RYA Practical Courses with Alba Sailing
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RYA course dates for 2012 are listed below and are updated weekly.
These courses are all 5 days in duration - extra courses will become available as the dates below fill up.
| Type | Start date | Places left | Price |
| 5 day RYA | 26th March | 1 | £450 |
| 5 day RYA | 1st April - WOMEN ONLY | FULL | £450 |
| 5 day RYA | 15th April | 3 | £450 |
| 5 day RYA | 29th April | 1 | £450 |
| 5 day RYA | 13th May | FULL | £475 |
| 5 day RYA | 10th June | FULL | £475 |
| 5 day RYA | 24th June | FULL | £475 |
| 5 day RYA | 8th July | FULL | £475 |
| 5 day RYA | 22nd July | FULL | £475 |
| 5 day RYA | 5th August | FULL | £475 |
| 5 day RYA | 26th August | 3 | £475 |
| 5 day RYA | 2nd September | 4 | £450 |
| 5 day RYA | 16th September | 5 | £450 |
| 5 day RYA | 30th September | 5 | £450 |
| 5 day RYA | 7th October | 5 | £450 |
| 5 day RYA | 14th October | 5 | £450 |
| Pontoon bashing | 24th March | 3 | £99 |
| Pontoon bashing | 31st March | 4 | £99 |
| Hebridean Experience | 19th May - 2nd June | 4 | £999 |
| Hebridean Experience | 11th - 25th August | FULL | £999 |
We DO accept RYA gift vouchers. We DO NOT accept ILA's (Individual Learning Accounts) due to the absurd amount of administration involved.
Meet our Chief Instructor - Alison Gemmell (Ali)
Having
learned to sail dinghies at school and then graduated
to cruising
yachts later on, Ali brings more than 20 years &
60,000 miles
sailing experience to Alba Sailing. Ali is a qualified RYA
Yachtmaster Instructor who has sailed on modern yachts, classic yachts
and Tall Ships on seas and oceans throughout the world and
believes that Scotland offers the finest sailing waters
anywhere.
Scottish waters with fast tides, changeable weather and a
wealth
of islands to experience offers an ideal environment for both
cruising and teaching.
Ali
is passionate about helping people learn &
develop skills. Patience, good communication and of course a
sense of humour are key to gaining confidence and past students have
gone home tired but elated after a week's training course with
Ali.
In addition to the full range of RYA courses, Alba Sailing also offers tailored training courses, so if you want to brush up on skills or build miles outwith the RYA framework Ali can help you meet your goals. From one day intensive power handling courses to a week's training with the family why not contact us to discuss your needs.
In addition to the full range of RYA courses, Alba Sailing also offers tailored training courses, so if you want to brush up on skills or build miles outwith the RYA framework Ali can help you meet your goals. From one day intensive power handling courses to a week's training with the family why not contact us to discuss your needs.
RYA
Course Information
During all our RYA courses you will live on board the yacht and be involved in all the various aspects of cruising from keeping a lookout at night to washing up the dishes. Alba Sailing offers a range of RYA Courses and options to suit all requirements for complete beginners through to the standard required for the DoT Yachtmaster exam.
For more details and answers to FAQ's click here.
We provide a suggested packing list - you can download it here.
On all courses we try to mix abilities - on any course there will probably be Competent Crew Students, Day Skipper Students and possibly Coastal Skipper students.
We also hire 'Oilies' (Waterproof Sailing suits) for sailors who don't have their own gear. (see Downloads page for prices)
To book a place
please phone or email to confirm
availability - then download the RYA
Course
Application form and print it
out, complete it and return it with
your £100 deposit (or full payment if you are sailing within
8
weeks of booking) - we will send you confirmation and we will invoice
you for the balance and send you joining instructions, packing list etc
nearer the time.
General Course Information
All the
courses are 5
days duration and you may choose from a wide choice of yachts and dates
to meet your requirements, the only proviso being that there needs to
be a minimum of 3 students to obtain the maximum benefit from the
course. Individuals are welcome subject to our ability to
find
two others willing to participate at the same time as yourself. Groups
of friends are easier to arrange. If there are 3 or more of you we will
run a course for you on any dates you like subject to a suitable yacht
being available.
The food provided is of a very high
standard and
there is plenty of it. All the main meals are home cooked and of
course any special dietary arrangements can be catered for
such as
Coeliacs, Halal, Wheat intolerance, Lactose intolerance, Kosher,
Vegetarian, Vegan, Pescetarian etc etc
Courses run from March through to November and generally commence on a Sunday afternoon at 1400 hrs and return to Dunstaffnage Marina at 1200 hrs the following Friday. However we are flexible so depending on demand, dates can be arranged to suit your requirements.
The cost is £450 - £475 per person including VAT at 20%, full board, diesel fuel and gas. No extras!!
Courses run from March through to November and generally commence on a Sunday afternoon at 1400 hrs and return to Dunstaffnage Marina at 1200 hrs the following Friday. However we are flexible so depending on demand, dates can be arranged to suit your requirements.
