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 £80 weekday & £95 weekend. 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. 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. Cost from £250.
Skills Courses
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’. Pure Gallus, the name means ‘style’ in Glasgow parlance, is fitted with recent electronics to include Raymarine Axiom and Quantum Radar. You will already have a good RYA Day Skipper practical at least, meaning the certificate and varied, logged, sea miles. Prices £550 & £650. July 4 – 6th
SKIPPER SKILLS Sometimes the step between completing a RYA Day Skipper course and feeling like a confident skipper seems like a large jump, but it doesn’t need to be! This Course is aimed at improving skills of either an existing skipper or a very competent crew about to take their RYA Day Skipper Practical. Subjects tackled will be varied according to demand. For example upon signing up you will be asked which exercises you prefer and we will try and accommodate. The aim will be to give confidence and increase depth of knowledge to enable you to go out to sea and tackle the varied demands you are likely to meet. prices from £225 according to berth. Next Session; Provisionally April 11+12th.
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
June or July
We sail south in 2025 and tackle two tidal ports, aiming for Whitby, this superb destination with loads of atmosphere, fish and chips, pubs, and more pubs, all within walking distance of the marina. Probably Hartlepool on the way with its tricky drying approach channel. This is the first announcement so dates haven’t been finalised yet, so we could fit in with demand. There and back will be four days in total. Prices vary according to bunking, but from £250.
Practicals
Practical Crewing My version of RYA Competent Crew. Three days, 0930-1700hrs onboard for four persons. 5:1 maximum private tuition and you will be up to the RYA Comp Crew standard. No experience necessary. An increasingly popular course which doesn’t involve staying onboard overnight. No RYA Competent Crew certificate can be issued as this is not an official RYA Course, but a more practical one for many. ‘An excellent Practical Crewing course in a lovely boat’ – John. ‘have had a great 3 days and loved every minute’ – Roxy. Cost £350 weekdays, £450 across two weekends. Next Course; March 21 – 23rd 2025. [space_20]
This popular Course is now available stayover where you will spend two nights onboard away from Royal Quays, if possible. 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. [space_20]‘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
Own Boat Tuition
One/Two to One RYA Course or individual sessions can be arranged on your own boat. from £250/day guide rate. Tuition has been carried out at Royal Quays, Kielder and Nice, in the Med. ‘Thanks for today it was exactly what I needed’ – John
Learn to Sail
Or just brush up your skills before that sail in the Greek Isles. Tuition is on a one to one basis (or one to two), onboard the 12 metre sailing yacht based at Royal Quays marina, North Shields. Dates by mutual agreement. Cost from £250 for the day with per head discounts for extra persons. One2one will usually require another crew for safety and ability to extend the range of exercises. With notice something can often be arranged.
I can match you up with others in a similar situation, dramatically reducing the cost. Tuition can lead to RYA Competent Crew standard, without the certificate and need to attend a five day, live aboard, course.
Trips and Treats
A present for a birthday or special occasion? Just let me know and I will try and help.
How do I book?
First confirm availability with me and then pay the reservation fee, online direct to my bank, cash or cheque still acceptable. Only when payment has been received can the booking be confirmed. Please give me your age, any sailing experience, and advise me of anything relevant such as limited mobility, diet or health.
Cancellation?
If I have to cancel there would be a full refund.
River Trips
Take a short Trip in the River Tyne on my luxury yacht Pure Gallus
As a seafarer who endured seasickness in my early days I can sympathise with anyone who feels they might be a bit queasy going all the way out to sea. In this case a two hour trip motoring all the time and never going out to sea beyond Tynemouth pier ends may be just what you need. Cheaper too with a £45 cost instead of £95 for a full Saturday.
You will start and finish at Royal Quays marina which has full facilities including café and washrooms available for you to use. Onboard you will have the opportunity to steer the boat, lots of photographs and a free cup of tea too!
No special clothing, other than outdoors, is necessary but Pure Gallus comes up to commercial standards with lifejackets amongst many other safety items.
From Royal Quays a typical route will be motoring downstream past the nautical college and Little Haven beach in South Shields. Sometimes seals are seen in the river. Then returning upriver past the revitalised Fish Quay and further on past the large ships, including cruisers if berthed, then the ship terminals before returning to Royal Quays with a red face if you haven’t been applying sun block. Cost £45, £25 under 15, £35 weekday.
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 £90 you can join us for a marina and boatyard tour to identify light combinations and then off to sea to put this into practice.