Sail Cruising Course Information
This page has a range of information and FAQs that we hope you will find useful for your upcoming Sail Cruising course with us – please read it carefully and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Our sail cruising courses are run on board our training vessel “Northern Star”.
She is a 32ft Bavaria yacht for a maximum of 6 persons and is commercially coded under MGN280 to Category 2 waters. She is routinely inspected by both the coding authority and RYA representatives to ensure that she meets all the regulations and carries the correct equipment.
Northern Star sleeps up to 6 persons on board in 2 double cabins and saloon space and has 1 heads (toilet/shower/sink).
Length 10.30m | Beam 3.35m | Draft 1.65m | Engine Volvo 19 hp | Water 180 L | Fuel 110 L
START: Your course will start at 0900 hrs on the first day and you shoud meet your instructor at our Training Centre cabin based at Inverness Marina – click HERE for more details.
FINISH : On the last day of your course we will usually be back alongside at Inverness Marina no later than 1500hrs where the yacht will be tidied and cleaned by the students. Following debriefs, logbook signing and certificate issue you should be complete and ready to depart by approx 1600hrs on the final day.
Please bear in mind that weather and vessel traffic can affect our timings so whilst we endeavor to meet the planned timing there may be occasions when courses run later. If you are planning on departing by public transport (rail / bus/ aircraft) please make sure that your instructor is aware at the beginning of the course so that we can do our best to meet any fixed departure times.
WORKING DAY: Sailing is very rarely a standard working day so you should expect to be flexible in the length of the training days. The duration will vary and will depend on the activities that are being undertaken and the final evening destination. We do appreciate that everyone needs some down time so a typical sailing day will start after breakfast with the vessel moored alongside or at anchor for dinner. As our sail courses are residential you may spend the evening learning some new theory skills or putting together the pilotage/passage plan for the next day. For our Day Skipper course (or combined Comp Crew/Day Skipper) this will include a night sail during the hours of darkness, for the more advanced courses/COCs such as Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Preps multiple night sails will be required.
It is important that you book yourself onto a course at the right level for you. Each RYA course has a number of pre-requisites both for practical skills and for theory knowledge. If you have any doubt about the pr-requisites or are unsure about where your skills/knowledge fits then please give us a call before booking. If you do not satisfy the course pre-requisites you may not be able to proceed with the course. The MINIMUM pre-requisites for each course are listed below:
You will be provided with the relevant RYA publication for your course:
- Competent Crew – Competent Crew course Notes
- Day Skipper – Day Skipper Sail Handbook
- Coastal Skipper – No Publications
- Exam Preps/CoCs – No Publications
If you do not already have one you will be provided with an RYA Yachtmaster Syllabus and Logbook for either the Comp Crew or Day Skipper courses.
For the Comp Crew / Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper courses – there is no formal exam as part of the course. Students are assessed throughout by their instructor against the criteria listed in the RYA syllabus and will be provided a full debrief on their abilities and areas to focus on for development. Where a student does not meet the final course standard a certificate will not be issued, although the passed elements will be signed in the delegate logbook as appropriate. A full debrief and action plan will be provided
For those taking the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore CoC exams – these will be conducted by an external MCA/RYA examiner and delegates will be formally assessed against the CoC criteria. Debriefs will be given.
Residential courses are fully catered. You can expect to have 3 meals per day plus morning/afternoon snacks. During the course you will be expected to fully assist in the preparation of on-board meals for your fellow crewmembers.
Please note breakfast is NOT provided on the first day of your course and an evening meal is NOT provided on the last day of your course.
Menus will vary however a typical menu will be:
- Breakfast will be cereal or bread based with fruit juice/coffee/tea
- Lunches will be sandwiches/quiches/soups and salads
- Evening meals will be lasagna / pasta bake / pie / casserole / chilli / cottage pie with vegetables/salad and rice/garlic bread. Students should allow for one evening meal ashore on a five day course. All other catering including three evening meals are provided onboard.
- Meals on the go e.g. night sails may be pasties / sausage rolls / pot noodles
To promote sustainability we encourage our students to bring their own re-useable coffee cups and water bottles. Our yacht has a 180L fresh water tank for drinking water.
If you have any dietary requirements or food allergies please ensure that you have completed the relevant sections of the booking form – feel free to call us to discuss.
We provide free use of our high quality GILL waterproof clothing for your course. We offer a range of sizes (M, L, XL) for our Gill Offshore and Coastal Trousers and Jackets. Waterproofs are worn to provide shelter from both the wind and rain – very rarely do we go afloat without them!
If you wish to wear your own waterproofs you are very welcome but please make sure that they are suitable for afloat activities. They need to be wind as well as water proof.
If you require other sizes please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you – if we are unable to provide suitable waterproof clothing in your size you will be asked to supply your own.
Please note that we do NOT provide footwear for any of our courses.
A professionally serviced Crewsaver lifejacket (with light) and safety harness will be provided to you for the duration of the course. Lifejackets meet all the MCA coding requirements and will be a minimum of 150N.
Should you wish to wear your own lifejackets you are welcome to do so as long as the jacket is a minimum of 150N, has a light and has been professionally serviced in the last 12 months (proof of service will be required). This is required to meet our commercial coding requirements.
Our Sailing Yacht is fully equipped with a range of safety equipment in line with the strict RYA training vessel requirements and the MCA Category 2 waters.
