How
many students are on the course?
The maximum number of students
the RYA permits for a practical sailing course
is five.
We will run courses with 3 students but only if
a cancellation has just occurred.
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What happens
if the course has to be cancelled?
Although it’s unlikely
the course will be cancelled, if this were to
occur we would endeavour to place you at another
local sailing school, rearrange a new date or
offer you a refund. Cancellation due to dangerous weather is not refundable and you will need to sign up to another course date if places are available. This is very rare.
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What is included
in the course fee?
The yacht is victualled for
the entire course for food, fuel and gas.
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What is not
included in the course fee?
Shore meals, alcoholic beverages,
soft drinks, additional snacks, RYA log book,
oilskins, boots, berthing away from Largs Yacht Haven.
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What
should I bring?
A common mistake usually made
by students, inexperienced in living aboard
a yacht, is to pack too much into too large
a holdall or worse, a suit case. To give you
an idea, ask yourself if you could pack your
complete kit, including sleeping bag and sailing
gear, in the overhead locker of say a 747 aircraft.
If yes, then fine: if not, then you need to
think again. Avoid bulky items such as heavy
woollen clothes. It is a good idea to include
in your toilet bag deodorant, as the shower
on the yacht should only be used in a marina
due to the need to conserve water and on the
course, we need to spend at least one night
at a mooring. A pair of sailing boots and two
pairs of soft shoes are advisable. In spring
or late autumn, thermals are a good idea as
we will do a night sail and it can get chilly.
You will need waterproofs such as a sailing
jacket and trousers. Your sleeping bag should
be rated for 3-4 seasons and bring your own
pillow if necessary. For the inexperienced or
anybody else, seasickness tablets. The rest
is just common sense.
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What else
can I bring?
You can bring your mobile phone
mains charger. Some students bring along their
favourite foods such as cakes or biscuits which
all adds to the fun. Any navigation aids may
be good to try.
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What should I not
bring or do?
Smoking is not allowed anywhere
on board the yacht, even on deck. If you are
a smoker there will be times either in the morning
or evening when you can get off the boat. As
public awareness grows in this area, smoking
could be considered anti-social as even the
smell of smoke on the deck can be objectionable.
Don’t bring your lifejacket or safety
harness as these items are supplied on the course
and are MCA checked to the required standard.
Alcoholic beverages such a wine, beer or whisky
are fine in small quantities but we discourage
liquor such as vodka or gin as this may lead
to other students drinking alcohol with which
they are unfamiliar and becoming ill. It is
illegal for the instructor to go over the limit
in charge of the boat so a ‘booze cruise’
will definitely not happen. Any student found
in possession of illegal substances will be
asked to leave the course.
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Where
do I find you?
We are located in Largs Yacht
Haven (www.yachthavens.com) just south of the
seaside town of Largs. When you arrive, drive
up to the security barrier and press the button
to talk to the receptionist. Explain that you
are a Scotsail client doing a sailing course
on their Training yacht and wish to enter the
car park. Also ask them for the four digit security
code which you will need to access the toilet/shower
block and the pontoon gates. You will locate
Scotsail’s office in the centre square
above the Bosuns Table restaurant if you have
difficulty, contact your instructor and he can
assist.
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What happens if the weather
is bad?
Marine forecasts are generally
very accurate. Scotland has very changeable
weather so its unlikely things would stay unsettled
for long. Our location means that it’s
rare not to be able to sail as we are very sheltered.
We have a policy that if the principal or instructor
is given a forecast 24hrs prior to the course
suggesting severe gales and storms most of the
week we would contact you to re-arrange a new
start date. Make sure we can always phone you
as turning up for a cancelled course would be
disastrous.
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What
time do I arrive?
The five day course you have
booked will officially start on Monday but in
order to allow the crew time to meet one another
and settle in, we encourage you to arrive on
Sunday evening at exactly 6pm, meeting in the
Scotsail office lounge area. A Scotsail representative
will be there to greet you. If you arrive well
before or after 6pm and the office is closed
you will find your training yacht on the Scotsail
Pontoon D7 to D16.
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When do I meet the instructor?
Your instructor will arrive
at the Scotsail office slightly before 6pm and
introduce himself to you and your fellow students.
Normally it’s about 6.30pm before everybody
arrives so it’s best to sort out hired
gear on arrival. You will also leave details
such as your next of kin in case of an emergency.
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When will I go to the training
yacht?
At about 6.45pm the instructor
will take you to the training yacht. There will
be a safety presentation showing you where everything
is and how things work, especially the heads,
and assign you a sleeping and storage area.
