Night sailing, parking practice, and boat handling (1)

PLEASE NOTE: Signup for our events must be made through the London Sailing Club website, and not via Meetup - click here to register. If you are not already a member of the club you will need to become a full or social member which you can do by clicking here.

Want to practise your boat handling skills or gain more confidence parking yachts in marinas? Fancy refreshing your night sailing skills? Join us for a busy 24 hours to do both, in time for a new sailing season.

Parking a boat and night sailing are two of the things we learn on our Day Skipper course, but they can continue to cause anxiety even for experienced sailors. To give club members an opportunity to practise these skills before a new sailing season gets underway in earnest, we're running two training days in February - this page is for the trip on Friday / Saturday but click here if you would prefer to come on Saturday / Sunday.

This is a non-commercial trip costing £130 run on a shared-cost basis.

Plan
Arrive at Port Hamble marina for a quick dinner (not included in the event cost), an evening briefing, and few hours of night sailing in the Solent. After returning to the marina, the following day will be spent practising close quarters boat handling, including berthing/unberthing the yacht in various scenarios and different states of tide. If there is time there may be an opportunity to practise other skills like MOB recovery or mooring under sail but the focus will be on close quarters manoeuvring. The boat will return to the marina for a quick tidy-up, and you should be free to leave by 4pm.
No formal instruction will be offered, and everyone aboard will do an equal share of the driving and the leading of the manoeuvres. Simon Tottman will act as the Skipper and will have final say on the itinerary. The weekend is being organised by Club Chair Maurice MacSweeney.

Participants
This event is not suitable for beginners and those attending will already need to have had some sailing experience, and most likely will have completed a Day Skipper practical course. Priority will be given to those participating in the club's Take The Helm programme, and those who have expressed interest in skippering for future club trips.
We want to give as many members as possible the opportunity to practise their skills, so whilst you are welcome to express interest in attending both days, we may not be able to confirm your place for the 2nd day until nearer the time.

Yacht
We’ve chartered a 37ft Beneteau Oceanis. It's coded for 8 people but we'll be a maximum of 5 plus skipper to ensure everyone has enough space and plenty of time on the helm. Accommodation will be aboard the yacht in shared double cabins.

Skipper
This event is skippered by club member and former Chair Simon Tottman, who has skippered well over 200 days / 5000 miles on yachts from 37’ to 53’, mainly in the Solent but also in the Med and Caribbean, as well as skippering Round the Island and Cowes Week races and crewing across the Atlantic. Simon holds the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore, Yachtmaster Instructor, VHF, PB2, First Aid, Sea Survival and Offshore Safety qualifications.

Kit
No special or expensive sailing kit required! Just bring practical footwear and warm clothing to suit the weather forecast - you're likely to need warm layers. Lifejackets are provided. Foul weather gear can be hired locally if needed. Towels and bedding aren’t provided, so please bring a towel, pillow and sleeping bag. Don't forget to bring some gloves, a warm hat and, if you have one, a headtorch with a red light.

Cost
This is a non-commercial trip run on a shared-cost basis. The cost is £130 per person, which covers the yacht charter, fuel, marina/harbour fees, breakfasts, lunches, snacks and soft drinks, and a £5 contribution to the club's Muck Up Fund which allows us to help skippers on club trips manage the risk of accidental damage caused by trip participants. The event fee doesn’t cover evening meals or getting yourself to/from the trip. We ask for the full amount up front to secure your place. Note that, because this trip is being advertised via the London Sailing Club’s platforms, any participant who is not already a full member of the Club (which costs £24 per year) will need to join prior to the start of the trip.

London Sailing Club terms and conditions apply.