November’s News On and Off the Water
‘On looking to windward, he beheld the green masses of water that were rolling towards the land, with a violence that seemed irresistible, crowned with ridges of foam; and there were moments when the air appeared filled with sparkling gems, as the rays of the rising sun fell upon the spray that was swept from wave to wave.‘- James Fenimore Cooper, author.
——————————————-
Pure Gallus thought she was having a rest until March, only to find herself in Training Room mode. Where there’s room there’s a way and, for a small class, she ‘cuts the mustard’ enabling a very individual class to proceed without room hire costs. This was the case with a recent VHF and, now with the revision of the Radar Course, a new focus of attention.
The RYA Course takes place utilising a rather dated looking simulator, so why not as well incorporate real Raymarine Quantum kit in full working order. It looks like future Radar Courses now will take place here and allow learning access.
I can feel Instructor Elaine thinking ‘I hope he won’t mention my seasickness’, but ‘Hughies’ are part of life at sea and ‘Welcome to the Club Elaine‘ (see ‘Victims (All) at Sea)
Last Sail of the Season
Storm Amy had wrecked 3 days sailing across an early October weekend, but two days remained with the final one shown here. With myself here are Michael, my partner in my former surveying business, together with Jo and Peter. A good one it was too, despite looking at the unpleasant sea with the triple reefed Pure Gallus and deciding ‘not today Josephine’.
Pure Gallus Safely Tucked Up in Berth for the Winter Season
What a Big Sailing Ship in Royal Quays
Tecla was quite the largest Tall Ship seen in Royal Quays marina, in my memory. I was told the width of the lock gates was the determining factor, not the 2.9m draught. On their way home to Netherlands, shelter was sought. and she sailed away successfully a couple of days later.
Your Route to RYA Day Skipper
A frequent question is ‘How do I go about being a skipper’? Shown here is a new Route Plan for guidance, giving the range of courses available with Northumbria Sailing, together with some costings.
One question you must ask yourself is; ‘do I want to sail just in the Med or broaden my horizons’? If it’s the former, and there’s nothing wrong with just being a Med skipper, then the pre-quirements are not so taxing and you can do this in the Med itself, where there are lots of RYA Training Schools.
If, on the other hand, you wish to sail in UK tidal waters with all their complications, then a more comprehensive test is needed and this is the one Northumbria Sailing can do for you.
Meet the Team
Melvyn Wallhead, Yachtmaster & RYA Shorebased Instructor. I started this business in 2009, never expecting the school would grow to the present level and have delivered RYA practical courses from 2011 to 2023. The North East has a long maritime tradition but potential mariners have had to go outside the area. 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’.
John Parlane, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor & Examiner. ‘I learnt to sail dinghies back in the ’80s in Morecambe Bay. My first trip on a cruising yacht was across the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man – at night time! A few years later, I bought a small yacht and developed a lasting love of the Scottish West Coast. I became a sail cruising instructor in 2006, working for several companies in the Firth of Clyde and began teaching RYA theory courses at home in Morecambe. My list of instructor qualifications has grown each year, to include ‘Advanced Powerboat’ and ‘Senior Keelboat’ Instructor. I started Bay Sea School in Morecambe in 2012 to provide Keelboat courses for adult beginners’.
Steve Lovett, Yachtmaster & RYA Shorebased Instructor, has a wealth of experience, including sailing with Northumbria Sailing up to the Shetlands in 2016. Steve lives in Durham and has some 50 years experience on the water ranging from dinghies to cruising yachts in the UK and abroad, including the UK to Rio leg of the Clipper Race in 2013.
Elaine Beauchamp Yachtmaster. ‘ I started sailing several years ago on flotilla holidays, as many of us do. When I moved north to Berwick-upon-Tweed, I decided to redo my Day Skipper, which is when I found Northumbria Sailing! Since then, I’ve progressed through to Yachtmaster Coastal, gaining experience sailing on the Scottish West Coast; South East coast and the Solent’.
