Aquasafe blog

Day Skipper theory courses - forthcoming dates

We have four Day Skipper theory courses coming up in the next few weeks; three of them are five day courses, and the third runs over three weekends.   One of the five day courses starts in a few days, next Monday, on the 30th January and we still have one place available on this one - with this little time to go we are also offering a 15% discount on the usual cost of £395 making the cost just £335.

It doesn't matter if you are a pure, clean-wind sailor, or an out-and-out powerboater - the course content is exactly the same regardless of your specific interests, and we make sure that everyones interests are covered properly during the course.

We are really unusual because we keep our classes really small - just four per class to ensure everyone gets great personal attention and plenty of time to ask questions.   This also keeps the classes light and enjoyable, and avoids any of the pressures of larger groups - they are in our experience much more fun to participate in and also much more fun to teach.

Course dates are...
30th January to 3rd February 2012 - 5 days - £395 - £335
18th & 19th February, 17th & 18th March, & 14th & 15th April 2012 - 3 weekends - £450
7th to 11th March 2012 - 5 days - £395
23rd to 27th April 2012 - 5 days - £395

We also have a Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster theory course on the 27th February to 2nd March 2012.

To book any of these or to chat through your options just give us a call or email us...

A stunning evening sunset on our RYA Powerboat Advanced course

We have had a great start to our on-the-water courses with our first RYA Powerboat Level 2 course & then our first RYA Powerboat Advanced course of 2012 one after the other.   The Level 2 started off very cold and crisp on day one, then warmer but foggy on day two.   Fortunately the fog cleared in the afternoon to allow us to leave the safety of the river and get out into the Solent for some high-speed practice and some navigation, and close quarters boat-handling in the fog in the safety of the marina and river worked fine in the meantime.

The two days of the Advanced course were both dry and breezy and the second day saw us chatting to our local marine section of Hampshire Police who were out on their launch and wondered why we were driving round and round at speed in an ever expanding square.   Once they had established we were practising our grid searches looking for some chocolate bars we had dropped over the side in a small canister earlier that afternoon, and once we had established they hadn't already found them and removed them from the water, we both carried on our way.   We found the chocolate bars shortly afterwards -  they had travelled over three miles in just over an hour of neap tides and were much further downtide than the original calculation suggested, which is in my experience almost always the case when doing these searches.

Having devoured our reward we did a little "boxing a buoy" - holding station at each of the four corners of a box around a buoy, whilst enjoying a stunning sunset ahead of us.   Boxing a buoy is another of the more challenging exercises we throw at our Advanced students to really test and perfect their boat handling skills and we had a perfect backdrop for the end of a very successful course.

 

Ice in the marina and a cold start to our first RYA Powerboat Level 2 course of the year

It is a beautiful morning but cold here in Lymington Yacht Haven, and we have ice forming on the water in the quieter corners of the marina, meaning a very bracing introduction to powerboating for the start today of our first RYA Powerboat Level 2 of the New Year.    It will no doubt be short periods afloat then back into the warm for hot chocolate and defrosting before heading back onto the water once more.  

It is not so unusual for the marina to freeze up during really cold snaps such as last year during the ice and snow, when we had boats having to crack through a thin layer of sheet ice in places to get into the river.   As this winter has been so warm until now, I was however surprised to see ice this morning.    The water temperature in the Solent is still a comparatively high 7.7 degrees on the Bramble Bank, but despite being tidal and salty, the Lymington River is still fed by cold, fresh water from the New Forest so is obviously somewhat colder and more brackish than the waters mid-Solent.

I am only sorry it is Philip, and not myself who is teaching the course today and tomorrow - I am having to suffer the perils of sitting in front of a desk with the central heating on and the kettle boiling quietly in the background...

The perfect time of year for a VHF radio or Navigation theory course...

We all start every year with the best intentions, with a list of things we know we should do, or a list of goals that we would like to achieve by the time Christmas comes around again.   For many mariners one thing on the list might be to do the radio course they have been putting off, and finally to get that VHF certificate, or perhaps to learn a little more about the dark art of navigation and gain a better understanding of charts, tides, buoys, rules of the road etc.   The problem is always that once  the water temperature rises and the days get longer, the boat then beckons and the last thing most people want to think about at that point is sitting in a classroom learning about being out on the water when they could be doing it for real.

In my opinion, the winter is undoubtedly the best time to be doing any off-the-water training like this - we run these courses all year but when it is howling a gale outside there is an element of smugness that creeps into the classroom atmosphere.   When the idea of going to sea is untenable it always feels even more of day well spent rather than a missed opportunity to go afloat.

