I Am Sailing – Part 4
Table of Contents
Qualified Sailors 1
The RYA 1
Neilson 2
First Training Day 3
The Training 3
Lesson One 4
The Drill 5
Qualified Sailors
Jean and I knew that, to have a chance to sail solo – there were a few hurdles to get over.
We did have a sort of start – in addition to me swimming in Elton reservoir, that is.
The Tall Ship trip I did – from Liverpool to Oban (see ‘I Am Sailing- Part 3’) was marked by the award of an RYA “Competent Crew’ Accreditation’
The RYA
The authority for accreditation, in the UK is The Royal Yachting Association (RYA)
The national governing body for dinghy, motor and sail cruising, all forms of sail racing, windsurfing and personal watercraft.
With a range of qualifications from Beginners, through Intermediate to Advance in, not just various disciplines but also different environments – e.g. My Level 2 Day Skipper is limited to – ‘non-tidal waters – as it was passed through sailing on the Greek Ionian – more later.
I was happy with that – as I had no ambition to sail around a wet and cold UK coastline – with all its variable tides and different clearances for entering marinas and harbours – too much buggering about for what you get.
I much preferred sailing straight into Levkas Harbour on the South Ionian.
That does introduce the fact that – some RYA qualifications are based on written examinations whilst others are based on actual performance on the water – sometimes for a minimum number of hours or days – just like a trainee pilot getting – ‘Airtime’.
Jean had actually signed up for – and passed -one of Roger’s evening courses in navigation at Elton Sailing club – purely out of interest – she just liked doing it – and we never got lost in Greece.
So – how did we both get RYA Day Skipper Level 2?
Jean liked to research – and found that some sail holidays were also set up as practical training courses for beginners- the model seemed to be a two-week holiday – first week – days on the water with a personal trainer, – land hotel at night. Second week – if you met the standard -you get your own 39’ yacht (well – for a week!) as part of a flotilla – of 8 – 10 boats – with a support ‘lead boat’ containing a fleet skipper – a first mate and an engineer for technical backup.
To get into the second week – solo/ flotilla sailing – you needed to achieve the RYA standard Level 2, which they were accredited to award (I assume with some strict vetting).
A number of companies offered these holidays/courses – one of the biggest being Sunsail.
Jean finally favoured a company called Neilson Sailing – based on better reviews and the sailing area i.e. Southern Ionian – and not so much on price – we didn’t want a cheap rubber stamp.
Neilson
Couple of months later – towards the end of June, we are on a short haul flight out of Manchester. -arrived on time and picked up immediately and in – the fleet base – Nidri – half an hour later.
N.B. Neilsons now moved base to Vounaki – in the same area.
Nice hotel close to the water, with its own pool and a few minutes’ walk from the Neilson private jetty, main street and beach of Nidri. The hotel being B&B- but with a nice bar and snacks.
We discovered- when we did a short walking explore that evening – plenty of choice for restaurants, bars and shops on both the main street and the beach.
Tried the Catamaran Restaurant (Italian) which did a great Calzone and a nice house dry white.
So, No problem with catering then.
Night cap in the hotel bar and off to bed.
First Training Day
Nice breakfast – English and Continental.
Followed by the Introduction meeting,
Greeting from the Manager and introduction of the main staff.
Referred to a notice board, which indicates the table numbers to which each couple is allocated – to meet their trainer.
We get there and meet – Brigitte, young English girl – and an English couple – Matt and Karen – about Jean and I’s age, who were training with us – each trainer taking on four pupils.
Comfortable chat- exchanging names and bits of background – probably took a few days to find out –
Brigitte – an ex trainee barrister – who had enough of the city – and learned to sail and got out of it and ended up here.
Matt – a British Airways pilot – Karen – BA cabin crew.
We soon found out that she could mix a wicked gin & tonic – and he was a wizard on the fleet radio.
I don’t know how they allocate places- but there seemed to be some broad compatibility – and in fact, we kept in e-mail/Facebook contact with all three of them for some years.
The Training
Starting with some theory before we are actually allowed on a boat,
Left the hotel to transfer to a table by the pool.
I should update – now late June – we hadn’t seen a cloud in the sky since we landed. Temperature about mid 30C with a cooling breeze later in the day, we did find out, on later visits – that in July it was consistently over 40C – and we tended to visit May or June as we got older – just too hot – unless you are moving fast on the water.