Update on Courses & Trips
‘Educate rather than cram – a lesson; Most academic programmes focus on force-feeding knowledge rather than releasing curiosity. The result? We know some things – but we lose what’s most vital: the love of learning. In one study of a top university, the highest scoring graduates were given the same final exams one month after graduation. All of them failed – Cramming seldom gets past short term memory.’
THEORY COURSES
Classroom
Onboard Pure Gallus there’s a classroom suitable for a small class but, mostly, the modern Life Centre in Heaton is used, as shown. Nice, warm and cosy in Winter!
Trying to decide between Face2Face and Online? Here are some considerations & comparisons;
Face2Face Online
Cost Cheaper initially, possible out of time increase
Timetable absence updates Do anywhere/anytime
Face2Face help Remote help
Mutual Help e.g. WhatsApp Possible if ID’s known
Option for Practicals None
Marine Items Handling None
Visit to Pure Gallus None
Revision Screenshots None
Experiences/other subjects exchange None
Distance problem None, only WiFi availability
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 a star globe, five sextants, one new lightweight metal, one plastic & two old brass, for you to handle. A practical session is included. Cost £625 or £925 on tailored tuition. ‘I have to say it was tough, and tested the brain calls somewhat. However – it was great challenge and good company – Debra’. Try this link from a former Royal Navy officer relating his experience navigating by the stars for real whilst sailing down to the Falklands Jonathan.
RYA COASTAL YACHTMASTER The advanced Course, a must for those proceeding to Yachtmaster level. Cost £625 for class & £850 tailored tuition. You need a good knowledge of this Course before being tested by the RYA Examiner. Dates; January 14, 15, 21, 28 & 29th, February 4, 11, & 12th, March 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, & 25th, + 2 reserve dates March 19 & 31st Wednesday & Thursday Evenings Course. Thornley successfully completed his back-to-back with Day Skipper Theory; ‘I wanted to do this now otherwise it would have taken time to get back to speed again‘.
RYA DAY SKIPPER A popular starting point for so many over many years. Autumn face2face evening classes on Wednesdays, 6 – 9pm. Nice and cosy in a spacious modern building in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. Cost £595. 2026 Saturdays 9am to 2pm; January 17, 24 & 31st, February 7, 14 & 21st (optional), March 7, 14 & 21st Day Skipper Theory
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 £795 for Day Skipper, £850 for Coastal/Yachtmaster™ and £925 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. Mario’s Journey
Skills Centre
It’s now some 15 years since I started delivering RYA Courses, their format and their questions to be answered. Yet important messages are not always given their due weight and there’s no scope for further investigation. Skills Centre sessions and courses will have this in mind and offer the opportunity to seek further knowledge as well as refreshing existing. I see subjects being mainly theory with some practical, but am open to suggestions
Face2Face Theory
TIDES In this subject we look at real tides and apply this to examples in waters of the UK and Europe, with particular emphasis on our very tidal North East Coast. Learn how to calculate tidal heights and streams at main and secondary ports. You will be using Reed’s Almanac and the first session will be for assumed beginners leading to more advanced stuff later on. This Course will be run across three sessions 1800 – 2100hrs at Heaton. Cost £95 for three sessions, less for fewer. ‘Being new to sailing and having seen numerous yacht go aground in Amble harbour entrance, the tides we have on the NE coast frightened me a little. I looked into the online courses but decided to go with you and the classroom instead and I’m glad I did. Learning in a group with instant help and feedback from you made understanding the lessons so much easier.’ – Thornley
Online
FOG ALL OVER You have a chart plotter, AIS and Radar showing there’s another vessel out there. Plenty of electronic information but you then realise none tell you which way to turn. In the collision between Whispa and Gas Monarch the former was not on a collision course but the skipper misconstrued notorious Rule 19d and actually turned towards Gas Monarch and collided. This short course, delivered by Zoom across 3/4 evenings, will attempt to throw some light on this important subject. The RYA require aspiring Yachtmasters to be conversant with radar. Cost £30 per Zoom session, or £95 for all four. 1915 – 2115hrs maximum. ‘I feel a lot more confident now about plotting.’ – Justin
CEVNI test for the Inland waterways endorsement to your ICC. Done online, cost £35
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 £79 plus £30 (includes instruments) for the RYA Pack. Online Navigation
Online One2One
You might be stuck on a subject, a question online needed to be answered correctly or just wanting greater knowledge and are looking for a private consultation with myself. Maybe you just have ‘information overload’. This I can do online via Zoom in sessions from one to two hours daytime, weekends or evenings. Subjects typically causing most problems are paper chartwork to include estimated position EP and Course to Steer CTS. Also calculation of tidal heights, particularly secondary ports, Collision Regulations, Radar and more. Cost £30 per hour with the first session, a minimum of two hours.