The Short Range Certificate - a.k.a. the VHF marine radio course, lasts just one day with a short test at the end, so is honestly not too onerous.   Some people even tell us afterwards that they have really quite enjoyed it, and there is something very good about suddenly understanding why you will only ever hear half a conversation anyone else is having with a marina, or why people use the terminology they do.   We run radio courses very regularly and all our dates are on the website (click on the course dates link above).

The first of the navigation courses can be done from the comfort of your own home as the Essential Navigation & Safety course is now available from us online.   Of the classroom courses, the steepest learning curve, most useful for many, and when the penny really drops is the Day Skipper theory course.   It is a five day (or three weekend) course, which does seem like a long time to be talking about charts etc, but there is so much to fit in that you won't know where the time has gone, and by the end of it you will be so much more confident about that potential trip to France, the Channel Islands or the West Country.

We have scheduled lots of theory and VHF courses for the next few months, so if you fancy a bit of swatting up over the winter months we would be only too delighted to see you.    For dates, just click on the course dates link at the top of this page, or give us a call to discuss your requirements.

Our next RYA Advanced Powerboat Course is in a couple of weeks time

We are looking forward to the new year and are looking forward to getting straight back out on the water with our winter training schedule all now arranged and published online.   In a couple of weeks time we have our first RYA Powerboat Level 2 course of 2012 as well as our first RYA Advanced Powerboat course of the year.

It is not the warmest time to be on the water, but as Sir Ranulph Fiennes said, there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.   So we will be wrapping up warm, and donning drysuits for the night run on the Advanced course.   In fact one advantage of this time of year is the early evenings, which are just what we want for the Advanced course which includes at least one night run where we look at the intricacies of night navigation and the differences involved in navigation in darkness.

The Advanced course is designed for powerboaters who already have a fair amount of experience and a good standard of theory knowledge - participants' theory should already be to the standard of the RYA Day Skipper Theory course, although they don't have to hold the qualification.   You are also expected to have a VHF certificate, and a current first aid qualification.   The Advanced course is the top of the powerboat training scheme, which starts with the Introductory RYA Powerboat Level 1 & RYA Powerboat Level 2 courses, before gouing on to the Intermediate course, and then finally the Advanced course.   

The course looks at some of the more technical elements, and is more of a coaching course than an out and out training course, where we aim to add to and hone your skills rather than simply teach you for two days although you are guaranteed to be greatly stretched and learn a lot.   We deal with topics such as rough water handling,  helicopter rescue, search patterns, and some more advanced boat handling with some trickier exercises to really test and hone those handling skills.

We still have at least one space on the Advanced course, and if anyone would like to discuss their experience prior to booking do please give us a call.

Does everyone on board your boat know how to send a Mayday?

It is the thing we all hope we never have to do, but a sensible precaution whenever you go out on the water is to ensure that everyone on board the boat knows how to work the radio, and how to call for help in an emergency.   It should form part of your brief to your friends, family or crew every time before you go out on the water, but even then not everyone will remember where the radio is, let alone how to transmit a distress alert and then follow it up with a voice call and message.  

One way around this is to put a message card next to the radio so that everyone including the skipper has an instant reminder to help overcome the panic that inevitably arises in all who find themselves in distress.   It is a simple but vital piece of kit, and once printed and laminated rarely needs updating.   As the procedure for the Mayday voice call has changed slightly, we have produced an updated Distress Procedure Card which is available to download and personalise - Download VHF Radio Procedure card.

Information that is important for the Coastguard and anyone else who is trying to help includes who you are (all of: boat's name, MMSI & Call Sign if possible), where you are, what is wrong, what help you need, how many people are on board, and anything else that is relevant (do you all have lifejackets on etc).    This is all rolled up together, in this specific order, to form the distress call and message, and if it can be transmitted correctly will get help to you much faster than if information is being teased from you piece by piece.

Do also think about your safety brief - is it absolutely correct?   Many VHF radios require the distress button to be pressed twice; once to bring up the distress menu and then pressed a second time for five seconds to transmit the distress alert.   Check the instructions for your radio and ensure that the correct procedure is written down clearly on the procedure card - it may not be enough to say simply 'press and hold the distress button for five seconds' because this may not actually send out your distress alert.

Finally, please don't ever test your distress button!   in doing so you are transmitting a false distress - it is the one part of your radio you have to assume works if all other parts are functioning correctly - false distresses waste time & money, can put lives at risk, and can leave an offender with a hefty fine.   

In order to use a VHF radio, at least one person on board the boat must hold a marine VHF qualification such as the Short Range Certificate.   You are breaking the law if you use a radio without fulfilling this criteria, and the qualification is easily gained by successfully completing a one-day course here or at any other RYA VHF centre.    We also however have a lot of people who come through our VHF courses who already have a VHF certificate but wish to refresh and update their skills, and we can also run private refreshers in our classroom or on board your boat if you would like to ensure you are doing things correctly.    These can be anything from a half-hour update on distress procedures, to a full run through of how your radio and DSC works.  

