‘What is more pleasant than a friendly little yacht, a long stretch of smooth water, a gentle breeze, the stars?’ – William Atkin
Tattoo Time
Look what happened to victims of the newly completed Day Skipper Theory Course!
My congratulations to Chris x 2, Paul, Jane (yet to be tattooed), Kay, Ross, Laura, Rory & Peter. Two are now undertaking their practicals with me shortly and, I guess, they might opt for the plastic card version of the RYA certificate rather than the tattooed….
‘Thanks again Melvyn for achieving the impossible
I’m currently awaiting a reply from Roman Abramovich on my offer to Captain his Super Yacht now I (partially) have my new qualification.’ – Kay
Mighty March Wind Power
A cracking start to the sailing season, high winds and a lot of excitement. Firstly the Shakedown sail, with Paul, John, Mario and Oran (left to right) which was originally the last sail of the 2016 season, but postponed due to adverse weather.
They waited and, probably wondered, what a shakedown would involve – it’s to get everything working properly, and finishing off the new stack pack was the main item. 30knots+ whilst we were still in the berth for starters, and we were aiming for Hartlepool for the night. My Yachtmaster exam was postponed when the wind hit over 30 knots in the berth. Then a windy motor into Little Haven, off South Shields beach but within the pier ends. Up and up went the wind speed to a steady 40+ knots. 45+ put the wind up me (sorry!) and then 50 & when a gust hit 55 I shouted ‘take a photo’ (of the wind gauge) but too late of course, but back to Royal Quays for ‘adjustment’.
We did get off and speeding down to Hartlepool in a westerly, 40-45 knots steady, and 9 knots SOG with the favourable tide. But…..we had lost time and we doubled back to an inviting Sunderland. Force 9 off Sunderland
The second sail was Private One2one tuition. One victim plus a ‘slave for the day’ as crew who, as it turned out, was very useful with size 14 boots on the pontoon cleat. This day was ‘only’ F6/7 with maximum wind speed of 41.6 knots and we had a superb sail.
The third sail was a Day Trip advertised as a ‘taster’, with four onboard; Phil, Paul x 2 & Neil. All were new to ‘Lian’, two are taking their Day Skipper Practical with me and having a bit of practise.
Off we went leaving the berth courtesy of an incident, due to the breezy southerly wind unusual for this time of the year. Down river we went and up went the wind speed. Just before the pier ends a gust hit us and the double reefed mainsail slewed dramatically into the wind and we were up into the 40+ knots yet again, with 50 gusts. This time we had to go back to RQ for good and the image shows us hunkering down on the return.
When I mentioned the first sail to skipper Malcolm he pointed out that he always felt secure on ‘Lian’. She is a ‘stiff’ boat, a takes a lot to heel over, compared with a lightweight vessel.
I don’t think anyone was disappointed on these sails as they could experience a high wind in safety. No-one felt seasick. I do remember paying to go on a 70 foot yacht from Plymouth to Fastnet billed as ‘Heavy Weather Sailing’ and there was no wind. The only thing I got out of it was being able to cook down below whilst under way. I also remember how I felt when sailing in much younger company when their idea of entertainment was ‘fooling around’.
I have learnt too and will feel more confident, especially when my 3rd reef is full operational.
New Facilities at Royal Quays
Now open are the very smart new facilities at Royal Quays marina. A whole new building now accommodates a licensed café/restaurant managed by the Herb Garden. Tables and veranda overlook the marina, already enjoyed by many taking full advantage of the fine weather. I shall be dining there on 11th and have bagged a window table, so no noisy victims, please! The amenities section has to be seen to be believed and includes a bathroom and ensuite showers, facilities enjoyed by the affluent south coast but not up north, until now. See for yourself
New for 2017
Tides Course
In response to demand I’m offering this Course on tides, not RYA Tides, but real UK tides, especially on our North East Coast. Learn how to calculate tidal heights and streams. Join any of the three sessions at £25 each or £70 for all three. Each session takes place 3 – 6pm at Heaton April 10, 11 & 18th. Session 1 will be Day Skipper level with tides at standard ports and tidal streams. Session 2 will be advanced with secondary ports and more tidal streams. Session 3 will go through examples and homework set from Session 2. Also to be explored are the less common e.g tidal coefficients
Split Weekend RYA Course
Many times have I been asked ‘Do you do Day Skipper Practical across two weekends?’ and I have unable to supply this.