Practical
My RYA instructor is having a knee refit and, consequently, RYA Practical Courses will be suspended until he’s fit and able to climb the mast again.
Non RYA Courses, such as Practical Crewing, Adventures and Tasters, will continue uninterrupted.
Update on Courses & Trips
YACHTMASTER SKILLS Are you a Yachtmaster already or an aspiring one and wish to hone your skills under the guidance of an RYA Examiner? This three day Course could put you to the test on a twin wheeled Sun Odyssey 419 sailing out of Royal Quays, an area often referred to; ‘if I can sail off the North East Coast of England I can sail anywhere’. You will already have a good RYA Day Skipper practical at least, meaning the certificate and varied, logged, sea miles. Prices £550 & £650.
SKIPPER SKILLS Another short course aimed at improving skills of either an existing skipper or a very competent crew about to take their RYA Day Skipper Practical. This Course will include exercises such as berthing, which are not normally available outside an RYA Course and others according to demand. For example; use of up to date Raymarine electronics, night sail or just confidence building.
Northumbria Sailing Adventures
These adventures are when we either charter a sailing yacht or take Pure Gallus 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 Skye, 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.
PRACTICAL COURSES
Pure Gallus at Sea
A great image of us training just off Tynemouth Priory. Many thanks to Allister Gunning for providing this.
All local courses take place on the school boat, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 419 12 metre built less than 8 years ago and the type of boat you may aspire to when going out on your own adventures. For full information on what to expect from an RYA Course with Northumbria Sailing you are recommended to click
From Alan following a 5 day course; ‘Food was really good btw which I wasn’t expecting![space_20]
Where Do I Sleep?
On Pure Gallus you will have the opportunity to select your berth and pay accordingly. Singles go in the saloon or an aft cabin with doubles in the forecabin which has private ensuite facilities. Doubling up in the forecabin provides the cheapest deal.
PRACTICAL CREWING My version of RYA Competent Crew. Three days, 0930-1700hrs onboard for up to four ideally, sometimes five, and you will be up to the Comp Crew standard. No experience necessary and no need to stay onboard overnight. Here we see with myself; David, Matthew, Steve & Jo. Cost £375. Next Course; 2026 March 26 – 28th (2 booked already!) Book now for 2025 price. ‘We would like to say a thank you to you and Steve. We’ve had a brilliant few days. Steve is a great teacher and was so lovely and patient.’ – Jill
This popular Course is now available stayover where you will spend two nights onboard away, if possible, from Royal Quays. There is a maximum availability of five persons onboard plus the instructor, and the prices vary according to the berth; Aft cabin; £495 alone, £350 each sharing, weekday, £595 (£450 sharing) weekends, Saloon; with limited stowage, £395 (495). Forecabin with ensuite; £375 (475) each for two sharing or £650 (750) alone, when available. ‘Your course was exactly what I wanted and I certainly feel more confident about a number of things. You explained things very clearly and all the repetition was helpful.’ – Gill .
