Slow learner

Interesting to know, Sargesail. Well at the end I was quite free and frank with my course appraisal form and today the school sent me an email saying they were sorry to hear it and offered me 2 hours one on one instruction and 3 hours of just sailing. I'm in two minds but I think I will accept as long as I can choose the days and conditions. One comment in the email was that we were sailing " within our normal operating parameters". Hmmm

Thanks to all. Very helpful and supportive. A couple of stiff gins and a night's sleep and I am feeling a bit better, although a little sore from being thrown around the yacht. It is a 10 metre racing yacht set up for training and I guess to be fair on the instructor he did heave to but took a fair while to do so in the strong winds. Will think of trying another school but may have to go north to Auckland for that. But right now I'll stick to the after sailing G&T until the bruises heal. Funny enough, we had a course test and one of the questions was "what  do you need to know before deciding to go out in 30 knot winds" and one of the things is the confidence of the crew... of course today the sea is lovely and calm with a steady gentle breeze, although gales are back tonight. I wanted to be able to sail in the weekends for fun, not to be a round the world sailor battling the Southern Ocean.

Absolutely agree with Jack that is the instructor as an issue and not the sailing/sailor.

so last day of the 4 day course today - one day a week. I don't expect anyone - and you all seem to be blokes - to care much but today pretty well decided me that I wont be a sailor. I have wanted to be so very much and a dream was shattered today. Let me tell you the story of what actually happened. The wind was strong and increasing. The metservice forecast was clear on this. So, mindful of the fact that I have done just 7 days, 3-4 hours each day, all together sailing, there I was in gusts of 45 to 50 knots. Our instructor is a great sailor, no doubt about that, but as a newbie the gusts were, not so much frightening for me as I rather like the intensity of it, but frightening because I don't have the skills to manage these conditions. I was at the helm for a bit and the strength required to keep the helm on course was so extreme that I could only grunt and had to use my feet - because I was holding on with one arm fotr dear life and trying to steer with the other and did not have enough strength. But before this, we did a round of man over board and someone broke the boat hook and the half of it was in the water so we were determined to retrieve it. Some of lay down flat with our arms under the lower life line, and there I was holding on to a stanchion and leaning over to get the boat hook. Then a gust came and it was so strong that I lost my grip and ended up in the water. Thank heaven I had my life jacket on (believe it or not it is not actually required to have them on here in NZ) but we were travelling so fast in the gusts that the water was being forced into my mouth. My nose was stuffed up with whatever and I couldnt breath. I took in a lot fo water, swallowing it. Perhaps surprisingly, I was quite calm, the water was very cold (it is winter here and I reckon the water was 12 deg C) and I had nothing to hold on to. Thankfully an army chap student grabbed hold of me, ordered everyone about and eventually the instructor hove to and the pulled me on board. I was soaked but ok. we went back to the school so I could change and we had lunch. At no point did the instructor ask if I was ok. He didn't give me any words of encouragement. And while I was changing clothes I hear him talking in the room next to me saying that he had never had a man over board in 25 years. So we had lunch and went out again. By this time the winds were even stronger and as I said earlier I was on helm, managing but the force on the boat was so strong that I felt I was pushed to the edge of my strength. It got to a point when it was too much and I was just crying - yes I know a wimp - but possibly a bit of shock from the immersion. I dont think I am a wimp. I have climbed some very high peaks in the world and worked in war zones and am generally quite good at all that blokey stuff. Goodness I can even do maintenance on my car. So there you go. I wanted to learn to sail and enjoy it and all that happened at the end of today was a pathetic looking me in my car bawling my eyes out at the frustration, the anger and the severe kick to my self confidence. As we came in to dock another yacht from the organisation was setting out with an instructor and a student. I may not know much about sailing but I do read the met service reports and things were going to get worse. But out they went and hey, they got into trouble as the winds increased to over 60 knots and when I left the place to come home, that yacht was in serious trouble. Is this how it is in yachting? If so I will never set foot on a yacht again.

Originally posted by Moet Hi Jack Sparrow. I'm in Wellington but it isn't a large country and I can take some time off work to go where there is good instruction.

Hi Moët... Here are a couple of contacts given to me by a very good female yachts woman whos down in NZ...

Good to hear from you... I do know of a couple of instructors here in Auckland. I could do it, but as it's not my full time job, I work out rather expensive... There is Suzanne Bourke of Sailing Away school of Sailing, (www.sailingaway.co.nz) or Mike Lannigan of Gulf Wind (www.gulfwind.co.nz) I would suggest for anything over RYA day skipper that she goes with Gulf Wind. Is it RYA stuff she is doing?...

I know these are Auckland, sorry. Another suggestion would be to contact Yachting New Zealand and see if they can point you in the direction of a female friendly Wellington instructor.