To discuss any of this, or if you would like more information on any of our courses simply call or email us and we would be delighted to chat things through with you.

 

Short notice VHF radio course...

We have just added in a further VHF course (also known as the Short Range Certificate) at short notice on the 15th December.   I am sure for many of you thoughts will be focused on Christmas rather than marine radio at this time of year, but if anyone is interested we would be delighted to see you.   The cost per person is £100 plus the licence fee (currently £30) and the course runs from 9am to about 5pm.   There are more details on the website, or you can also give me a call or email me if you would like to find out more about what is involved.  

Many people are unaware that this is the one certificate/qualification you have to have as a leisure boater in the UK - it is illegal to use a marine radio without having the short range certificate or a higher equivalent qualification, so if you or any of your friends are lacking this, then do consider joining us next week, or have a look on our website for our new 2012 course dates for VHF and all our other RYA courses.   Legality aside, it is a really useful course and one you will be glad to have done if ever you need to do that Mayday call...

2012 RYA powerboat course dates now online

We have just updated the diary for next year and put lots of new RYA course dates online - to find all our dates just click on the course dates link above (or click here).   We have tried to schedule a pretty comprehensive range of dates for everything from powerboat courses to 2012 RYA theory course dates and VHF course dates, but I guarantee that no matter how many courses we pre-schedule, we will add more over the course of 2012 to fit in with additional requests.   Consequently if you would like to join us for a course at any stage but don't see dates here that suit you do let us know and we will see if we can add your preferred dates in - we always try to accommodate everyone wherever possible.

Some courses, such as our mileage builders, we now schedule almost entirely to order.   We need two people to run them, but this means where ever possible we will run them whenever you like.   Just call (01590 678809) or email us with your requirements and we will will tailor something for you.

Vouchers as Christmas presents

Is it possible that you have just stumbled upon the perfect Christmas present...?   

We get a great many requests for Aquasafe course vouchers at this time of the year as gifts, and what works really well is that they can be for a specific course (in which case no money value needs to appear on the certificate) or can be for the value of, or part of the value of a course, so are extremely flexible.   We can do vouchers for as little as £10, and the range of courses we offer start with our one-day theory courses such as Radar or RYA first aid (£100), and VHF (£130), and go from there to our Powerboat and Motorboat courses which range from £195 to £3500 with plenty of choices in-between, including our most popular course - the RYA Powerboat Level 2 course at £325. 

We can do vouchers for any value from £10 upwards, and vouchers are individually printed and come in a gift card with photos by top local marine photographer Mark Lloyd of Lloyd images.   They are sent out in plain envelopes for you to complete and send on or hand over in person on the day.   Vouchers are valid for a year and we will shortly be publishing a pretty comprehensive list of 2012 dates for all our courses.   We will sadly be putting our prices up slightly in the New Year to accommodate the rise in fuel costs, but any courses booked or paid for before then will benefit from our 2011 prices.

For more information or to discuss your options do give us a call on 01590 678809.

Cowes Week 2011 thrills and spills

I haven't heard why this XOD was moored here liked this, but it  was one of a few casualties from what was by all accounts a good and successful if at times exciting Cowes Week 2011.

Many people have heard about the yacht / tanker incident - no prizes for guessing which vessel won and fortunately (& amazingly) no fatalities.   I havent heard the official outcome, but on the basis that the tanker had an automatic exclusion zone 1km ahead of it & 100 metres either side, it strikes me that the yacht was somewhere it probably shouldn't have been...

 

The Extreme 40s had some great sailing - we are lucky to have one of the safety crew as an instructor here and he tells me the racing was as exciting and eventful as ever!

 

Mileage builders - total fexibility in their new format...

 
We have recently had a spate of requests for bespoke mileage builders which have all worked extremely well, culminating in a very successful trip for a couple around The Island last Monday. This new format seems to work very well because it gives participants the option of chosing where they would like to go, what they would like to do, and what pace and intensity they would like to learn at. In the past all our runs have been scheduled and specified by us, so this is a new way of running them which seems to be proving very popular.

We find Mileage Builders work really well as a follow on from an RYA Powerboat Level 2 course because they allow you to extend both your knowledge and experience, travel further afield by rib, and experience new & more challenging conditions whilst in the company of an instructor for coaching (& obviously peace of mind/safety).   Running them in this format we can cater for one to three people per boat (we have even done a couple for a family of four but they are probably better in small groups so that everyone gets plenty of time at the helm).