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. No experience needed. Cost, according to berth, from £995 for the most popular, an aft cabin. Or see Practical Crewing above. ‘You were a pleasure to have as a guest, instructor and examiner. Your wisdom, advice and encouragement was much appreciated’ – Rachel
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. For Bareboat charter this is the first qualification to be obtained. Nevertheless in some areas, the Solent for example, a higher qualification is needed and UK tidal requested. Where’s Your Ticket?
It is important that you are ready to take this important Course and, for minimum standards, check out on the web page Day Skipper Pre-Quirements. These standards and experience are expected at the time of booking. Cost, according to berth, from £750. This Practical Course is now packaged with autumn/winter classroom theory in the classroom. ‘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 For a murky glimpse of a night sail try Night Sail
RYA COASTAL SKIPPER PRACTICAL If you are interested in this course and meet with the Pre-Quirements then email.
Taster Days & Trips
These are an introduction to sailing and meant to be a nice experience, so conditions have to be right even though it means being more sensitive to the weather. No-one wants a macho adventure, but this still wouldn’t stop us from going out to sea briefly in a high wind.
DAY TRIPS. 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 and have been very popular during the 2025 season. Cost £85 weekday & £110 weekend. Next session; 2026 ‘When you book a novice sailing course such as this online, without a personal recommendation, there’s a concern over what you’ve going to get and a resolve to walk away if it doesn’t look right. From the start everything was great, the yacht was clearly built for much greater challenges than we were going to face, and in excellent condition. Melvyn made us welcome and crewing for Elaine was a pleasure, delivering the right combination of tuition, discipline and fun. If you want an introduction to sailing, this is where to start. All overlooked by a statue of Admiral Collingwood, so there’s a reassuring reminder of a great seafaring history too.’ – Tod
TASTER@SEA The successor to the popular RYA Start Yachting Course, as above. Easier and more flexible to arrange dates and prices are similar to last year’s RYA Start Yachting. This Course will follow the RYA syllabus, but without the certificate. A two day course for beginners which can be the ‘start’ of greater things. You live onboard for two days and may visit another marina away from Royal Quays. This is a Weekday Course for which a minimum booking of two is needed (singles also welcome). Cost from £300 sharing & from £295 single.
Pieces of Eight (The Educational Section)
When in Sweden Berthing was either Stern To or ‘tightrope fingers’
Tall Ship Squeeze
Training Ship Royalist paid a visit to Royal Quays in August and a fine sight she was.
The marina had calculated the space between the ship and the harbour wall so yachts could pass. They didn’t mention the yards which were rather close to Pure Gallus’ spreaders! Sea Cadets TS Royalist setting sail from Belfast for the last time, 3rd August 2014
This jogged my memory of time on the tall ship Malcolm Miller and an excuse to display a pic of myself, in 1986, hanging on for dear life of the topmost yard.
Northumbria Sailing on Video
Pure Gallus is entering the lock at Royal Quays marina. Pure Gallus
Pure Gallus at sea
Have a look at my Theory Training Centre with this video. Training
Specialist Courses
RYA VHF This important Course is available in class, onboard, online 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. The RYA require you to book your face to face assessment at the time of enrolling on a Course. Beware of anyone offering this Course without this. Cost £135 plus £76 for the RYA. Also available One to One at £210 and online at £105 to include manual. Assessment £76 extra. Certificate Fastrack available. Next session, all day; Saturday November 22nd. Try these links. RYA Online VHF Radio and RYA Online VHF video Sarah; ‘Many thanks Melvyn, great to meet you yesterday and a really good course’. RYA VHF
You Need a VHF Radio – Can I use it?
Port of Tyne insist on this form of communication whilst sailing in the river and one person onboard must have this qualification to use the set (except in an emergency). A mobile phone won’t do, as it will not alert other river users of your intentions. Misuse of the set can have serious consequences, a fine of up to £5,000 and, indeed, time inside too. Thus, having bought your radio set, and registered this with Ofcom, you will need a Course for your ticket. Don’t wait until the last minute and then find Fastrack service from the certificate provider, the RYA, is expensive. (Ask Kim !BUT, I emailed his forms on the Monday and the RYA advised me the very same day that his certificate would be posted, first class, the following day ie Tuesday) Final word from Kim ‘that is fast track!’
