October 2025

Northumbria Sailing        RYA

Sail Cruising Courses & Trips in North East England

Shore to Sail

             October’s News On and Off the Water

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 

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.

Monaco Yacht Show

Ogle at what you can’t afford. Several years ago victims Neil & Jeff, hope you’re reading this, gatecrashed Monaco marina during Race Week, when they even felt guilty having downed so many free drinks at the party. Happy Days! Monaco Yachts

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!

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 & 29^th, February 4, 11, & 12th, March 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, & 25^th, + 2 reserve dates March 19 & 31^st 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. Autumn Dates; September 24th, October 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29th November 5, 12, 19 & 26th, December 3, 10 & 17th. (now underway) 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

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 (1 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 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 2024 season. Cost £85 weekday & £110 weekend. Next session; Saturday October 18th (FULL). ‘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)

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.

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; October 28th 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 

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 £135, plus 12 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 £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

I’ll Be Back in 3 Months Time, I said to wife Maureen

One of the more unusual tasks was to board a warship, Lyme Bay, which was in dry dock in the Tyne, and deliver a VHF Assessment to 6 crew in a wardroom, high up (lots of stairs and no windows)

A bit of a palaver, as can be imagined, obtaining approval from the A&P yard and the MoD.

In fact I wasn’t pressed into naval service and allowed to go home, feeling rejected. It must have been because of my flat feet………

Family Practical Crewing Time

I was privileged to be taking an extended family of brother and sister with their partners and Dad. Here we have Dad (James), Esme & Phil, then newly weds Matt & Jane who met whilst working at Beamish museum, one of our favourite haunts.

A Full August Taster Trip 

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

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

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    

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