Frequently Asked Questions

Do we sail in rainy weather?
How old/young do I have to be?
I am a dinghy sailor wanting to sail keelboats, where should I start?
Will you teach me on my own boat?
Can I customise a course to my needs?
Do you teach the STCW95 qualification?
Do I need to do all the courses from beginning to end to get my RYA Yachtmaster?

Do we sail in rainy weather?

We sail rain or shine, in light wind and heavy wind - in just about everything but a gale.
All the yachts we use have been selected for their suitability to sail on Port Phillip. We teach you how to make a yacht sail in light winds, and how to reef sail and manoeuver a yacht in heavy winds. We supply wet weather gear if required or you can bring your own. As we have no control over the weather and the weather man often gets it wrong, we always meet to assess the day at the gates to the marina. The instructor will decide if the conditions are suitable for teaching. If he decides to postpone the day, we will reschedule.

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How old/young do I have to be?

We will take students from 7 to 70. However, students under 16 must be accompanied by a guardian. Sailing is not an ageist sport as ‘old age and treachery can overcome youth and skill’. We can organise training for family groups if required.

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I am a dinghy sailor wanting to sail keelboats, where should I start?

Many dinghy sailors have great sailing skills but no navigation skills. We recommend the dinghy sailor to start at either the Intermediate or 5 day RYA Competent Crew level for practical or Coastal Navigation for theory.

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Will you teach me on my own boat?

We will train to your skill level, your boat and your goals. Our instructors will teach you how to operate your boat to cater for what you want to learn and what we know you need to learn.

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Can I customise a course to my needs?

We do not change the formats of our courses as they are part of the world’s best training scheme and we have criteria that must be met, but we can set up a private lessons if required.

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Do you teach the STCW95 qualification?

We do not teach the STCW95 courses. For information on STCW95 courses, please contact Gerry Fitzgerald at Offshore Maritime Training Centre in Brisbane, Queensland on 0428 749 166. Or call the Australian Maritime College in Launceston, Tasmania on 03 6335 4711.

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Do I need to do all the courses from beginning to end to get my RYA Yachtmaster?

No, you can enter at any stage as long as it is suitable to your experience. But if you enter at a level higher than your experience, you may struggle as prior knowledge/mileage is assumed.

There is a previous experience necessary section for each RYA certificate.

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