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. Candidates for RYA Yachtmaster examinations are expected to be conversant with radar. This Course will take place onboard Pure Gallus to enable access to the recent Raymarine equipment, as well as a simulator. Day Course: Cost £130, plus 12 to RYA. Next Session; November 21st ‘Thank you very much for yesterday’s course’ – Stephen
RYA DIESEL ENGINE
A Volvo Penta 2003 marine diesel engine will be used for demonstrations and you will get several chances to try your hand at changing filters etc. Alternatively this can be done on your own engine on a One2One basis. (cost £350 to include reasonable travelling expenses)
The Course is for beginners and will show the simple maintenance tasks you can do yourself to help maintain your engine in working order. The RNLI has complained that most of call outs are from engine failure where simple tasks have not been performed. Your rescuing lifeboat may make firm suggestions if this is found to be the case. RYA Examiners have requested greater knowledge from candidates. Cost £130 plus £12 for the RYA Pack. Maximum 6 persons. RYA Diesel Engine ‘Very informative and definitely worth attending’ – Steve
RYA FIRST AID. All day for the RYA certificate, valid three years. Find out the latest recommendations on what to do at sea from an experienced seafarer for, at sea, you may need to administer yourself. You will be actively involved in this Course, which is practically orientated. Cost £110 plus £8.50 for the Pack. Next session; February/March First Aid Certificates
PERSONAL SURVIVAL. A must for all fit and healthy seafarers over the age of 16. The RYA Basic Sea Survival Course is unavailable in the North East, but this is the STCW equivalent and an accepted substitute by the RYA. The Course is delivered by Tyne Coast Maritime College in their Pool at South Shields on the banks of the River Tyne to educate in the ability to survive at sea after vessel abandonment. Cost £250. Wet in the Pool ‘I found the personal sea survival course very useful. Hopefully I will never need to use this knowledge but it helps to know how to launch, handle and manage the life raft should it ever be required. The course was very professionally delivered and the practical in the pool was very well organised and the instructors very attentive. With 3 experienced instructors (2 in the pool) it felt safe, despite the final test being in the dark, with water sprays and simulated waves. The morning session was obviously tilted towards larger vessels but there was useful information about flares, electronic alert systems and cold water shock also applicable to users of small boats. It was challenging and quite exhausting but definitely worthwhile. The facilities were good, the classroom was a little cold but otherwise fully recommended’. David
Unbelievable Scenes in the Tyne
Pure Gallus has a bathing platform, which has never been used as such in my ownership, but this was about to change. The Yorkshire Adventure Trip returned to the Tyne via Sunderland when it was clear that banging down to Whitby against a southerly wind was untenable, and I received a bathing request from victims. Here you see clothed and unclothed versions, David & Garry both dived in, Nicola swam round the boat, Peter and I were left onboard. The day finished off with celebrations on Newcastle Quayside.
Own Boat Tuition
Shown here explaining the reefing system to Carl and crew onboard his boat Elevator in Blyth. It’s always good to see a different boat and help the owner, especially with the biggest worry – berthing in the marina.
Locked in Jill’s Arms
Jill is the owner of popular cafe/restaurants The Lock at Royal Quays and The Veiw overlooking Longsands at Tynemouth. A very busy lady is Jill but we finally managed to get her away for a sail. She very much enjoyed it too ‘An amazing day. Loved every minute’ was her response. Both places offer great experiences The Veiw .
Full & Final 3 Day Practical Crewing
The last 3 Day Course was completed late September, full again and in the sunshine too. Here male Gordon was completely outnumbered by 4 women, front; Jo & Philippa, back Rose & Carrie, the latter recommended by husband Cameron.
The Course has really caught on this season and, already, a booking has been received for next year, March 26 – 28th at the 2025 price.