Where possible preference will be given to female
students regarding offering a private cabin.
Also tea/coffee/biscuits/cakes/toast are provided
but on the Sunday night if you require an evening
meal, there is a restaurant in the marina complex.
The instructor will want to find out about your
sailing experience and course requirements and
make any suggestions prior to starting the course.
If you have any previous qualifications or log
please bring the RYA G15 book with you so it
can be read. The evening should be used to get
to know your fellow students.
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Why
is there a kitty and do
I need to contribute?
Yes, since the course is considered
also to be a holiday it is expected that the
students will want to socialise with one another.
A kitty to cover costs (not heavy drinking)
and services not included in the course fee
is set up, the cost of which is agreed by the
students on the Sunday evening. The instructor
will not handle the kitty but appoint somebody
else, normally the person doing the most advanced
course to look after this. Provided everybody
agrees then items lost accidentally overboard
or broken by students, such as a hand bearing
compass or winch handles, gets paid for out
of the kitty and not the individual. Major breakages
are covered by insurance.
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What is the food
like.
The food provided is well balanced
and included in the breakfast is fruit juice,
cereal, bacon and eggs, toast, tea or coffee,
a light lunch of soup, filled rolls and fresh
fruit, and a two course dinner and, if required
we cater for vegetarians. Also supplied, are
plenty of snacks that you can help yourself
to.
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What is expected
of me on the course?
A common mistake for students
is to aim for a course without sufficient practical
sailing so the first day will normally be used
to gauge everybody’s experience and ensure
that whatever course is decided, its outcome
should be successful. If the instructor senses
that you have aimed at a level that cannot be
achieved in five days, then the first day’s
private briefing will help sort this out. Please
note that the instructor is also watching for
what makes good sailors or skippers. Tolerance
of others: Your instructor or fellow students
will not tolerate for long things like shouting
orders, constant complaining, and unwillingness
to get along with other students or other behaviours
which do not contribute to the wellbeing of
the yacht or crew. Unless you are doing the
coastal skippers course, we don’t expect
near perfection but we do expect a willingness
to give it a go, listen and learn from others,
and try, try again.
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Where
do we go?
The sailing course route you
undertake varies according to the weather outlook,
direction of the wind and the course requirements.
A typical five day course living onboard the
yacht would set off from Largs yacht haven just
getting to know the boat and depending of what
course you are doing practising simple navigation
with the first night probably spent in the harbour
of say Rothesay. Thereafter we would visit many
places such as the Isle of Arran, East Loch
Tarbert, Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae. Simply
put the choice is endless. You sail over 100
miles and do four night hours.
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When will I be informed
if I have passed?
A common misconception is that
the course is all or nothing. Fortunately the
RYA cruising scheme is broken into subsections
within the course. All subsections must be signed
to be awarded a course completion certificate
and in most cases this will be the outcome within
the five days. Completion may not be possible
in some cases as the instructor may decide that
extra practice is required in certain areas
to fulfil the requirements. Weekend courses
are available to enable completion. You will
not be told officially the final outcome until
the debrief but unless you are taken aside for
a private chat during the week, then its likely
you will be recommended to the principal to
receive a course completion certificate.
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When
will the course finish?
The five day sailing course
will aim to finish at 3pm on Friday. One hour
is then set aside for a total clean of the boat.
You will be debriefed in the Scotsail office
lounge and it is expected to complete this by
5pm. Log books will be signed by the instructor
and course completion certificates will be granted
by the principal at that time. On rare occasions
they will be sent directly to your home address.
You will be invited to complete a feedback form
in confidence to ensure that standards are maintained.
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If I have a suggestion or complaint
what should I do?
Scotsail Yacht Charter and its
training section Scotsail Training, endeavour
to upkeep high standards of sailing tuition,
yacht maintenance, safety and service. Sometimes
you may feel that either the outcome was not
what you expected or there was something else
not quite up to standard or could be improved.
The best process is to get it sorted straight
away, either by speaking to the instructor or
contacting the school’s principal. Formal
complaints should be made in writing to the
school’s principal. If you are still not
satisfied, you should contact the RYA. Their
address can be found in your logbook or at www.rya.org.uk.
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What can I do with my RYA course
completion certificate?
Scotsail Yachts will
charter their yachts to skippers in possession
of a Coastal skipper’s course completion
certificate. These RYA certificates allow you
to work through the training scheme at your
own pace. These certificates can ‘open
doors’ for you as you can find it easier
to crew for owners or yacht racers at local
clubs. Also may want to purchase your own yacht
and with the experience gained find it easier
to select something you can manage.
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