Day Skipper & Competent Crew Course Easter 2019

Our first on the water course this year was over the Easter Holidays. The weekend gave us good sailing weather with favourable winds and good tides. We met on the Thursday morning and after settling in over a cuppa and a chat we got to business with a tour of the boat and a safety briefing. Everyone learned how to check and adjust their personal life jacket and of course how to deploy in in the case of an emergency.
The crew of 5 learned how to manage the sails, sail controls, engine start and checks, ropework and their roles when departing from a marina and preparing for sea. We spent a very enjoyable day around the Saltee Islands (with a lunch stop in a beautiful secluded cove alive with seabirds and grey seals). Everyone perfected their new found skills and were soon steering and trimming the sails like experts. We rounded off the day with a debrief and slept on board in Kilmore Quay.
Friday: saw us off to the Hook Peninsula and a lunch stop in the Cove in Dunmore East. We prepared a passage plan and tide checks and then sailed up the Waterford Estuary to the City Marina. It was a beautiful sail up a wooded valley and plenty of boating activity ensured we kept a good watch. We had a very pleasant evening on board with plenty of laughter and tall stories.Saturday saw us off back downstream again for an overnight stay in Dunmore East. It was a good sail with plenty of practice in manoeuvring the boat under sail and motor. After a lovely mael ashore we attended a great trad session in Powers Pub.
Sunday saw the woolly heads off again for a sail back around the Hook to Baginbun for lunch and then off again to Kilmore Quay where we practiced mooring the boat in the marina. We went from crashes to Controlled collision to gentle berthing in the space of a few hours. We then relaxed on deck on a lovely sunny evening before an evening meal in the village.
Monday saw us out again the Ballyhealy Bay and the Saltee Islands practicing our new found skills on board Yola. We had a presentation of certificates in the afternoon before making our reluctant departure from a great weekends sailing and our new made friends.
It was a great weekend and I cannot recommend it enough.