We will still continue to run scheduled mileage builders, and our next planned run is a day & night trip on Saturday 1st October involving a run east towards Portsmouth in daylight, & a run back to Lymington from there after dark - these are fantastic as an introduction to night navigation and night pilotage, particularly if you have never been out on the water after dark.    With the nights drawing in now (sorry), this is a good time to start thinking about night runs and RYA Powerboat Advanced courses, and we are drawing up an autumn schedule for these and will be putting more dates on our website shortly.   For our scheduled runs we put two people in each boat with an instructor, meaning you are helming or navigating all the time and the cost is £290 per person.

If however you are keen to get out on the water on other dates and would like to put together your own bespoke mileage builder then give me a call or email me.   the cost is the same as for one of our scheduled runs - £580 per boat, and you can choose whether to hog the time to yourself or split the cost between two or three of you.   We can run them at any time - day or night, midweek or at weekends - just let us know when you would like to go out and we will try to accommodate you.

RYA Motor Cruising Practical Day Skipper Power - September date

 
We have an RYA Day Skipper Practical Power course coming up over the Weekend-Monday-Tuesday of the 10th to the 13th September on our Sealine F42/5 twin engine motor cruiser.    The course runs over four days and is a great step on from the RYA Powerboat Level 2 course for anyone with some experience wishing to look at conversion from single to twin engine boat handling.

The course is run entirely on the boat, and we aim to cover somewhere in excess of 100 miles over the four days, starting & finishing in Lymington each day.   We also do a night run one evening (probably the Sunday night) to look at night navigation and the issues surrounding being out on the water after dark.   In addition to this we cover a wide range of topics, both in theory & in practice & this course provides a really good grounding, aiming to make people confident in their ability to handle a large motor cruiser by day in familiar waters.

The cost is £995 per person - this includes food whilst on board each day,fuel, mooring costs, VAT etc, but does not include accommodation (we do not stay on board but can happily suggest places to stay locally if required).   We have one, or possibly two spaces still available and are definitely running the course - if you would like more information give me a call or email me - adam@aquasafepowerboatschool.co.uk

Powerboat Mileage Builder on Sunday 24th July - Solent Pilotage

 
We have one of our Solent Pilotage Mileage Builder days coming up in a week's time, on Sunday 24th July. We currently have two boats out, with one space still available on the second boat, and there may also be the possibility of adding a further boat or boats if there is the demand.

The format is the same as usual - two people per rib, with an instructor on board to keep them out of trouble. We meet at about 9am to discuss and plan the day, before heading off around the Solent to look at much of the local pilotage. With a stop for lunch ashore somewhere, we aim to cover much of the Solent from Hurst Castle to Portsmouth including a run out to The Needles if time and weather allow.

These days seem to work really well on a host of levels - they are a great way of exploring The Solent if you don't know it well and maybe plan to charter in the future, They are also a great way of getting more experience with the comfort of an instructor on board, and are also really useful for improving navigation knowledge & understanding. On top of this they are great fun and everyone comes back tired but with a smile on their face.

The cost is £290 per person, & space will go on a first come basis, so if you would like to join us on next Sunday please let me know as soon as possible. Hopefully we will have better weather than this weekend, but actually some of our best runs have been in more challenging conditions where we have needed to look at issues such as rough water handling as well as navigation in less than perfect visibility...

Own boat tuition

We have been running lots of own-boat tuition so far this year, on many different types of boats from large, brand new luxury motor yachts to small fishing boats, and on a wide range of ribs and powerboats.

Whether you are starting from scratch with no previous experience, or already have a few seasons experience but would like some help with a particular handling issue, own-boat tuition makes perfect sense.

Many owners are also pleasantly surprised to discover that they can do any of the RYA courses on their own boat rather than having to join one of our scheduled courses - it is ideal not only because you are learning all the handling characteristics of your own boat, you also get to control your group size for the course, and it is also a much cheaper way of learning as you are not paying to charter one of our boats for your training.

Some clients call us way before they even think of buying a boat, & we can then advise them on what to look for in a boat for their particular requirements, but equally we get lots of calls from those who find themselves sitting at the wheel of their new acquisition, tied up alongside, with not much idea of what to do next but lots of enthusiasm to learn how to use her as soon as possible. Either approach is fine, & whilst the diary gets quite full at times we will always try to accommodate last minute bookings wherever possible.

We provide motor boat and powerboat training by the hour or by the day, so if you would like some, or even lots of help, give us a call and take some of the stress out of your boating - it is amazing how much easier it can all be once you have been shown how...

RYA Powerboat Instructors Course

 
We have a late availability space on our RYA Powerboat Instructors Course next week, running from the 7th June to the 10th June 2011.   The instructors course is (as it sounds) designed for anyone looking to qualify to teach powerboating to RYA powerboat Level 1 & Level 2 standard.    It is recommended that anyone doing the course has a minimum of five years experience, and the first day involves pre-course assessments to ensure that candidates skills and knowledge are up to the high standard required.