Now I can offer this Course across the Spring Bank holiday weekend and the following; May 26 – 29th & June 2-4th. Evening starts. Cost: Day Skipper £675 & Competent Crew £650
Another New Idea for 2017 – Night Sailing
On a 5 day Course, incorporating the mandatory 4 hours night sailing, there can sometimes be space for extra crew for this sail only. Very useful if you have no experience of night sailing or want some extra hours in your log book. When I have sailed in other areas more ‘user friendly’ I have found few challenging light combinations, the Solent excepted. Up in the North East there’s a lot and you may be asked to find the ‘hidden vessel’, which is hard to identify amongst the plethora of background lighting. For £80 you can join us for a marina and boatyard tour to identify light combinations and then off to sea to put this into practice.
On ‘Lian’s Bookshelves
For seasonal reading I stock the boat’s bookshelves a variety of RYA stock, but also;
‘Voyages of a Simple Sailor’ by Roger D Taylor, ISBN 978-0-9558035-0-5, signed by the author and the log of voyages up to the Arctic on an engineless, 7m, yacht.
‘Close to the Wind’ by Ben Ainslie, ISBN 9780224082945, the life story of England’s great hope of winning the America’s Cup.
‘Not Enough Room to Swing a Cat’ by Martin Robson, ISBN 9781844860739, naval slang and it’s everyday usage
‘A Race Too Far’ by Chris Eakin, ISBN 9781785034503, the postscript to the Donald Crowhurst race where he faked his position before perishing. Now the subject of a major film The Mercy starring Colin Firth.
‘The Lighthouse Stevensons’ by Bella Bathurst, ISBN 0 00 653076 1, on how the Scottish lighthouses were built.
‘Berserk in the Antarctic’ by David Mercy, ISBN 1 84024 479 8, a true story of a suicidal sail on a 27 foot yacht following Shackleton’s Antarctic voyage.
‘Birds of Europe’ by Lars Jonsson, all should carry a bird guide onboard (saves arguments, if nothing else)
A Surfeit of Radio?
It’s the ‘ticket acquiring’ season and VHF Courses are much in demand, from yachties, fishermen or River Tyne workers, a variety of custom all needing an Operator’s licence to be legally able to use their VHF set unsupervised. Remember unsupervised use is allowed in emergency and for Channel M.
RYA VHF Still available in class or private tuition. Don’t be caught without a proper licence as you could be fined up to £5,000, plus 6 months inside, plus equipment confiscation – yes it’s very severe! At Northumbria Sailing you will receive tuition one per training set. As you will be assessed for practical skills as well as theoretical I think it’s advisable that you have every opportunity to familiarise yourself with the equipment. Two evenings May 8+9th, All Day Saturday 3rd June. Cost £110 plus £60 to RYA Also available One to One at £175 and online at £85 to include manual. Assessment £60 extra. Try these links. RYA Online VHF Radio and RYA Online VHF video
Meet the Team
Melvyn Wallhead, Yachtmaster & RYA Instructor. I started this business in 2010 partly to justify keeping our rather nice Hallberg Rassy yacht, never expecting the school would grow to the present level. The North East has a long maritime tradition but potential mariners have had to go outside the area or deal with local colleges offering an inflexible ‘service’. I have sailed all over; UK, Med, Europe, Caribbean, Thailand, four continents in all and hope I can encourage others to do the same, without the ‘incidents’.
Trevor Jefferson, Yachtmaster & RYA Instructor has a long pedigree in teaching with dinghy sailing going back some 40 years and is an RYA Race Trainer. Sail Cruising has been his recent activity with instruction time in Gibraltar and the West Coast of Scotland where he owned a watersports centre. As my Chief Instructor he ‘raises the bar’ for Northumbria Sailing instruction standards.
Don Gunton, Yachtmaster & RYA Instructor has extensive sailing experience primarily on the west coast of Scotland. Other trips have included a scary one to Norway with me onboard. Note ‘scary’ due to the weather. He would probably list sailing to St Kilda as one of his great achievements. Don has been instructing with Northumbria Sailing for a few years and can also do a useful turn in nautical slang due to his previous experience in the Merchant navy.
Malcolm Young, Yachtmaster helps keep our average age down and has come through the ranks with Northumbria Sailing. Malcolm has sailed in the west coast of Scotland, the Caribbean, Med, Norway as well as the North East. Sailing ambitions have to dovetail with running a company but he has already shown his capability by sailing to the Shetlands. He does a good turn in weekend Day Trips too!
Northumbria Sailing Adventures
These adventures are when we either charter a sailing yacht or take ‘Lian’ somewhere interesting and challenging. When weather and crew status permit we will do distances, often sailing through the night via the watch system. If this is not possible we will cruise looking for pleasant places to visit with good shoreside wining and dining facilities.
