Experience?

   Good Evening all,

This is probably going to come across as a strange question but here goes...

I am in the process of organising my honeymoon and have been looking into chartering a yacht and going to the bahamas through a company called Sunsail. They state the experience I need to do this is minimum of 100 miles or 5 days as skipper on equivalent yacht. 

Ideally I would work towards a Day Skipper qualification but due to time and money constraints I don't know if this is possible as I would have to have 100 miles, 5 days and 4 night hours experience on board a yacht.

So I pose the question... is there anyway I can gain this experience quickly and cheaply so i can go on the dream holiday (in Feb!!)?

Thank you very much for your time and apologies for a stupid question!

Dave

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Spenge Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 06 Oct 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1	Post Options Post Reply Quote Spenge Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Experience? Posted: 06 Oct 08 at 11:09pm
	Good Evening all, This is probably going to come across as a strange question but here goes... I am in the process of organising my honeymoon and have been looking into chartering a yacht and going to the bahamas through a company called Sunsail. They state the experience I need to do this is minimum of 100 miles or 5 days as skipper on equivalent yacht. Ideally I would work towards a Day Skipper qualification but due to time and money constraints I don't know if this is possible as I would have to have 100 miles, 5 days and 4 night hours experience on board a yacht. So I pose the question... is there anyway I can gain this experience quickly and cheaply so i can go on the dream holiday (in Feb!!)? Thank you very much for your time and apologies for a stupid question! Dave

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6660	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 6:07am
	Are you really sure the two of you will be good with what will doubtless include high stress situations from time to time working together on the boat? If neither of you is especially experienced and you get some bad moments it could very easily transform into the honeymoon from hell... I've seen some really comprehensive couple rows that have involved scratched topsides or whatever... And don't forget the lady needs to be as comfortable in a boat as you are if this is going to work - pretty much the same standard sailor as you really if you are going to be two handed on the boat - and if she isn't at that level or close to it now then she's going not going to be there in February with all the other distractions of organising weddings. If it were earlier in the year I'd suggest a trip on say the Norfolk Broads together with a boat from somewhere like http://www.norfolk-broads.com/contact.php to see if you get on cruising together, but the season is pretty much over now... My gut feeling is that you're running too late. Better to organise a dream holiday for a couple of year's time. Edited by JimC

G.R.F. Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 10 Aug 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 4028	Post Options Post Reply Quote G.R.F. Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 8:54am
	It's the best time of the year on the broads right now, Autumnal colours etc have spent many an Autumn break there, good idea JC.

radixon Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 27 Oct 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2407	Post Options Post Reply Quote radixon Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 9:09am
	I did my Day Skipper course in the Summer (If you call it that). I started sailing yacht sailing at 16, with a friend, went out on say 4 trips, the most was a 7 day trip locally doing some night hours etc. I managed to build up the hours then. I then moved on to Dinghy Sailing gaining loads of time on the water. I did my Day Skipper Theory over 20 weeks (2 hour sessions) last winter. I then went on to do the course in August. I found the theory hard to master because I hadn't done a lot of costal pilotage but knew a little bit from what I had done. The sailing and rigging etc I was fine with, could tack/gybe etc. One of the things you will have to do is Man Over Board, Moorings, and Marina movements, OK this can be taught but if you haven't done it before can take a lot of practise. What would I advise - Forget the Yacht Charter, either choose to do a Dinghy Holiday where you can get off the boat after an hour or forget the sailing part entirely and have 2 weeks sitting on a beach. After all, you are on honeymoon!