The cost of the course is normally £550, but as this is a last minute space because of a withdrawal we are offering it for £450 - a discount of more than 20%.   There is only one space available on a first come first served basis.   

RYA Helmsman's course - dates on Oceanique

 
We have an RYA Helmsmans course running in a few weeks time, on the 13th & 14th July.    The Helmsmans course is a two-day introduction to motor cruising which concentrates on how to drive and moor a large twin engine motor boat.    No previous experience is required and for many people this is their first foray into large boat handling.   We teach all our motor cruising courses on Oceanique, a Sealine F42/5. she is big and fast, but also extrememly comfortable and a great boat to learn on.   She has twin inboard diesels and her props are shaft driven - she is amazingly maoeuvrable and in my opinion, once you are familiar with the concept of having two separate engines which are independently controlled, she is easier to handle than a single engine boat half her size.

One analogy for twin engine boat handling is like driving a tank with twin tracks - you can independently control each engine and can use one or both to steer the boat; you can even put one into forward gear and one into reverse and she will spin on a pinhead.   The only additional complication is that the tank is on an ice rink, so slips and slides a little!    It does take a little time to understand the basics, however this course is a great way to learn all the tips and tricks to look the expert when doing all the trickiest manoeuvres.   The cost of the Helmsmans course is £500 per person.

We also have an RYA Day Skipper power course running on the previous four days (9th - 12th July).  Suitable for anyone with some boat handling and navigation experience we go thtough everything to get students to the standard of being able to run daytime passages.  There is also a night run which is a good introduction to night-time navigation, and the intricacies of interpreting buoyage lighting & lighthouses, as well as ships' lights.   The cost of the RYA Motor Cruising Day Skipper course is £995 per person.

For more information on either course just call or email me - it would be a pleasure to see you.

Ladies only RYA Powerboat Level 1 course

 
I have just spent two very enjoyable days on a large Scorpion rib teaching an all-girl RYA Powerboat Level 2 course.  We don't often get asked to run ladies-only course but we have just scheduled an RYA powerboat Level 1 course for Wednesday 22nd June and in response to this thought we would designate it as an all girl course to see whether this was something that we should be offering more of.  

The RYA Powerboat Level 1 course is designed as an introduction to powerboating and we spend the day on one of our 7.8 metre Ribcraft getting familiar with all the basics from how to moor alongside, to how to get back to a man-over-board, as well as a whole host of other manoeuvres.   I guess we are aiming this perhaps at any ever-patient wives and partners who don't usually drive the boat but would like to be able to do so if they ever needed to in an emergency, & maybe even take the boat out on their own with the children or a friend or two if ever the mood takes them.   

The course lasts just one day, and we start at 9am at our classroom in Lymington Yacht Haven, & aim to finish about 5pm.   There are just three spaces on the course initially, so let us know as soon as possible if this is of interest (if we fill up we will look either at extra dates or possibly at a second boat & instructor).   The cost of the course is £200 per person, & includes everything except for food.   We will make sure we stop somewhere for lunch (Yarmouth maybe or perhaps back in Lymington) & will make sure it is a fun and enjoyable day.   Don Roper will be teaching the course; he is obviously not a girl but is great fun and has a really good relaxed teaching style, and participants are sure to have a good time. 

Mileage builders - finally we have put some dates in the diary!

 
With many apologies to all of you who have been asking, finally we have got round to putting some Mileage Builder dates in the diary.   As our most popular run is the day of Solent Pilotage we have scheduled in one of these each month, usually on one or other day of the last weekend each month.   We have then added in a few others including a couple of night runs, a trip exploring Poole & Christchurch harbours (a new one for us), a 'round-the-Island day & night run' (round the back of the Isle if Wight in daylight & back through the Solent after dark), & we are also looking at another run to Weymouth & back in a day.  

The cost of the runs is £290 per person, & we run them with two students per boat (so you are helming or navigating all day with no down-time).   Every boat also has an instructor in the back just to keep you on the straight and narrow & answer any questions you may have.   You don't have to have trained with us to do these, but we do ask that all participants have a level 2 qualification as a minimum.   The boats are the same ribs we use for all our training courses - 7.8 metre Ribcraft with big 225hp or 250hp outboards - big fast boats and great teaching platforms as well as great sea-boats.

If however anyone would like to do any of these mileage builders on their own boat that is no problem - all we ask is that your boat is capable of maintaining a steady 22 knots.   We don't usually aim to run in flotilla but when we have several boats out together we do try to reach the same points at about the same time in case anyone runs into difficulties.

Mileage builder dates are all online here, but if anyone would like to discuss options, would like to suggest other places to go, or would like us to schedule other dates in then do please let me know...