Trips in recent years have included the Orkneys, the Clyde, London Tower Bridge and a North Sea crossing.
We will endeavour to have you fully involved in the sailing of the boat and to consider your preferences. Alcohol will often be enjoyed when we are no longer underway. At the end of the trip you will have a log book filled and plenty of nautical adventures to tell.
North Shields to Amsterdam in July 2017
Come with me for a trip to, or from, Amsterdam on my quality 11 metre yacht ‘Lian’, a Hallberg Rassy sailing yacht, well known for its luxury and steadiness afloat.
There will be two legs, Royal Quays to Amsterdam, or near, and the return. To comply with the boat’s commercial coding certificate, requiring a maximum distance of 60 miles from a safe haven, the routes will follow the coastline, crossing about Lowestoft. I last sailed to Amsterdam in 2012, a great and vibrant city readily accessible by air from Newcastle upon Tyne. The outward leg will be from 1st – 8th July and the return 8 – 15th. 8th July will be the changeover date. The outward crew will meet onboard on the evening of 30th June.
Depending on the route the mileage is estimated between 275 and 300 miles each way.This will be an opportunity to build sea miles.
What to Expect.
You will be sleeping onboard and take part in watches throughout the night. Expect highs and lows, for a sailing trip is never routine and you learn to ‘expect the unexpected’ and deal with it.
The boat is sturdy and comfortable and, whilst we do not aim to go out in bad weather, we will be ready if caught out at sea. The boat has a Chart Plotter, Radar and AIS. I will take one leg and employ a skipper for the other.
The cost includes catering, berthing, just about everything except meal and drinks onshore.
How to Prepare.
Detailed joining instructions will be given nearer the time, but you will be responsible for your travel costs and arrangements to the start. Sadly, I can give no guarantees to arrive at Amsterdam even, but will be making every effort.
If you book a flight early to take advantage of discounts this will be at your own risk.
How to Book. There are a maximum of four places on board each way. £100 reserves, subject to the conditions on my webpage. The balance is payable two months before the start of the trip. You will be asked to sign a declaration of fitness. 1 space (cancellation) outward & 2 available inward.
Cost £550 for the 7 days outward & £495 returning.
Hebridean Adventure in June 2017 – FULL
Update on Courses & Trips
‘Keeping your brain active protects against dementia, probably because it increases the quality of your cognitive reserve – the connections within the brain network’
THEORY COURSES
RYA OCEAN YACHTMASTER Explore the wonders of a sextant with Celestial Navigation and Ocean Passage Planning. This ‘top of the range’ RYA theory course can lead to the coveted ‘Ocean Yachtmaster’ ticket. I have four sextants, one new lightweight metal, one plastic & two old brass, for you to handle. A practical session is included. Cost £475 or £725 on tailored tuition. It’s possible to come for the Celestial Navigation only. Autumn class dates are in preparation.
RYA COASTAL YACHTMASTER The advanced Course, a must for those proceeding to Yachtmaster level. Cost £425 for class & £625 tailored tuition. You need a good knowledge of this Course before being tested by the RYA Examiner.
RYA DAY SKIPPER A popular starting point for many. Same Course for Sail or Power. Maximum 8 to a class and located in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. Included is a half day visit to the School boat. Cost £425. Classes resume late September (one booking already!)
I can’t do these times and am in a hurry!
Then a Tailored Timetable with one to one tuition could be for you. Costs £625 (£950 a couple) for Day Skipper, £625 for Coastal/Yachtmaster™ and £725 for the Ocean. Available when the diary permits.
Whilst I would not wish to encourage missing sessions, it’s a fact of life in todays world and time can be made up through private sessions or, sometimes, within the class timetable
PRACTICAL COURSES
All local courses take place on the school boat, a quality 36 foot Hallberg Rassy, well known for its comfort and steadiness afloat. Properly equipped with modern electronics, the preferred wheel steering and comfortable bunk cushions you will be well set up to handle whatever may come your way. Courses are fully inclusive, except for a kitty contribution to drinks onshore.
