FRIDAY
- 1830h Arrive at Hamble and check in at school reception cabin.
- Receive wet weather gear and pillows if required. Meet the instructor, collect food and move onto the yacht to settle in.
- Stow away all provisioning and personal kit.
- Instructor's safety briefing and yacht familiarisation talk
- If the weather is good and everybody is on time you will set sail for a short trip to a nearby harbour such as Cowes or Southampton otherwise go ashore for evening meal and drink. A good chance to break the ice and have a relaxing evening before setting sail the next day. It's a good idea to have a late afternoon snack before coming down as you may not be eating until later on the first evening.
SATURDAY
- 0800 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
- Recap safety procedures on deck. Introduction to deck gear, ropes and rigging and various parts of the yacht
- Engine start controls and rigging/slipping of mooring lines and fenders
- Slip mooring and motor down the river giving everyone a chance to steer the yacht under power
- Practice coming alongside and leaving various pontoons with everyone rotating jobs
- Short sail to an anchorage or mooring buoy giving everyone the chance to raise sails and control them using the sheets
- 1300 Lunch at a mooring buoy or anchorage. Discuss the use of liferafts
- Practice the basic points of sail with each person having the opportunity to helm or control sheets
- Practice putting in and shaking out reefs
- Practice headsail changes or furling
- Sail to overnight destination practising what a crew member should do in the event of a Man Overboard situation
- 1830 Enter a new harbour in the Solent and moor up. Stow sails and tidy up on and below deck
- 1900 Debrief on day's events whilst dinner is cooking in oven
- 2000 Supper followed by a trip ashore to a local pub
SUNDAY
- 0800 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
- 0900 Prepare the yacht for sea and undertake a passage to an anchorage for lunch. On route each crew member will experience helming the yacht on different points of sail
- Learn how to tie the basic 6 knots used by sailors and when they are used
- Prepare to enter anchorage. Learn how to prepare the anchor and foredeck in anticipation of arrival
- 1200 Lunch at anchor
- Set sail for Hamble learning the basic collision regulations on route
- Clean up yacht, return wet weather gear followed by debrief and issue of certificates
- 1600 Depart Hamble.
Click here to back to start yachting course page
Please note: All course itineraries are examples and do not form any part of the contract