How to put a boat onto a beach safely

 
  
The last month, and in particular the last couple of weeks, we like everyone else have obviously enjoyed amazing early-season weather.    The Lymington River over the Easter weekend was extremely busy but we still managed to find some space to run several courses including lots of own-boat tuition and back-to-back RYA Powerboat Level 2 courses which were fully booked.

By comparison, although the school was very busy for the entire Easter holidays, and we were out on the water in some form or another most days, many people were caught out by the good weather and found themselves stranded on the hard-standing with boats undergoing pre-season antifouling, polishing etc, which meant that The Solent was relatively deserted.   We had some friends who came to see us so took full advantage of the calm conditions & lovely weather to have our first beach picnic of the year on a pretty deserted Hurst Spit.   Conditions were so good, with an Easterly breeze and rising tide, that we didnt even need to put out a stern anchor to hold the boat off the beach, we just put a rond anchor into the shingle, tied the bow line to this, & she sat very happily just off the beach.

The first trick is to make sure that the beach you are going onto is steep-sided so that you don't have a long wade to the shore, and so that the boat is both always afloat and less likely to end up stranded if the tide is dropping.    The second thing we would normally do is put out an anchor over the stern at about 70 degrees to the beach to help hold the boat off whilst ashore and also give us a means to pull the boat away from the beach on departure without having to start the engine & risk damaging the prop in shallow water (having the anchor at an angle to the beach can also help to control the distance the boat sits off the beach if there is any cross tide).   The third thing to aim for in selecting your spot is an offshore breeze and no surf - you don't want the boat to be blown onto the beach or worse still to be lifted and dropped onto the shingle repeatedly - funnily enough not very good for your hull.

Get it wrong and there is always the possibility of the tide disappearing, the boat being high and dry, and a long wait (up to 12 hours) for the tide to return to refloat you, or the even worse scenario of a damaged or wrecked boat caused by onshore winds and swell.   Get it right however and you have the opportunity to get to places off the beaten track (even in The Solent) and enjoy the best picnics and barbecues.   It is all in the planning, but the rewards are obvious.   For more information give us a call  - we might even divulge a couple of our favourite picnic spots...

 

One week only - 15% discount on Imray charts to coincide with the publication of Imray's new C15 chart of the Solent

 
One of the problems with any chart, either paper or electronic, is that it becomes quite out of date quite quickly.    It is not as though the land masses usually move much or the main channels change dramatically (although both do happen), so why is it necessary therefore to update charts regularly?

The first reason is that surveys do highlight natural topographical changes such as new sandbanks, harbour channel movements, and any areas of scouring or silting.     The other more regular changes are man made and include dredged channels, moved or changed buoys and lights, and as in the case of the Lymington River, revised bouyage and a new breakwater.    All changes are passed on to the chart publishers who update their chart records and publish changes in the form of chart updates.   Chart owners are then expected to update their old charts by hand in a magenta pen and make a note of any changes at the bottom of the chart.

In the case of the Lymington River with all its recent changes, any old chart is either therefore inaccurate, or covered in magenta pen and therefore hard to read accurately, so every so often charts are reprinted, and my favourite chart for this area, Imray's chart C15 of The Solent, has just undergone it's latest facelift with a new edition just out.  

We are consequently about to put in an order to update all the school charts to the latest editions to coincide with this, so if anyone would like to order any Imray charts, or other Imray publications such as the excellent Shell Channel Pilot then please let me know in the next week or so as we aim to put in an order on the 4th or 5th May.   We don't normally stock charts or pilot books but are offering a 15% discount on any Imray items ordered by the 4th May.    Give us a call or email us for more details.

Where has the winter gone?

 
I don't mean that question in any way to sound as though I am bemoaning the passing of Winter and the advent of Spring & Summer - merely that the past few weeks have flown by, and hence the lack of news on here, the paucity of scheduled dates and the lack of other communication - we are even getting complaints that we havent sent out a newsletter in ages so we will be addressing that shortly too.

Despite the apparent quiet there has been lots going on and our traditional winter down-time has not been as peaceful as I might have liked - I can usually rely on the winter to give me quite a few desk days to improve my appalling paperwork skills, but this year there have been fewer than I really need so I am trying to spend a little more time at a desk and less time on the water.

We are doing lots of own boat tuition at the moment which would suggest that boat sales, both new and second hand, are holding up well.   We have also run lots of RYA Powerboat Level 2 courses as usual, and have done several RYA intermediate Powerboat and RYA Advanced Powerboat courses since Christmas.   The Advanced courses have included several potential commercial skippers looking to go on and take the RYA/MCA Advanced Powerboat exam, and we have enjoyed sevral cold & dark nights on the water doing different night exercises as a result both as part of courses and as one-off bespoke runs.

