Sailing Centre's

[whitingiom]

Hi Dave

We've had a few moments recently with booms hitting heads (including my eldest who really should know better).

Then there's towing a fully de-rigged dinghy in a nice flat sea, against pulling 4 or 5 in a chop with rudders down, centre boards in place, outhauls tight etc.

Accepting there's always a dearth of drivers, I think sailing clubs have to consider who they're putting through the training and how often they're going to do it.....regular practice has certainly sharpened me up this year.

I wouldn't consider myself ready for instructor training yet, and we've had ribs for 4 years, and sailed an RS 400 before that.

I'm doing safety boat crew for National 18's championships over the weekend ...with a very experienced helm and I'm sure I'll learn from it.

Safe sailing

Jon

[Jono Garton]

Originally Posted by davidmanning

For the record, the beach hut is a superb location - They also have access to toilets/showers

Dave

I've not mentioned names, i'm purely saying a local sailing school operates from a beach hut without toilets or showers and as far as I believe they do not have toilets and showers on site.

Originally Posted by davidmanning

The front room comment is directed at me and our new centre in Pwllheli

Again, Dave I've not mentioned names. I'm purely bringing up the fact that a new centre as recently opened up and they are operating from someone's front room. Is this incorrect?

When I was going for my instructors and set up PPT I completed 4 level 2's at various centres to see what the competition was like, one was in someone's garage on the side of their house, one in a caravan, one in a coastguard station and one in a Professional run centre, all were excellent centres and courses. I'm just making a point-

"Should anyone be allowed to open up in their front room?"

As for the comments on PPT's Southampton operation, I set out to try the market in Southampton and set up good RYA RTC with proper premises etc we operated for 1 year issued close to 1000 certificates, broke even, got screwed by MDL and made them allot of money, realised Southampton is along way from Pwllheli, decided it wasn't for PPT and if I had the choice would do it again.

Regards

Jono

[DM]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

I believe they do not have toilets and showers on site.

That's correct. They have the use of private facilities within easy walking distance. (as per RYA guidelines) They don't have to share the facilities with the general public.

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

"Should anyone be allowed to open up in their front room?"

Your post is misleading. Yes, the training room is at the front of the building. It's also equipped with modern desks and chairs, powerpoint presentations and more teaching aids than you can shake a stick at so I really don't see what your problem is.

If you have a problem with ASS or 1st Wave centres, why don't you address them face to face with either me or Mike instead of sniping from behind the safety of your computer.

Alternatively, you could contact Rod Carr or Paul Mara at the RYA but do try and get your facts straight this time .

DM

[jwalker]

Do you instructors carry knives?

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Do you instructors carry knives?

nah were far to good at self defence to bother!

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

The other things that bugs me is the amount of Powerboat Instructors that can only drive RIBS and havn't got a clue about hard boats.

Jono

http://www.professional-powerboat-tr...o.uk/craft.htm

if you look here you'll see they have similar handling charecteristics

personally I think it's a lot easier to high side a hardboat than a Rib, but hey it's fun getting there!

Out of interest my instructors course did have a Rib ,a planing hardboat and a displacement craft

[Gray]

I must say, to me, the idea of training and accommodation in the same place is novel and will probably appeal to a lot of people as they can use it as a weekend activity break kind of thing!

I read somewhere that an MDL Marina has set up some small units for business's to rent, can't remember where but presumably its the south coast as I believe they have a strangle hold in the marina industry down this way.

I've also heard many horror stories about MDL and their service towards customers / tenants etc. What happened to you Jono that made you want to move all the way back to Wales? Is there something you should be warning other Ribnetters that maybe looking to utilise MDL premises?

[Swifty]

I think what it all boils down to is that when someone offers to helm and -oh by the way I have a L2 & SB, just ask the question "what boat did you do it in?". Not all RYA centres have a variety of boats to use, and too often people assume too much.

There is no requirement for teaching in different types of craft. Though it would be good marketing to make use of an inflatable, hard boat, rib and a displacement during a course but would be impracticle for most.

At our centre we have a 4m RIB (very flat bottom), 4m hard boat, 5.4m RIB, 5.8m RIB with twin ob, and soon will have a 7m displacement. When we do the safety boat course we have canoes, kayaks, windsurfers, kitesurfers, sailing dinghys and catamaran. There are not many centres that can offer this number of toys.

Maybe we should endorse the L2 certificate RIB / Hard boat / displacement etc instead of planing / displacement?

Tim'mers.

[ben5883]

i think this thread is just a general winge at peoples abilities i completed powerboat l2 + SB in ribs and when i became a dinghy instructor also carried out farious tasks in hard boats and inflatables, but i have only been doing it for six years and every rescue and different conditions are always testing and i learn a new thing every time i am out on the water, but by no means am i an expert and i expect some of u who have had boats for many years are better than me and some of you may not even have ever done a course and still be more skilled, the only way to learn is experience and you cant teach that, so go easy on the people who have only been doin it a short time.

I do understand that it is a tough choice of weather they should teach or not but an instructor works under supervision of the principal or SI.

As for centres my first centre i worked in was 1st just an onld maize container and soon became recognised both by th RYA and LASER boats as one of the top centres in the UK for what they had to effer and customers loved it, now that it has a new building etc it is just a good and by no means better, it is not where u hold the course that matters its the people who deliver it and the how satisfied the client is at the ens.

Just thought id put my view across and GRAY NICE LITTLE DIG AT MDL !! LOL

[Simon Hawkins]

Originally Posted by Swifty

Maybe we should endorse the L2 certificate RIB / Hard boat / displacement etc instead of planing / displacement?

Tim'mers.

Interesting thread. Endorsements on level 2 are either for displacement or planing as most of us know. It would seem that the discussion about hard boats is excluding sports boats, which will come under the planing endorsement so dont really see what other types of hulls you could have.

Simon

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by ben5883

i think this thread is just a general winge...... you may not even have ever done a course and still be more skilled, the only way to learn is experience and you cant teach that.....

Well said, Ben.