Our next course starts September 18th - Book NOW!

• Courses run in the week and weekend.
• Phone 0800 7245464 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  to enquire
• Beginners and inexperienced
• Four separate lessons over four days.
• Total time 16 hours on the water
• Builds confidence as crew or skipper
• An emphasis on safety and fun.
• Course is over 4 weekends (Weekdays, Saturdays or Sundays)
• Women only courses available

~Total time on the water 16 hours~

Lesson 1 - lets start sailing!

Parts Of The Yacht Learn what all the ropes & blocks do and why they have their strange names. Get familiar with the cabin, cockpit and deck.
Selecting Your Sails Find out how to select your sails for the day, learn how to attach themand hoist them up the mast. We look at the different sails we have for varying strengths of wind
Operating The Yacht Under Sail Once our sails are hanked on. we head out into the middle of the harbour to set the sails. Your skipper will introduce each point of sailing to help you to understand the differences, then it's over to you to have a go!
Safety - At the start of the lesson we show you how to fit and operate your special inflating life jackets, how to use the ship's radio and how and when to use flares. Learn the safe and unsafe areas to sit or stand and understand how far the yacht can heel over and why it would never capsize!

Lesson 2 - engine, radio and more sailing

Under Power Operate the vessel as if it was a motor vessel only. Power the vessel along side the jetty and to a mooring against the tide and wind. We’ll explain how to use the vessel's gauges and controls We'll refresh those sailing points again and sail up the harbour

Marine VHF Radio Operation We encourage students to use the VHF radio and take their radio course (separate 3 hour course, $65.00. Each trip we log a 'trip report' with the local maritime radio command centre

Lesson 3 anchoring, jetties, weather and yes, more sailing

Anchoring We show you how to select the best spot to anchor and how much chain to put overboard. Learn how to retrieve the anchor safely. Bring the yacht to a stop safely to retrieve a mooring without straining your back

Our Weather & Water Understand when it's safe to go boating around Lyttelton and the Banks Peninsula. We shall discuss tides, waves and wind and how to deal with strong winds and choppy waves. Then more sailing practice

Lesson 4 (you don't get wet!)

Practice and safety We shall practice our 'man overboard' drills using the engine and under sail. We use a Dan Buoy (marker) as the MOB. We'll trial a few common methods and discuss the benefits of each. We also discuss emergencies such as grounding, fire & taking on water.
What You Need
We suggest trainers or sailing shoes, they must be comfortable with good grip. Sailing
gloves and sun protection are provided. We also provide Coffee & Tea / Cold drinks
& snacks. We often stop in Diamond Harbour for a ½ hour lunch. We suggest you bring a pack lunch. There is a toilet on board if needed. We keep a camera on board & will email your photos to you at the end of the course

HINT: To familirise yourself with our training yacht and its safety features download our student handout before starting your course

Now go to our Course costs & Intakes page...