From here on it looks to be more of the same, but everything feels busier again than last year which is amazing as last year was our busiest ever.   If you fancy joining us for any of our Powerboat, motor cruising, or theory courses, or a rust-clearing pre season run out on your or our boats do please call or email us - we are always delighted to hear from you.  If you call and get a voicemail it will be because we are on the water so leave a message & we will get back to you the same day/evening.

RYA First Aid course - short notice date on the 17th April 2011

We have another RYA 1st aid course coming up in a few weeks, scheduled at short notice.   It is an extremely useful course both on or off the water and if ever you are confronted with the need to provide emergency first aid a course such as this could prove to be a lifesaver.

The cost is £98 per person and we run the courses with a maximum of six people to give everyone plenty of time for questions and practice.   The course covers everything from CPR to bandaging with a whole load of other things in between including all the marine aspects such as drowning, near drowning, hypothermia & much more besides.

The next course is on Sunday 17th April & we have a few spaces left - give us a call or email us for more information.

Rough-water boat-handling

 

We have had a fun day, taking advantage of the tail end of this storm to go out and do some rough water boat handling tuition today.   The wind tailed off just as the tide turned but the sea out by The Needles was still good and high - the video clip shows us on the way out in an 8.4 metre Redbay rib.

Rough water is something that we all hope we don't get caught out in, but it is good to know how to deal with it safely just in case you are ever wrong-footed.   It is part of the syllabus of the RYA Advanced Powerboat  Course and we quite often also run bespoke powerboat courses and training for anyone with some experience who is interested in acquiring rough weather skills.   We don't ever encourage anyone to go out looking for trouble, but if ever you do find yourself out in deteriorating conditions, having an understanding of what to do, what not to do, and how to get into a safe haven as quickly as possible can help to keep you and your crew safe.

If you would like to find out more about any of our Powerboat courses, Motor boat training, or any of the related theory courses we run do call or email us.

Short notice RYA First Aid course

 
We have scheduled a 1st aid course at short notice for next Friday (21st January).   Cost is £98 but if anyone is after a space at short notice give me a call - we might even be able to give you a discount!    The RYA 1st aid course (or an equivalent) is needed by all commercial skippers & all instructors, & is also a pre-course entry requirement for many of the higher level RYA practical courses such as the Advanced powerboat course.   That aside, it is also a hugely useful practical course, and is as equally relevant on land as it is on the water.   If ever you are confronted by an emergenccy situation where you have to perform any sort of first aid from CPR to applying a bandage, this is one course you will be hugely glad you have done.

We should also shortly be able to offer First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work courses in addition to our RYA 1st aid courses - watch this space or give us a call for more details.

The International Certificate of Competence - how to get qualified to boat abroad

 

We are unusual amongst our European counterparts in being one of the few countries that does not have a driving licence for boat users, or any form of mandatory boat driving test.   The RYA has always believed in education rather than legislation, and this is borne out by the UK's marine safety record which is one of the best in Europe.    Some people are surprised that we have no requirement for qualifications - anyone, even someone with no boating experience, can go out, buy and use a 20+ metre luxury motor or sailing boat with no training or qualifications at all (the only thing they cannot do is use the VHF radio on board because radio users have to hold the Short Range (VHF marine radio) Certificate of Competence).   Fortunately it is rare for someone to spend lots of money on a boat without seeking help or training in both boat handling and navigation, and the RYA believes the lack of legislation actually encourages most owners and users to become trained to a level above that of any minimum standard that would be set as part of a competence test and licence.

This does however present UK boaters with a problem when they take, or hire a boat overseas, particularly in Europe, and this has seen the creation of the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) for boat owners.   It is not an international boat driving licence, but instead is a certificate from one country to another that the holder has been tested or trained to a standard that is the equivalent or higher of the visited country's boat test.    This sounds simple enough until you look closer and discover that not all countries have formally signed up to the process, however the reality is (unusually) somewhat simpler than the small print, and a UK-issued ICC currently appears to be accepted by all European countries as an acceptable form of proof of competence on a UK flagged vessel.

To be eligible for a UK ICC you have to be over 16 and a UK resident or a UK citizen.   The process then involves successfuly completing either a Day Skipper practical course (appropriate to the type of boat you intend to use) for an ICC up to 24 metres, or a Powerboat Level 2 course for an ICC up to 10 metres.   The alternative to a course for those with plenty of experience is to do an ICC test which can be conducted at any relevant RYA training centre.   The test takes a few hours and tests both practical skills and theory knowledge.   The syllabus for the test can be found on our website, and there is lots more information on the RYA website, but if you are interested in obtaining an ICC please feel to give us a call to discuss your experience and requirements on 01590 678809.