The cost is £450 - £475 per person including VAT at 20%, full board, diesel fuel and gas. No extras!!
Competent Crew - Open to all ages
This is meant for those with little or no experience to help them learn to become a useful crew member.
Day Skipper - Minimum age 16 years
Previous
experience of sailing
is
required
with a minimum of 5 days sailing including 4 night hours and
at
least 100 miles logged. Basic sailing ability and navigation skills are
required and ideally you will already have completed the Day Skipper
theory course. On successful completion of the course you
will be
able to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day.
Coastal Skipper - Minimum age 18 years
For those with a minimum of 15 days (2 as skipper), 300 miles and 8 night hours who have navigational skills to Coastal Skipper shore based standard and practical sailing ability to Day Skipper standard. This course will enable a person to skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day and night upon completion of the course. This is a practical completion course, not an exam, and if you wish to take the DoT Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster Exam you will need to make arrangements for the examiner yourself with the RYA - we will gladly supply the contact details. We will be happy to supply the yacht for an extra day for the exam for a nominal fee after the five day course and ask the other people on board to stay for the extra day to crew for you - most are usually very happy to do this.If you are not sure what level you are at or would like any guidance or questions answered just email us or call - we are here to help. We all had a first time at sea and some of us are just about young enough to remember it!
Hebridean Experience!
In 2011 we ran two - 2 week cruises to St Kilda but many people were shocked by the staggering beauty of the Outer Hebrides whilst waiting for a weather window to get out to St Kilda. For 2012 we will be running two - 2 week cruises just to explore the Outer Hebrides in all their glory. If the weather is particularly settled we will pop over to St Kilda but that will not be the main objective.
We
will
explore some
stunning locations such as the Wizards Pool, Mingulay, Vatersay,
Benbecula, the beaches of North Uist, Loch Maddy, the Shiant Island
group, Rona, Raasay and much of the Isle of Skye.
Places are strictly limited and the dates and number of places left are shown above.
The price is £999 per berth inclusive of berthing fees, diesel, gas and most meals ie NO extras!
It is possible to gain an RYA qualification during this cruise. The skipper on both cruises will be Alison Gemmel (Ali) who is a vastly experienced sailor and knows these waters like the back of her hand. She is also great fun!!
The yacht we will be using is Oceanlord. Places will be limited to 6 persons even though she is a 10 berth boat. This will provide a higher degree of comfort and personal space and make life in the cockpit and around the saloon table very easy.
Women only courses
The emphasis on all our courses is above all to enjoy the experience of sailing in these beautiful waters whilst learning new techniques and skills. Many women find learning easier and more fun when sailing with a female skipper and crew so we are pleased to be able to offer any RYA course for women only - the difficulty is finding groups of 4 - 5 women! If there are a few of you who would like to sail together please let us know and we will do our best to put on a women only course for you. Our chief Instructor is a woman.
Family Courses
Sometimes the whole family wish to undertake an RYA course - maybe Mum and Dad want to do their Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper and maybe the kids want to do their Competent Crew. No problem! For a minimum of 4 people we will put on a course just for you - subject to the availability of a suitable boat and instructor. Please call for further details.
What do our customers say about our RYA courses?
'I was very nervous about a) getting on a yacht for the first time and b) getting on to a boat with 4 men that I didn't know. I need not have worried, Brian (the Skipper) was so welcoming and thoughtful, I had a cabin to myself and the other chaps were great. I passed my Competent Crew and make some really good friends that I will keep in touch with. It was really great experience!! Thank you Alba Sailing for starting me off on the road to being a sailor! ' (Katy R. from Somerset - April 2009)'Just wanted to say thanks for a truly outstanding RYA course with Alba Sailing - I did my Comp Crew on the South Coast, my Day Skipper in Wales and my Coastal Skipper with yourselves. The quality of the boat, the scenery, the breathtaking anchorages and the patience and knowledge of the Skipper left the others far behind. The organization and quality of the food were superb. A BIG thank you to all concerned - see you for my Yachtmaster next year!!' (Jonathan P-B from London - June 2009)
'I don't know how you prepare food at sea on a two burner stove that is better than I have had in many restaurants!!! I don't know where such a young Skipper finds so much patience and local knowledge. I also now know what I don't know about sailing! I will be back next year to learn some more. Thanks for everything!' (Keith P from Aberdeen - May 2009)
'You have proved to me that great service IS still available in the UK - thanks for restoring my faith!!' (Lynn F. from Newcastle upon Tyne - April 2009)
'Just got home and had a long soak in a hot Radox bath and reflected upon the last 5 days. It would be rude not to write to you to thank you for the organization that went into the RYA course last week and the way everything was run. The boat - Clear Blue - was first class, the Skipper was brilliant - knowledgeable and humorous, we felt totally safe even when the wind really picked up, the food was astonishing, and the places we went to were just magical. The people we met were fantastic - the group gelled really well and we will be exchanging photo CD's in due course - I will send you a copy.' (David M from Manchester - September 2009)
'I left shore as a boy - and returned as a man!!!' (name withheld to spare blushes!)