PRACTICAL CREWING My version of RYA Competent Crew. Three days, 0930-1700hrs onboard for three persons. 3:1 private tuition and you will be up to the Comp Crew standard. No experience necessary. Cost £275. (£375 weekends) Next Courses April 3, 4 & 6th & May 3, 4 & 5th
DAY TRIPS. ‘Taster’ days run throughout the season with the aim of having a pleasant day out on the water. You can see whether yachting is for you at modest cost. Trips operate out of Royal Quays 0930 – 1700hrs. Cost £50 weekday & £70 weekend (maximum 5 customers onboard). 2nd May, 20/21st May (one or two days)
RYA COMPETENT CREW A 5 day, live aboard, course where you will learn ‘the ropes’ and to become a useful crew member. A good start to, perhaps, a lifetime boating. Cost £575. 2017; June 16 – 21st May 26-29+June 2-4th (split rate), July 23 – 28th, September 17 – 22nd Course Review
RYA DAY SKIPPER PRACTICAL The key to bareboat charter, this course aims to get you to the ability ‘ to skipper a small cruising yacht safely by day in tidal waters with which the student is familiar’. Then you can be let loose to find your own adventures and provide endless anecdotes for you to enjoy telling. (The caption shows the June victims enjoying fish & chips on the final day) Cost £595. May 26-29+June 2-4th (split rate), June 16 – 21st, July 23 – 28th, September 17 – 22nd ‘I was pleased with the way the course was organised, the instructions for preparation and attending, the fact that you were there waiting for me when I arrived, and your welcome both before and after we boarded.’ – Hassall. Course Review by Tim Edwards
INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCE (ICC) This can be done on the same course as Day Skipper/Competent Crew. Cost £525 with dates as above. Alternatively I can test you on your own boat at much cheaper cost. Individual quotations are given for this which will be from £225 for one day, own boat.
YACHTMASTER PREPARATION Following on from the successful session last June, where three new YM’s were delivered, there is to be a repeat format during Three days preparation followed by examination by an RYA Examiner for two days. Cost £595 excluding exam fees. This could be done on your boat, when a quotation would be given.
If you are contemplating your YM Examination you must see this in-depth report by Jonny Colwell on his experience in the autumn of 2015 YM Prep & Examination
Northumbria Sailing on Video
The school yacht is an 11 metre Hallberg Rassy, a quality boat well fitted down below providing comfortable accommodation, stable at sea. Have a look at her entering the river Tyne under sail. Lian at Tynemouth
Have a look at my Theory Training Centre with this video. Training
Onboard the Hallberg Rassy training yacht, by courtesy of Mark Batey and the kind co-operation of victims Andrew and Clive. See me giving berthing advice in trying to avoid the electric supply post Mark Batey Day Training
RYA Competent Crew in the sun, by courtesy of Mark again Mark Batey Competent Crew
In a clip from 2013 you see the appreciation of Ladies on an RYA sponsored day at Royal Quays Ladies Day
Pieces of Eight – Knotty Problems Analysed
What is a Pelorus?
Sighting a bearing using the binnacle compass is not easy and hardly accurate.
A Pelorus is needed, shown here, so you can get accurate sightings and navigate more often by traditional methods rather than looking at a chart plotter screen and relying on the GPS.
Specialist Courses include;
RYA BASIC SEA SURVIVAL. A must for all sailors and a very proactive time in the, warm, swimming pool. You will learn about general safety onboard as well as survival in the water. Last April we had a very enjoyable session at a school in Heaton and this will be repeated at some time in the future, according to demand Cost £125 or £110 if in a group or family. RYA Basic Sea Survival and a video Wet in the Pool
RYA RADAR Are you safe using your set? Can you properly identify a collision situation? If you have radar you are required to know how to use it properly and could be held responsible if an incident was to occur. Day or two evening courses. Cost £120, plus £9.75 to RYA.
CEVNI test for the Inland waterways endorsement to your ICC. Done online, cost £25
RYA Essential Navigation Online. Do this starter course on your own laptop. A good introduction to the theory part of sailing, with yacht or power boat. Cost £95 plus £28 (includes instruments) to the RYA
RYA FIRST AID. All day for the RYA certificate, valid three years. Be prepared for a full day’s activity with lots of practical demonstrations and active participation – no going to sleep here with Simon!. Cost £75, £95 with Cat C drug endorsement.
Bondi Beach Rescue – CPR
This is worth looking at, if a little noisy. Part of a series, this shows CPR in action on Bondi Beach, Australia. Bondi Beach CPR
Victims (all) at Sea
All asleep in their berths zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Boat Delivery
Just bought a boat and wondering whether to have it delivered or trucked? You can contact us for a feasibility assessment and quotation for cost.
Yacht Skippering
There are times when you might feel that your ‘ticket’ and/or experience will not be adequate for a safe holiday. Last summer I had such a commission enabling a larger yacht to be chartered and to sail to more adventurous places. It worked and we all had a great time and look forward to repeating the experience exploring a more challenging area in 2017.
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