Every year the RNLI and other rescue authorities end up rescuing hundreds of people who on impulse have bought a lilo or inflatable dinghy with the idea of having a paddle off the beach. Where normally I focus on various ways of learning to sail and the qualifications you may need for your leisure or […]
This weekend I took my partner on a sailing experience day with a sailing school in Lymington in the UK. Though the RYA Start Yachting course is two days long, the idea is to let the potential sailor see if they enjoy it. Judging by the conversion of my sailing sceptical partner, perhaps only a […]
Through my work with The Boating Hub I have come to the understanding that there are two types of sailing nation – the developed sailing nation with a good, structured sail training scheme and the underdeveloped sailing nation that either has none at all or relies upon its elite sailing clubs to get people sailing. […]
A lot of people dream of casting off and seeing the world from off the coast. But not everyone gets around to actually doing it. I’ll never forget how, as soon as we left the dock at Milwaukee the heave of my sailing ship on a very gentle sea set a trainee’s stomach at full […]
Looking at a 50ft ‘gin palace’ with huge engines designed to waft the millionaire owner at 30 knots up the Channel and beyond, you’d be surprised to know you don’t actually need any qualifications to skipper it in the UK. Nor do you need to have a license to bomb around on a jet ski. […]
Powerboats can be a lot of fun but becoming a competent driver requires a considerable amount of training. Manoeuvres in the water are far more complex than on land and the traffic is a great deal more varied. Learning to control a powerboat is not only a matter of building on existing experience; it is […]
There really are few limits when it comes to sailing, provided of course that a sailor has the necessary qualifications for what they plan to do. Developing as a sailor requires plenty of time out on the water to gain experience, during which time it should be possible to learn to sail while mastering all […]
Once the decision to try out sailing is made, the next part of the process involves finding the right people to help you get started. Learning the basics is simple enough, given that there are a huge number of available courses up and down the length of the country. These are perfectly placed to help […]
The best sailing experiences are those which are done in a safe fashion and in the right conditions – but what are the real essentials of safety at sea? Sailing can be a tricky hobby to participate in if it is not done in a safe way – the sea can be tremendously powerful and […]
The UK has plenty of beautiful waterways and coastline just begging to be explored, but for anyone looking a little further afield, Europe also has plenty to offer. Many locations are only a short plane journey away, while others are within driving distance; and with many top quality marinas to be found, the options for […]