Learn to Sail

This course is ideal if you have done little or no sailing before. You will become a useful crew member and an asset to anyone you go sailing with. Sleeping and eating on board (apart from perhaps the odd evening meal out in a pub or restaurant if you choose!) you will learn lots about sailing, life on board and how fun it is. You will stay at a different marina or anchorage or harbour each night.

Minimum Pre Course Experience: None required.

Ability after the Course: You will be a useful crew member!

Course Content: Basic seamanship and helmsmanship.

The course is five days and can be taken over 5 consecutive days or over 2 weekends (a short and a long).

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The Boat

Golden Vanity is a Mumble Bee class of Brixham Sailing Trawler.

She was built in 1908 and is 39ft on deck and 53ft when you count her bowsprit.

She has a traditional gaff rig, meaning the main sail has four sides to it. She also has 3 sails in front of the mast and a topsail. So 5 sails to play with!

The boat is made out of oak frames and Oregon pine planks. To stop water coming in a loosely twisted cotton like material called oakum is jammed tightly in between the planks and then sealed over with a putty.

The mast is made of douglas fir and is hollow.

Accommodation

In the front part of the boat there is a lovely whale back shaped hatch that leads down some steps into an area where there are 6 cosy bunks. Stepping back from here you come into the saloon where there is a galley, a table and another comfy bunk. Back further past a solid golden oak beam is the chart table and two bunks one each side. Then up some steps and you are in the cockpit standing next to the tiller.

There is also a spacious heads up forward next to where the solid (actually it is hollow) Douglas fir mast comes down through the deck.

There is hot water and heating for the cooler months of the year.

Each bunk has a reading light. There are plenty of USB charging points dotted around and when you go into a marina there is a socket on board that provides normal 230V mains power.

You will be sharing spaces with other people. Golden Vanity has 8 bunks (plus skipper and mate's bunk) however on an RYA course there will not be more than 5 doing the course.

The only thing not included in the price are mooring fees. It depends on where you end up each night but they are usually about £40 per person for 5 days.

Food

Except for supper on the evening you join the boat, we cater on board for all meals. We provide food that is healthy and nutritious, including salads, vegetables, white and wholemeal bread, chicken, lean minced beef, salmon, museli, cereal and yoghurt. In fact, just the kind of food that you might buy yourself. For snacks there is plenty of fruit, but also a supply of chocolate and biscuits.

If you have any special dietary requirements, be it vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten free, or allergies, we can normally accommodate these. Just let us know when you fill out your booking form.

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Where will you sail?

You will sail mainly in the Solent. You may go out of the Solent as far as Poole to the West and Chichester to the East but there are plenty of places to visit within the Solent without going to the same place twice in a week.

The Solent is a great place to learn to sail and get qualified. There are numerous harbours, bays, creeks, rivers, marinas and anchorages making it ideal to practice a whole range of yachting skills. Because of the large volume of other boats and busy shipping activity, the Solent is always fun and interesting.

The Isle of Wight provides some protection from the worst of the Channel weather, meaning the sea within the Solent can stay relatively flat compared with conditions in the open sea. But at the same time the tides in the Solent provide Day Skipper students with an excellent challenge to their seamanship and navigational skills.

Location and Start and Finish times

Golden Vanity is based in Shamrock Quay Marina, Southampton. Getting to Shamrock Quay is very easy. Shamrock Quay is about an 8 minute taxi ride from Southampton Central Station, or 15 minutes from Southampton Airport if you’re flying in. If you are arriving by car you can park in Shamrock Quay Marina, with 24/7 security.

Occasionally a course may start at somewhere other than Shamrock Quay. It may be very close to Shamrock Quay or in Hamble. We will give you plenty of notice when this is the case.

Timings

We find it is better if you arrive the evening before your course starts. This way you can settle in and start getting to know the boat, the skipper and your crew mates before the course really gets under way. If this is not possible then you need to be at the boat by 8.00am on the first day of the Sailing Course.

You can expect to get away by 3/3.30pm on the final day of your course. If you are catching a train we recommend you do not book a ticket in advance as we can’t guarantee you will get away at 3pm on the dot. It may be a bit earlier it may be a bit later.

Price

The price varies depending on whether weekends are involved or not.

Included is all food on board, use of oilskins if required, all fuel/gas, and all safety equipment.

Watch renowed sailor and author Tom Cunliffe sailing on Golden Vanity