Great North Run Lift
Daphne gave her husband Jonathan a lift on Great North Run Day. Not during, but afterwards, meeting the successful runner on Little Haven beach via their yacht Karenza. Transport queues were avoided by boat!
A Final Stayover Course of the Season
We were treated to a rare sight, 2 rainbows, during this Stayover 3 Day Practical Crewing. Unaccustomed to rain were Sarah, Kate & Philip. Medic Sarah hankers after treating seafarers on a Tall Ship.
Vouchers Accepted
I received a request; ‘do you accept vouchers?’ – yes I do and this, for £100, was used to pay towards a VHF Course and I claim the money back from the RYA.
Victims (All) at Sea
Our very own Elaine Beauchamp, together with victim Mike were invited to join the “Arrecife-Agadir International Regatta” this summer, held 19 – 23rd August, on board Kind of Blue, a Southerly 135RS. This fabulous lifting keel boat is owned by Skipper Phil. See link to Regatta, you can click on the link to see event, it might test your Spanish!
https://www.hellocanaryislands.com/events/lanzarote/arrecife-agadir-international-regatta/
Phil and Mike had sailed Kind of Blue from her current mooring on Gran Canaria up to Arrecife, Lanzarote, which is where I joined them, late on the evening of the 18th August. They had just returned from the Rally’s briefing held by the Real Club Nautico, Arrecife. They were laughing as it had been held in Spanish, using Google translate their main and not always sensible assistant, they got the gist of it! Our boat is not classed as an Ocean Racing vessel, so we were in the ‘Other’ class, which meant fit the tracker onboard, set off when you want to, see you on the other side! The hourly provided forecast was N/NW, Force 5 – 6, with just over 200 miles to sail and 13 boats taking part.
An early departure, into a large sea swell, winds as predicted, and we were on our way! A few hours in, we watched as a couple of larger sailing vessels passed us on the horizon to the north, I say passed, zoomed past, and we thought we were doing well at an average of 6 knots. Sailing was into wind, we kept hoping for a Northerly to allow us to be more beam reach on which happened every now and then. Passage making was good, if a bit lumpy and twisty turny which just became the norm. Midday, seasickness, groan, a new experience for me. It started as nausea and then progressed to full blown, didn’t eat or keep anything down for two days & nights. Despite feeling awful I was determined to turn up for the 3 hourly watches, although not much to see, occasionally a massive cargo boat to keep an eye on. One of the highlights of the trip for me was the morning / evening seas when we were joined by Little Shearwaters, petrels who skimmed the surface of the sea sublimely and beautifully. The sea state and wind continued unabated and then finally calmed on the morning of approach to Agadir.
By this time my stomach was accepting crumbs, so I enjoyed and appreciated our entry to Agadir harbour. What an amazing welcome it was, Moroccan music booming from speakers on the quay side, once moored up, we were greeted with Moroccan tea, a feast laid out on the harbour side and then invited to a celebratory lunch hosted by Yachtclub Agadir. The following evening the club held a fabulous (and long) awards ceremony with lots of dignitaries from both countries, dinner and speeches in French and Spanish this time. We received an award for participation, the only British boat to take part.
What a fantastic, fun sailing (yes, even with the sea sickness) and cultural experience!