 

The number of UK Coastguard Stations is due to be cut

 

The Government has announced it plans to cut the number of Coastguard centres by over half, leaving only three centres manned 24/7.   There will now be a 14 week consultation period to look at the proposals.    The Coastguard already does an amazing job, and whilst what apparently is the first big review for 40 years might result in improvements, the concern is that it may have the opposite effect.   You only have to listen to VHF channel 16 on a warm summer's weekend in the Solent to know just how busy Solent Coastguard get.   It is too early to know how the changes will work, and to what extent the service will be pared down, but we await the outcome of the consultation period with a great deal of interest.

 The full article is on the BBC Website.

Fish Fight and the EU Common Fisheries Policy on discarding bye-catch

We are not remotely political, but Fish Fight, the new campaign from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall to combat the problem of discarded bye-catch does strike a chord on the harmonica of common sense...

We all love the marine environment we live, work, & play in, and are immensely keen to see it protected and managed properly.   If Hugh's campaign can help encourage the pursuit of a better way to manage quotas and bye-catch within the CFP then it definitely has our support.   

Here is the video, and there is more information on the Fish Fight website...

 

RYA Day Skipper Theory course dates for 2011

 
We have four new sets of dates in early 2011 for RYA Day Skipper Theory courses, which we run from our classroom in Lymington Yacht Haven.

Option A is five straight days from the 31st January to the 4th February inclusive (Monday to Friday).  

Option B is over three staggered weekends starting on the 15th & 16th January, then the 5th & 6th February, finishing on the 12th & 13th March.

Option C is five straight days from the 23rd to the 27th February (Wednesday to Saturday).

Option D is slightly later, at the end of March, but is again 5 straight days including a weekend from the 26th to the 30th March inclusive.

The cost is £385 per person, & we run them in a very relaxed form with really small class sizes (max 4 per class) so that everyone has lots of room to work and there is plenty of time for questions, discussion etc.

We tend to run these over the winter when days are shorter and the water is cold & less appealing - it is a great course and teaches all the base points of navigation from how to read and interpret a chart, to understanding tides, via rules of the road, buoyage, electronic (gps) navigation & loads more besides.   Really valuable & great fun - for more details give me a call or email me.    Option C is filling up already but there are currently still places on all dates...

Aquasafe Powerboat School Gift Vouchers - the ideal Christmas present...

 
If you are stuck for Christmas gift ideas but were not too inspired by our previous Christmas gift suggestions of Man-overboard heads or Gul drybags for sale, then how about one of our Aquasafe Powerboat School Gift Vouchers?   We can provide vouchers to any monetary value - the value is displayed on the voucher and can be redeemed towards any of our courses with any shortfall being made up by the recipient.   As an alternative we can provide vouchers for a specific course with no value displayed on the voucher - theses are obviously redeemable against that specific course, or they can also be exchanged for a course or training of an equivalent value or put towards anything of higher value, so if you buy the wrong course by mistake it can still be used towards any of our other training.

All our vouchers are valid for at least a year so there is plenty of time for even the most relaxed recipient to use them, and with a wide range of scheduled courses on offer from RYA powerboat to VHF & theory courses to RYA motor cruising courses and all our one-to-one /bespoke training we are sure there will be something to get them interested.   

Vouchers come in a gift card so there is nothing to add except a personal message and a signature...   Buying them is simple - give us a call on 01590 678809 & discuss your requirements with us; we can answer any questions you have at the same time, we can take a card payment over the phone and can usually have a voucher in the post to you the same day.   Doesn't that make Christmas shopping sound easy?

RYA Powerboat Advanced course - date in November 2010

 
We have an RYA Powerboat Advanced course scheduled for a few weeks time, on the 15th & 16th November 2010.   This is one of my favourite courses, as it is a real stretch for many people, bringing together so many different elements; everything from precision boat handling to high speed navigation in the dark.   The aim of the Advanced course is to teach boat handling, seamanship, pilotage & navigation up to the standards required to drive a planing powerboat safely by day & night in tidal waters with which the candidate may (or may not) be familiar.   We also cover quite a lot of technical stuff on the course such as grid search patterns, helicopter rescue, & both traditional & electronic navigation & pilotage.

The course runs over two days, and includes a night exercise on the first evening making day-one a long but enjoyable day.   It is the highest of the powerboat courses (Level 1, Level 2, Intermediate, & Advanced), and whilst it is possible to commercially endorse a Level 2 certificate for commercial work, most prospective commercial powerboat skippers go straight on from the Advanced course to do the RYA/MCA Advanced Powerboat exam, which is separate to the course but a requirement for commercial powerboat skippers looking to work more than 3 miles from a nominated departure point.

Dont be put off by the commercial angle to the course - we get as many leisure users doing it as commercial ones, & it is a great course for broadening your skills and knowledge...