May 2024

 May’s News On and Off the Water

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. 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 Instructor has a wealth of experience, including sailing with Nothumbria 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. My latest sailing adventure was 6 weeks in Turkey and Greece.

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.

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 five sextants, one new lightweight metal, one plastic & two old brass, for you to handle. A practical session is included. Cost £595 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 £575 for class & £850 tailored tuition. You need a good knowledge of this Course before being tested by the RYA Examiner. Thornley has just successfully completed his back-to-back with his 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 many. Same Course for Sail or Power and is a Course where early booking is essential. Classes take place in a modern building in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. Included is a half day visit to the School boat. Cost £550. Autumn dates with prices at 2023 levels for early bookings; September 30, October 7, 14, 21, & 22^nd, November 4, 11, 12, 18 & 25^th, December 2, 9 & 16^th  2024. (1st reservation received, congratulations Rob!).  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 14 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

Face to Face 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

COLREGS EXPLAINED Feel safer at sea by knowing the Rules, especially in the River Tyne where we share the same water as the big ships. Via Zoom I will deliver the essentials across a two hour period on a weekday evening. There will be one for daytime scenarios and one for nights where correct interpretation of lights is essential. Failing to keep a proper lookout can be a criminal offence with up to two years inside. Each session will be backed up with screenshots and via Zoom you will have the opportunity to discuss. Sessions are 1915 – 2115hrs and cost £30 each, enabling one or both to be taken. Provisional dates for the first are June 4+5th.

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 three evenings, will attempt to throw some light on this important subject. Three two hour evening Zoom sessions

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

Practical

SKIPPER SKILLS Another new 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. Next availability  July 5+6th 

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.

Yorkshire Adventure

July 11 – 14th 

Sail down to Whitby to enjoy the delights of this great destination and return over a long weekend. Shown here are Joan, Tim, David & Leigh from last year’s trip. (FULL) 

Scottish Cruising

Autumn 

A planned instructional cruise on the Clyde out of Largs. We will be looking into night sailing, anchoring and mooring to buoys in the few days, as yet not defined, but won’t repeat Mario’s experience several years ago!. Contact me for more information.

PRACTICAL COURSES

All local courses take place on the school boat, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 419 12 metre built less than 6 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. This was very popular in 2022 and here we see Lorna, Mel, Sean, Emma & Jo, one being pregnant too.  Cost £350. August 15 – 17th.

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 four persons onboard plus the instructor, and the prices vary according to the berth; Aft cabin; £495 for one person alone. Saloon; with limited stowage, £395. Forecabin with ensuite; £375 each for two sharing or £650 alone, when available. August 15 – 17th. ‘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 £695 (cabin sharing, £650 each). Or see Practical Crewing above. Next availability; May 20 – 24th (1 Place left), June 2 – 7th (FULL), September 23 – 27th (FULL). ‘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. Ask for more details if you possess the pre-quirements linked above. June 2 – 7th (FULL).  ‘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. September 23 – 27th (FULL)

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 won’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 2023 season. Cost £75 weekday & £95 weekend. First of the 2024 season will be May 25th (FULL) & June 19th. Yes, describing it as a “taster” is an understatement. It was a practical and thoroughly excellent training day. It’s a credit to your skill and confidence to take two complete novices to sailing at sea out into force 7+ and make it feel so easy. Your training plan and instruction was just right and delivered with clarity and a sense of humour which quickly removed any tension. I know Peter had as much fun as I did and we both came away with a heightened enthusiasm. – David  

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. Next availability; June 17+18th  

Liam; ‘The group have enjoyed an excellent day of learning and development. The course was expertly delivered by you and we take value from the experiences you shared. How to sail and to eventually progress to RYA Day Skipper’ 

Alan Robson produced this video of his sailing experience during his five days and gaining his International Certificate of Competence. Day Skipper.mov – Google Drive

Have a look at my Theory Training Centre with this video. Training

Onboard the Hallberg Rassy training yacht, now replaced by a Sun Odyssey 419, 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

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 £125 plus £70 for the RYA. Also available One to One at £195 and online at £95 to include manual. Assessment £70 extra. Next availability; May 2nd, June 6th & September 19th. Try these links. RYA Online VHF Radio  and RYA Online VHF video Liam; ‘The group have enjoyed an excellent day of learning and development. The course was expertly delivered by you and we take value from the experiences you shared. How to sail and to eventually progress to RYA Day Skipper’.  RYA VHF 

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. Day Course: Cost £130, plus 11 to RYA. ‘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 £11 for the RYA Pack. Maximum 6 persons. Next Session; June 20th  RYA Diesel Engine

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 sailor with over 50 years in nursing to include A & E. Cost £95 plus £8.50 Pack. 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 £235. 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

Instructors Ahoy!