Rose is off to Zanzibar (Tanzania); ‘I have attached a picture of Blue Peter, lounging in a Dar es Salaam boatyard with fresh sexy blue paint but still awaiting coppercoat. Likely to be finished just after I leave on Thursday. Will be coming back’
Jonathan has progressed all the way with myself to Yachtmaster and now has time to further develop his experience at sea. I told him I was a little envious about this one; ‘Since doing a long passage with Emre in the Mediterranean I wanted to see what a genuine ocean passage was like. In late August I joined a trip sailing from Bodø in Arctic Norway for a 12 day adventure sailing expedition. This was through a company called Rubicon 3 on a 60 foot ex clipper yacht. There were 8 crew, plus skipper and first mate. We sailed down the Norwegian coast then set off for a 5 1/2 day 730 mile passage across the Norwegian Sea to Seydisfjoerdur in SE Iceland. We had a delayed start due to severe gale conditions, then set off down the stunning Norwegian coast to Bolga. from there we set off across to Iceland. 2 days of moderate sea and F5/6 Northerly winds followed by a day of calm, then the boom “clicked” over and we had strong F7 south/South westerlies with the remnants of Hurricane Erin giving us 4-5M swells and 3-4 m waves. But the crew and the boat more than handled it. See the video of me on the wheel on I think early day 4 – triple reefed. I also had the pleasure of going straight over a magnetic anomaly later that night and I struggled to steer to the compass as it swung about all over the place. The skipper popped up and said – “what’s going on – you are usually quite good on the helm” before concluding there was nothing wrong with the steering. The gps track over about 500m shows what went wrong – I steered us through 180 degrees and back again!
Altogether an amazing and unmissable experience with some wonderful moments and truly great people. From watching some of the crew recovering from awful seasickness to being fully recharged. Steering by the stars, changing sails at 3 am, whale sightings, the stunning Norwegian coast and arrival in the Icelandic fjords. All with a tremendous sense of collective achievement with wonderful friendships cemented.’ Ed; I can vouch for this, many lasting friendships are often made in such circumstances.
Carly has done what many now do, buy a boat first and learn to sail, and to spend money, afterwards. ‘Ellen is a Bavaria 31, 2001 and we are looking forward to doing some pontoon bashing and one to one lessons with you really soon!’
Catherine has made many appearances here over the years in her adventures at sea. Indeed a long way since she came to me asking ‘I just want to make myself useful on a boat!’
Now she’s on yacht delivery and transited the magnificent Corinth canal; ‘I very much enjoyed the Corinth Canal experience, as always putting into practice all I learned under the guidance of @447754604092. The remainder of the delivery hasn’t been quite so straightforward with an extended break at Kythnos (Greek island) getting a new windlass shipped over from Athens!’.
This is why I’m in the Sailing Business
Faye & Rob
Both took their theory and RYA Practicals with myself and they have taken their boat Reach Out down to the Med, with Adventures of a lifetime. It’s my privilege to see them become accomplished cruising seafarers. Follow Rob & Faye’s adventures on Reach Out – Sailing Hjem
Bill of Health
Here’s my authority from the RYA to deliver these Course, up until March 2026
Inside a Super Yacht
Not often does the opportunity arise to look around a super yacht as secrecy surrounds the features, but here you can see what it’s like onboard Amadeus.
Reader’s Links
A section featuring links of a maritime interest sent to me.
For vessel traffic on the Tyne try NormTyneShips on YouTube.
Donna gives a clear picture of how she felt as an ordinary person coming to her RYA Day Skipper Practical Course; Donna Sail
Steve Austin has uploaded this video of our 2018 Adventure sailing a traditional Dutch flat bottomed boat
Phil Butler highlights the unexpected and rapid shift in Earth’s Magnetic Field.
Phil Butler again with very useful advice on mal de mer. Seasickness
Peter MacLaren mentioned this article about a Yacht Delivery Skipper’s Life.
Peter Chater has found a remarkable way of plugging a failed seacock – with a carrot! Sea Cock Repair
Peter Chater sent this one about a fisherman suing as a result of a collision Fisherman Sues
Peter Chater again – ‘How about this for a large yacht collision’ Antigua
Nigel Hierons saw this news item about a flare Flare in recycling explodes
Franek Richardson sent this Time Lapse
Phil Butler mentions the two women rescued after 5 months at sea in the Pacific.
Stuart Porter took and posted this great dolphin display, quite the best I have seen North Sea Dolphins
And finally from myself, try this one for a Broach
Try me on Facebook for lots more images Facebook
Follow @northumbriasailing
Back editions are now available
For more information contact me via my web page