouvering in tight spaces and Man overboard Sunday February 19th - £99

The Yachtmaster prep week is an extremely intensive few days – early starts and late finishes – but we learnt so much! They really pack an incredible amount into just a few days, from manoeuvring,  to man-over-board, to blind nav, pilotage, passage planning, mooring and anchoring under sail… the list goes on!

We were all a little nervous when the RYA assessor joined us on the boat on Friday morning – but he did his best to make us feel at ease, and we started things off as all good sailors should, with a cup of tea and biscuits. Then, after the paperwork was completed, he asked us all a little about ourselves and then we launched straight in to it – starting with safety briefs. The idea is simple – you are the skipper and you’re taking some inexperienced friends for a few days sailing – what basic safety information do they need to know? I was tasked with Flares, Steve with the Engine, and the others with Deck safety and the VHF. Steve has a slight tendency to talk to much and we were all highly entertained as he explained the full depth of his engineering knowledge over what seemed like about an hour when it should have been about two minutes on how to start the engine and perhaps the basic checks you do everyday! Bless him.

After that we were tasked with manoeuvres in the Mayflower Marina. Pretty basic stuff, coming alongside, reversing into a berth – but the tidal stream and wind made things a little more complicated. I went first and ended up reversing up and unloading people with lines from the stern as the forward approach had proved unsuccessful – although I had got it alongside, unfortunately the stern line had come off because it was brand new and very slippery!

Next we had sailing onto and off moorings, then I think it was anchoring just off Cawsand including a three point fix. We had a delicious dinner of chicken stew with mash (thank you Hillary!) anchored just inside the Yealm, then we sailed back doing night pilotage. When we got to the Western end of the breakwater I took over and that was when we had my man-over-board procedure. The man-over-board is an important part of the Yachtmaster – and one that seems to make normally good, reliable sailors panic and lose their heads – and you may be allowed to use the engine or, then again, you might not. Our assessor was of the attitude that if you’ve got the engine and it makes picking the casualty out the water easier – then use it! So we were sailing along at about 1AM and with a couple of reefs in, and then he throws the horseshoe buoy in (it’s got a light attached). He then waits about 30 seconds before he tells you, and then you have to pick him up as safely and as quickly as possible. So I crash tacked the boat, which leaves the jib on the wrong side and helps stop the boat quickly – and then we dropped the sails and I started the engine. It was at this point the man over board got interesting – the jib sheet managed to get wrapped around the prop and the engine immediately cut out!

So it was hoist sales again, and then I sailed over to the casualty, which had drifted quite quickly in the wind and tide, and picked him up first time, stopping with him right on the leeward side at the lowest part of the boat – perfect! Then I sailed it onto a mooring in the Cattewater, and we went to bed. The next morning we arranged for a diver to meet us on Yacht Haven Quay pontoon and he had to cut the line free.

In very light winds on the Saturday we finished off the last requirements and then we dropped the assessor off – success!

* The exact quote: “I hate all those weathermen, too, who tell you that rain is bad weather. There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing, so get yourself a sexy raincoat and live a little.” Billy Connolly

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The RYA Intermediate powerboat course is aimed at those undertaking short coastal passages. The course builds on the skills developed on the Level 2 course and arms you with the skills to confidently deal with all aspects of the planning and execution of short coastal passages.

The RYA advanced powerboat course is an excellent course aimed at the keen amateur or professional power boater keen to develop a variety of their skills including night navigation, rough water handling and search techniques.

We are also able to offer powerboat Instructors courses, commercial endorsements and International certificates of competence.

Run between the 7th and 13th July from Crosshaven in Ireland our stunning and competitive Beneteau 40.7 has been entered for the event. Our package includes pre-event training (no prior experience required) all entry fees, moorings, food on board, wet weather gear and accomodation in our crew house in Crosshaven. The all in cost is £1450 – We can also offer crew members the opportunity to Challenger from Fowey to Cork and return for a nominal amount

Crew Places are strictly limited so please get in touch with David ASAP

http://www.corkweek.ie/

View Cork Week 2010 on You Tube

 http://youtu.be/9k6TC2KMxqU