Sail Scotland 2014 by Sail Scotland

A number of the charter companies listed within these pages are also recognised RYA Training Centres. This allows them to offer a full range of RYA courses in addition to both bareboat and skippered charters. Visitors wishing to learn to sail on cruising yachts can do so, on a specific course, or perhaps combine their tuition with a skippered charter holiday on a variety of types of boats. There are also a number companies listed in this brochure which offer RYA Courses only and you will also find some of the companies in the Sailing Holidays section offering combined RYA courses and holidays. Companies which are registered Training Centres are shown by RYA symbol A typical day on a cruising course might start with a review of the weather forecast and the preparation of the passage plan over breakfast. This is then followed with a full days sailing or maneuvering exercises for your © Eda Fransden.

charter & sailing schools

UK coastal waters have to be ‘Coded’ by the Maritime Coastguard Agency. This means that a vessel has to have a certain high standard of safety equipment on board, such as lifejackets, liferaft flares, fire extinguishers, etc., and a further condition of this is that the equipment is regularly serviced. Furthermore, it provides a means by which different vessels are categorized as to the distance they may be sailed from a recognised safe haven or harbour. Most charter boats in Scotland are Coded to MCA Category 2, which means that they can sail up to 60nm from a safe haven. Others may be Coded to Category 1 allowing them to undertake passages of 120nm, whilst a few are Category 0 which allows them to cross oceans! All of the cruising areas described within this brochure, including Orkney, Shetland and St Kilda are reachable in a yacht which is Coded to Category 2. Crews wishing to venture further afield perhaps to the Faeroes or Norway will, however, need a boat which is coded to Category 1. Most companies will give details on their website of which standard of coding their yachts comply with. A list giving more details of what services the various charter companies who are members of Sail Scotland offer can be found at the back of the brochure.

crewmates, all under the watchful eye of the instructor. Having reached your destination for the evening, you might then have a barbeque ashore with a dram or two, or even continue sailing on through the night to build up your night hours. Inclement weather will provide an opportunity to catch up on the theory side of things. The rest of the crew may already be friends and/or family but even if everyone on board is a complete stranger at the start of the course, you will usually have made firm friends by the end of it. No two courses are the same, and whilst all will cover the required elements of the RYA syllabus they will almost certainly do so in a very different way. The RYA requirement for crews to qualify for its Practical Cruising qualifications – Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Preparation is five nights on board the yacht. This means that dedicated RYA courses will quite often run from Saturday to Thursday or Sunday to Friday to allow you acquire a certificate at the end of the course. A sailing course in Scotland gives you the opportunity to learn a new skill or improve on an existing one while enjoying fantastic scenery and visiting wonderful places. Many people enjoy their introduction to sailing in Scotland so much that they come back year after year to indulge in their new found passion for sailing, whether it be to further their qualifications or take charge of a boat for themselves.

During the winter period you will also find that several of the Scottish RYA Training Centre’s run shore-based navigation theory courses to support the practical sailing courses they offer during the summer. For anyone keen to learn to sail full details of all RYA training courses and where they are available can be found by visiting the RYA Training Website www.rya.org.uk/ coursestraining. DINGHY SAILING AND POWERBOAT. Scotland also has excellent facilities for those who wish to set sail in their own sailing dinghies or powerboats. Most marinas have a slipway or can assist with launching, and there are numerous slips around the coast and on inland lochs where boats may also be launched. The waters are so suitable for sailing that there are almost 150 RYA recognised clubs in Scotland - a full list can be found at www.ryascotland.org.uk Everyone loves the holiday atmosphere that is in abundance at most Scottish Sailing Schools. Whether you choose a school that is on the coast, an inland loch or an island, you can be sure of excellent instruction and lots of entertainment. Combine the finest scenery and sailing waters together with a wide selection of RYA training courses and you have the best possible range of opportunities for learning afloat, including windsurfing, dinghy sailing, cruising, power boats and racing.