Stowage is always limited on a boat and we therefore ask you to travel lightly for your course. Each delegate will be allocated space in one of the hanging lockers and will be allocated a personal locker for the duration of the course.
Please ensure that you use a soft/collapsible bag such as a holdall for your belongings. Please limit your bag to approx 30L – 50L size or approximately the same size as an aircraft carry on bag.
We do not have space to store any hard cases on board the vessel – these will need to remain ashore stored in your vehicle or our training centre.
You may wish to have a small backpack for transporting towels/toiletries to and from the shower block or for using ashore.
Please bring your own sleeping bag and pillow case with you. We will provide one pillow and mattress cover per person.
Don’t forget to bring suitable sleeping attire – PJ’s or shorts/leggings/t-shirts will be required. Accommodation is shared so please be respectful of others.
You may wish to bring ear plugs and an eye mask to help with sleeping on board.
When alongside you will use the marina facilities (showers/toilets) when at anchor you will use the onboard facilities.
You will need to supply your own towel and with limited space for drying we recommend that you bring something quick drying such as a travel towel.
With limited space we ask you to keep your toiletries to a minimum (travel size bottles are great!). We supply hand wash and sanitiser on board so you will need to bring your own: shampoo/conditioner, shower gel, deodorant, moisturizer, tooth brush, toothpaste and mouthwash.
Please remember that you will be spending a LOT of time outside so we recommend that you pack sun cream, lip balm and after sun. Even in the winter you are susceptible to the suns rays!
When not alongside shower facilities are extremely limited so you may wish to bring along some biodegradable wet wipes.
Most people will suffer from sea sickness at some point in their sailing career – there are many medications/remedies on the market and we recommend that you chose one that suits you best. Please be wary of sea sickness medication that makes you drowsy as this will significantly impact your ability to get the best out of your course.
If you are taking anything more than standard over the counter medicine please make sure that your instructor is aware of what the medication is and any side effects that it may have. You will be required to show a doctors note or prescription for non over the counter medication.
Knowing what to pack when going on holiday can be tricky. Knowing what to bring and what to leave at home can be even harder when you are going sailing for the first time.
Footwear: We do NOT provide any footwear so you will need to bring along suitable boots/waterproof shoes. Make sure that you have more than one pair in case one gets wet! Deck shoes or Sailing wellies/Boots are ideal but please make sure that you wear them in first! Trainers are also a good choice but can become uncomfortable when wet. All footwear must be non-slip, non-marking and be clean. For the warmer months close-toed sandals can be worn but these must have straps to keep them on your feet – flip flop type footwear is not permitted.
Hats, Gloves and Glasses: Hats (warm bobble hats / ear bands / caps) and Gloves are also recommended and we strongly recommend that you bring sunglasses (polarised if possible and with a retaining strap) with you to courses all year around. There can be a lot of glare on the water from the sun and we do spend a significant amount of the course afloat. Sailing gloves are great for saving your hands from ropes (but not essential) and larger/thermal gloves will keep your hands warmer particularly during winter months and during night sails.
Base Layers: Most courses are 5 or 6 days so you will need underwear/socks/base layers for the duration. We will not have time to do any laundry during your course. Warm / Thermal base layers are recommended as it is colder out on the water at any time of year. A good set of thermals (long johns and long sleeved top) is always worth packing no matter what time of year! It is much better to bring it with you and chose not to wear it than be cold afloat. Neck Buffs and Snoods are also a good addition to your bag.
General Clothing: Thin layers will provide more warmth than a thick layer so consider thin fleece layers, long sleeve t-shirts, polo shirts. A range of sporty, layered clothing is best. Jeans are not suitable for sailing in but are OK to relax in the evening. Cargo/quick drying trousers and shorts are best. You want to be warm, comfortable and able to move easily. Puffa/Down lightweight jackets/gilets provide some good insulation underneath your waterproofs.
Ashore Clothing: Depending on your course you may spend an evening ashore in a local hostelry and may wish to bring some casual clothes to wear.
Stuff Bags and small dry bags are great for storing kit especially in small lockers.
Laundry Bags: During your week on board it is essential that you can stow your dirty clothing without impacting on anyone else! Small laundry bags or a dry bag would be perfect for this.
Torches: There will be a range of torches on board but you may want to consider bringing a head torch or small torch with you. Ideally this will have a red light setting for use at night to preserve night vison.
Knives: There will be a number of sailing knives on board the vessel and they are a key part of our equipment – should you wish to bring your own please make sure that they are suitable for sailing, have some sort of suitable stowage pouch and are stored correctly.
Our yachts does have communal 12 volt sockets and standard 3 pin plug sockets – however the standard plug sockets only work when we are alongside plugged into shorepower and they are limited in number. We do not provide charging points in all cabins.
Power is always at a premium onboard our sailing yacht so we ask you to think about what devices your really “need” to bring on your sailing course. Whilst you are afloat you will only have access to 12v sockets. You may want to bring along a separate battery pack for your mobile phone. One of the beauties of sailing is leaving the digital world behind! Mobile phone coverage is usually limited to between 10 and 20 miles offshore depending on the sailing area.
We do not provide charging for larger devices such as laptops and we definitely do not have hairdryers/straighteners or other heating devices on board. You will find hairdryers in most marina facilities. We do not recommend that you bring larger electronic devices on board.
