Frequently asked questions
Got a question for us? Why not see if your question is covered under our FAQs below.
Please contact us if your question isn’t in the list below, and lets see if we can help you!
I’ve never sailed before, would love to learn, but i feel a bit nervous. Can you help me?
Yes we can! It’s natural to feel nervous about undertaking something new and exciting, but you are in safe hands with us. We’ve got the best Instructors in the Solent who are patient and understanding. We’ll make you feel at home and are more than happy to chat about any concerns you may have. Give us a call on 023 9250 4443 or contact us and lets see what we can do for you
I’ve not sailed in a while but want to get back into it, what do you recommend?
This is quite common and we can certainly get you back into the swing of it again. With modern life being so busy, it’s easy to lose track of time and let those skills get a bit rusty. We can help you refresh your knowledge and sailing skills in a nice relaxed way which will make it all seem easy. Please contact us to see what we can do to help you get back into sailing!
I’ve done a fair bit of sailing but want to go professional, what do you offer?
We offer the MCA/RYA Yachtmaster™ course which is a professional qualification and is recognised across the world, enabling you to start off your sailing career in style. We are also able to offer RYA Cruising Instructor courses, as well as a host of commercial courses endorsed by the HSE.
I want to start racing this year, but lack experience. Do i need any qualifications? How can you help me?
We offer all kinds of day and weekend courses which will benefit your desire to go racing! From the RYA First aid at Sea and the very popular RYA Sea Survival courses, to our Spinnaker and Downwind sailing weekends we can get your confidence and abilities where they need to be. We also offer the “Round the Island” race event, which includes a practice weekend, plus the RORC racing season and Fastnet!
I’ve got my own yacht but need a bit more help, do you offer private tuition?
Yes we do! We can happily attend your boat wherever it may be in the UK for private tuition, for as long as you want. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Can you help me with better low-speed control in and around marinas, getting into and out of berths etc?
Yes, we offer our very popular Marina Skills and Power Handling course, which is one day and will deal with handling a boat (and the crew!) around marinas, to give you a bit more confidence. We cover getting in and out of berths with wind and tide with and against you, plus a host of other essential skills. Why not check out our course calendar to see when we are next running this course?
Where are you based?
We are based on “C” pontoon in Gosport Premier Marina off Mumby Road, about 300 yards from the Gosport Ferry. Instructions for how to find us are here
Is there free parking at the marina?
Unfortunately Premier Marinas charge for car parking, but we can give you a discount code which will reduce the cost of parking to £3/day per car. Ask us at the end of your course or charter for your discount code.
What should i bring along for my practical course?
You will need appropriate clothing for the time of year and the usual “UK weather” factor which changes daily! As a guide we would advise you to bring comfortable clothes to wear under foul weather gear, sleeping attire, a sleeping bag and pillow, hats (cap and a woolly hat), sailing gloves, sunglasses, sun cream, wash towel and toiletries, thermos-style travel mug, water-bottle, phone charger (12v & 230v) plenty of thick warm socks, appropriate sailing footwear for a wet environment (Trainers don’t tend to grip wet decks well!). All footwear must be non-marking and clean and remember to bring suitable dry footwear for when you aren’t on the yacht.
Please bring your personal items in a “holdall” which can fold or roll flat. Please do not bring hard suitcases as whilst the yachts have plenty of storage, the lockers are not designed for bulky hard luggage. If you do bring hard luggage with you, you’ll be asked to leave them in your car.
I’ve got special dietary requirements, can you cater for me?
Whilst we can cater for most simple dietary needs (For example – Vegetarian, Vegan, Lactose intolerant etc), anything which is potentially life-threatening will require the student to cater for themselves. If this is the case we will provide a nominal discount to the course cost for any student catering for themselves. We will need full details of any food allergies and medical conditions to be made at the time of booking. This will be disclosed to your instructor.
How do i find out what the prerequisites are for my course?
Each course page on the website has a detailed schedule of any prerequisites you’ll need to satisfy prior to attending your course. We also have some of them listed on our course joining instructions which can be found here
Can i sleep on a boat during my theory course?
We offer free overnight accommodation on most theory courses, subject to availability of a spare yacht. This is on a first come first served basis. This cannot be guaranteed in high season, so please enquire about availability when you book your course. Any free overnight accommodation is offered on a “bed only” basis, unless you are on one of our Combination courses, which are then offered on a “bed and breakfast” basis only.
What’s included on a practical course?
This differs depending on what course you are doing, and we list out what we provide on every course website page under “Course Information”.
As a guide, we typically provide breakfasts (cooked breakfast and cereal, toast etc), lunches, snacks and most evening meals on board. We also provide tea, coffee, hot chocolate, orange/blackcurrant squash and water (from marina taps). You may have to take one evening meal ashore at your own cost. We include for the hire of one of our yachts, plus the services of an RYA qualified professional Instructor, certification fees, course materials (free loan use of our plotters & dividers), all the fuel for the yacht, cooking gas, marina fees and electric at Premier Marinas only. We also include life jacket hire and wet-weather gear hire (Not footwear!).
I can’t get much time off from work. Do you offer courses over weekends?
Yes! We offer a wide variety of both theory and practical courses over split weekends. Some split weekend courses may need you to take a Friday off work. We also have courses which start mid-week and finish on a Sunday. Please check out our live course calendar to find your next course.
I want to do a particular course but i can’t find it on your live course calendar, what can you do for me?
We appreciate that we offer a lot of different courses and sometimes we aren’t able to run all of them through the year through high and low season on dates that are suitable for everyone. If there is something you really want to do, why not contact us and lets see if we can schedule something for you. We want people to go sailing and have fun, so if we can help, we will!
Do you offer corporate sailing days? I’d love to arrange something for my clients or staff?
Yes, we offer complete bespoke sailing experiences in the beautiful, vibrant waters of the Solent. We can tailor an event to your requirements, complete with catering, be it a days sailing including a trip over to iconic Cowes, or a weekend sailing experience or even longer. Why not contact us to see what we can offer you and your customers/staff for an exhilarating experience they won’t forget!
I want a bespoke sailing package to get me from a complete beginner to sailing hero! Can you help me?
Yes we can! We offer our famous Fast-track Yachtmaster™ scheme, which will take you from a raw beginner to your RYA/MCA Yachtmaster™ exam, with a host of courses and training included. We can also tailor these schemes if you’ve already got some RYA qualifications under your belt. Why not contact us to see what we can tailor for you.