Lesson One
Brigitte – with illustrations – goes through the structure – and its terminology, of a sailing yacht – specific to the Bavaria models we will be sailing.
Then – how you move one in the wind – I did have a basic understanding of the fact that you can’t sail forward into the wind and it’s better coming from the side – and this means – as you can’t control the winds – the boat has to find routes that make use of what you’ve got and it is often not possible to go in a straight line from start point to the destination.
But a good start for everyone.
Then – down to our boat. The Neilson fleet used different categories of names each time they upgraded.
Our era was -woman’s names – so the training boat was – ‘Claudia’.
Not very new – it was only a trainer, and I noted that it had a rudder – a large wooden beam projecting into the cockpit – connected, at the stern, to the rudder – under water at the base of the stern – the angle of which determined our heading i.e. direction of movement.
We were told later that, we deliberately started with a rudder – which was a bit of an anachronism on modern boats, which invariably had a large steering wheel. The logic being – when that type of steering, was mastered, then a steering wheel – which all the flotilla boats, had – was a lot easier.
The traditional rudder did take up space in the cockpit and had the initial peculiarity – that, to turn right (starboard) you had to pull the rudder left (port) and vice versa. You get used to it after a while – but a wheel is easier and more comfortable in the cockpit.
First essential – safety checks – the boats are well equipped with –
A gas hob and oven e.g. always turn gas off at the cylinder and leave hob burning until the gas feeder pipe is emptied.
• Electric fridge/freezer
• Toilet /shower
• Navigation desk – with GSP
• Navigation charts and
• Pilot (a detailed manual – how to recognise a destination with landmarks e.g. 3 windmills (invaluable)-
and, best approaches –
and – hazards …etc.
and sleeping for four.
Followed by a briefing on what at least one of each couple had to master in order to earn an RYA Level 2 Day skipper accreditation and join the flotilla.
Brigitte says that they have refined the requirements to:
• An acceptable ‘Competent Crew Accreditation – I point out, I have an RYA accreditation and she says – in that case – at the end of the training I will get a free International Certificate of Competence (ICC) a necessary for sailing outside the UK. _ ‘Assuming that I survived!’ (her little joke).
Man Overboard under Sail
What turned out to be – the real test – recovering a person gone overboard – while under sail i.e. not motoring.
Both trainees; had to perform the drill – successfully.
Very logical when you think.
On flotilla, each pair will be sailing alone and sometimes some distance away from the flotilla and the support boat. The timetable included free sailing days – when, rather than meeting up each evening with the rest of the flotilla – you could sail and berth overnight wherever you chose.
There was always radio contact, of course – and the lead boat had to be kept aware of your location and plans – or changes to them – every day.
So, worst scenario – which they have to consider.
It’s me that goes overboard, and Jean has to handle the boat – but crucially, under sale. That is no engine, no easy steering – and a sail and wind doing what they like.
Far more difficult than with a motor – but a situation which is perfectly feasible.
The Drill
Nobody had to actually jump into the water.
Brigitte would sit in the cockpit, quite relaxed.
One of us on the rudder – under sail – no motor.
She suddenly grabs a fender – within reach.
Fender – inflated plastic rugby shape – in our case – about a metre long.) – used to hang outside the hull and protect the boat hull when tying up against a jetty or another boat.
She throws it overboard and, of course, it floats. The boat, under sail continues past, we don’t have brakes and the fender -. Now a person in the water, is – left behind.
The essential drill has to be memorised and succesfully performed.
1. Equivalent to a hand break turn – the rudder is thrust to the right / starboard – away from the person steering. (a steering wheel would be turned sharp left)
2. This causes the boat to lose speed and, naturally, turn to face the wind and become stationary.
3. Drop mainsail and jib.- (front one at the bow)
4. Turn engine on.
5. Now have steerage – turn back towards the fender – and motor back direct to the fender – heading right into the wind – to slow our approach to – what is a body – remember.
Close in on the body – reverse motor to come to a halt alongside and turn engine off – don’t want a turning propellor with somebody in the water, grab a grappling hook and hook the fender back on board – i.e. assist the body to climb back on board.
Matt and I OK – Jean (having revised every night) cracked it and Karen got there as well. – I think Brigitte was just happy that we could probably manage, in the event it happened.
So, the four of us stay on for the flotilla.
Few days off – pool, beach and bars – the girls needed a break from homework.
Bring on the flotilla!