Last month we met in preparation for the new season and what a motley selection we are! From left to right Myself, not even showing any lines and wrinkles after 15 years of Northumbria Sailing. Next John Parlane the nautical equivalent of ‘gamekeeper turned poacher’ who, during an RYA Inspection of Lian, my previous boat, irritated me by insisting on counting all items in my First Aid Kit, pointed out that I shouldn’t have been sailing RYA Courses in Scotland and getting me banned. Then Steve Lovett  big man who eats me out of house and boat but is also my Diesel Instructor. Finally Elaine Beauchamp  reducing the instructors average age and now in the company of the RYA Examiner who granted her the Yachtmaster certificate. It will be an interesting season!

Oh What a Lovely Drenching

Last month saw the first Northumbria Sailing arranged Personal Survival Course held on the Tyne at Tyne Coast College. Here we can see Leigh, David, Thornley & Emma with James not shown. David gives his report in the Specialist Course section and Emma writes here; ‘On a bright sunny March morning I battled through the Newcastle and Tyneside traffic to attend the personal survival techniques course at Tyne Coast College. Melvyn had kindly put forward the one day course as a pertinent and practical means of gaining knowledge and raising awareness of safety whilst out and about on the water. The morning consisted of classroom presentations with subjects ranging from maritime disasters to practical considerations should you indeed need to abandon ship and use a life raft. The topics covered were interesting and sufficiently varied to hold one’s attention and the course instructor, Dan, had a pleasant and relaxed manner that encouraged participation where necessary.

After lunch (would highly recommend not eating too much!) the afternoon session was all pool based. Dry suits and buoyancy aids were donned and instructors walked us through various techniques for entering the water, positions to take whilst in the water both as an individual and as a group and techniques for moving through the water. We worked with life rafts, learning techniques to right and enter a life raft, and experience of manoeuvring the raft. The real fun began when as 2 teams we went through the drill of abandoning ship under storm conditions. Yes the pool was able to emulate rain, wind and serious swells. We followed the drills we’d practised and after what felt like an age, but was actually just long enough for each team to demonstrate they’d understood and could apply the skills we’d learned, the swells and the rain finally subsided. Exhausted yet exhilarated the day came to a close.

The instructors and fellow students made the day enjoyable and enlightening. I have a newfound awareness of safety elements I should be thinking about for our yacht and drills we should practice as a family in the safety of a pool environment. Would I recommend the course? Absolutely! Thank you Melvyn for suggesting the course and long may the college continue to run such an informative and practical course.’

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

Now finding a lost anchor is a rare occurrence but trust Rob and Faye to be the exception; ‘Can you remember our anchor that we lost in Loch Aline? Recently a sailor and diver from Loch Aline contacted us as they’d seen our video on YouTube where we had to cut our ground tackle free after it was caught on the sea bed. He asked us if we knew where it was and he’d go and have a look for us. As luck would have it, we used an app called ‘what three words’ when we cut it off, which gives us three words that identify the location that we were at. This can be convenient in a hurry when lat and long aren’t convenient and we even used it for things like monitoring our position at anchor to check that we hadn’t drifted. Anyway, we got a message back not 2 hours later from the diver saying, “it’s up!”. Remarkable! He also said that we were very unlucky; for 30m around the anchor there was nothing, but we the anchor had managed to wedge itself between where a mooring buoy connected to the sea bed and an old massive sea anchor that had been dumped into the Loch. In his words, “you’d never have gotten it out without a dive!” This made me feel a lot better having spent 2.5 hours trying to everything to set it free! Our parents are visiting Mull in April and will pick up our lost crew member and we will pay a few pints and drams of due to our local hero!’

Follow Rob & Faye’s adventures on Reach Out when the set off for France in May – Sailing Hjem

This is why I’m in the Sailing Business

Sailing Round the World

I remember hearing Robin Knox-Johnson’s voice when in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. He was suggesting to fellow rafters they they should re-arrange now rather than early in the morning when he was to set off. (he didn’t recognise my voice though….) In the event we spent an uncomfortable night in the marina. The only berth available was easy to enter but open to the fetch which came in during the night.

This is a most interesting podcast of his trip Round the World in a 32 foot ketch and well worth a 56 minute listen 

Sailing Today Podcasts

Try these Podcasts Sailing Today Podcasts.

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