ASok Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 26 Sep 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 739	Post Options Post Reply Quote ASok Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 9:22am
	Sounds like an easier idea above - book yourself into a nice Carribean hotel with dinghy facilities. You get to keep the missus happy with a nice hotel, good food, great beach etc. and you get to play with the toys - sounds perfect! Yachting can be stressful short handed (i.e. 2 people) especially if one or both of you have limited experienece. I'm guessing that having a skipper on board may not go down too well with your other honeymoon plans If you have the time I would look to get the Day Skipper course done, but also Coastal Skipper will give you the extra navigation that the day skipper may lack - can't remember the course content now though. After that a few days away assisting with a boat delivery or similar could get some sea miles under your belt.

craiggo Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 01 Apr 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1810	Post Options Post Reply Quote craiggo Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 10:17am
	Hi Spenge, My wife and I, honeymooned on a Sunsail flotilla holiday in St Vincent and the Grenadines. We chartered a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 just for the two of us and had a great time. St Vincent requires probably the highest skill level for any flotilla holiday, but if you have any experience in sailing boats you'll have no difficulties. The only RYA qualifications I have are Powerboat Level 2 and Club Safety boat to allow me to be part of my clubs Rescue team, and I have Competent Crew which I got as a freebie from the Joint Forces Sailing Association when I was in the University Air Squadron. I have however been sailing for over 25 years, and have sailed and raced in various yachts upto 32ft. I wrote down my experience and this was more than adequate for Sunsail. As it turned out my wife and I were probably the most experienced boat in the flotilla and never had any problems while the lead boat generally nannied the others who in the main had just completed yacht masters and the like just before booking. So if you know your arse from your elbow, and know how to sail and anchor a 35ft boat, let them know your experience level and go for it. If however you are a beginner, with little sailing experience I would head to either Port Solent or Largs and get yourself on a course with Sunsail. Paul

Fin. Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 12 Feb 07 Location: Ireland Online Status: Offline Posts: 128	Post Options Post Reply Quote Fin. Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 11:20am
	Sunsail have a resort centre in Antigua.... http://www.sunsail.eu/clubs/destinations/colonna ... could be an alternative.- they also have a yacht charter centre as well. I guess if you went dinghy/sports sailing, you could possibly do a couple of days on a yacht as well.... ? Carribean - it gets quite windy on some days, so you'd definitely need to feel comfortable with your skills and especially anchoring.... seen a few yachts float around (drag anchor) when it gets windy! Tides are very small though. Broads .... great idean though

ASok Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 26 Sep 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 739	Post Options Post Reply Quote ASok Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 1:23pm
	Don't get me wrong, the broads are great - but as a once in a lifetime (hopefully! ) honeymoon venue, it doesn't really compare to the Carribean does it!

feva sailor Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 03 Sep 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 186	Post Options Post Reply Quote feva sailor Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 7:18pm
	you can have your own private skipper. that way you can do as much sailing as you like and if you mess up he can take over. oh and im sure he'll get the hint to go for a pint in the local club if you want to do some honeymooning in private

pondscum Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 06 Nov 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 99	Post Options Post Reply Quote pondscum Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 07 Oct 08 at 8:19pm
	Broad sailing is great - probably the most exciting sail I have ever had is running down Meadow Dyke not knowing if anything was going to appear around the corner! Short tacking up river is a real challenge, but as a learning experience, probably not something you will do or actual much use in the Caribbean (sunsail would have a heart attack and the rocks/reefs will be much harder than the reeds at the rivers edge). If yachting is a posh form of caravanning, broads sailing is like camping - the boats are cramped and conditions a bit less pleasant. That said, parking up by a pub is great and a lot easier than worrying about the tide and the tender. Putting the mast up and down to go under bridges is an interesting engineering excercise, but again not much use for your holiday. Swallowtail boats are the nicest looking and kept in immaculate condition, but he would not let a novice out - Easton westwood or whoever cater for that market. Sunsail used to do a 2-day flotilla training course, seem to have dropped it now (probably from bitter experience). I think a skipper is not a bad idea, but probably does not fit with your idea of an idyllic honeymoon. A spot of dinghy sailing is probably not that great a help - you will spend more time working our your hands in tacks and where to put your weight - not relevant in a yacht. The biggest challenge I find in yachts is the motoring bit - they really do have a mind of their own. HTH FWIW