Our Guarantee


Sail Training

Sail Training...

Introduction to Sailing
$440
1 live-aboard weekend

Competent Crew
$880
2 live-aboard weekends

Yachtmaster Practical
$440
Exam Coaching live-aboard weekends

RYA Theory...

RYA Yachtmaster Theory
$990
3 weekends 8-4pm

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory
$990
10 4-hr standalone modules

Ocean Sailing...

Mate of Watch Course will be available on the
Sydney-New Caledonia passage in September 2023
And again on the New Caledonia-Bundaberg passage in October

Yachtmaster Ocean Qualifier will be available on the
Sydney-New Caledonia passage in September 2023
And again on the New Caledonia-Bundaberg passage in October
* See pricing note at foot of page


Important Information

Sailing Calendar

What you get for your money

Training weekend information

Student reviews

Global Ethics

Training enquiry form



We want our members to be great, safe sailors. So this is our guarantee to you: all our Sail Training comes with these benefits

Before choosing any establishment to teach you to sail, ask them these questions...


Value for moneyWe do     Do they
Do they provide...18 hours of hands-on practical training for $400                                        
Meals and accommodation free of charge



Safety & ComfortWe do     Do they
Do they have...an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor with proven communication skills
a patient trainer who remains patient if I make mistakes
a safe, stable training vessel
a proper toilet on board with washing facilities
a trainer who arranges tasks to suit my age, strength and capabilities     
drinking water on board and a meal if I'm on board at meal times
an opportunity to do some serious sailing



Cancellations and weather We do     Do they
Do they have a plan to...keep me learning if the wind dies - or a strong southerly kicks in
reschedule my course if I can't make the dates
get me back ashore if I feel unwell while sailing



Privacy & Gender issues We do     Do they
Do they have...separate accommodation for single women to share on board                       
double-berth accommodation for couples to share
an equal opportunities policy in their training environment



Poverty ActionWe do     Do they
Do they have a scheme...for you or your company to support charity with a sailing day?     



Our Guarantee to You

Safety & Comfort

Will I be trained by a professional trainer or just an enthusiastic amateur?

Absolutely professional - enthusiastic and professional!
Certificate IV in Workplace Training
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Instructor:
50,000 miles offshore as skipper including three Atlantic crossings , one Trans-Pacific, two Tasman Sea crossings Bass Strait.

Will people be patient if I make mistakes?

Absolutely!
A lot of shouting on board is a sign of a skipper who's not in control. History shows that the great naval captains were the ones who planned ahead and thought calmly. Aggression is strictly verboten on this boat, sailing is for fun. You should never pay to get shouted at.

How safe is your training vessel?

Very safe.
Undertaken in a properly controlled environment, sailing should be very safe. As with any sport, there are dangers, but your safety always comes first.
Winches - We have a rule on board that no-one is allowed, or even asked, to use any winches, ropes or equipment, until they've been shown how to use it safely and are confident about doing so. If that takes a little while, no problem. Safety first!
The boom - The size of our training vessel means that she heels less than smaller racing yachts and the boom swings safely past, 6 feet away from where you'll be standing. On most yachts - training and racing - the mainsail boom swings dangerously low, often at head-height over the cockpit. This can be a source of major injury on training boats - hence the old joke that it's called the 'boom' because it's the last thing you'll hear before they take you to hospital. Not if your standing in the cockpit of this yacht!
Life-saving equipment - Life jackets, man-overboard buoy with light, flares, harnesses: The equipment we carry is the same as for a voyage to New Zealand - more than enough to be safe in Sydney Harbour.

I've heard horror stories of having to use a bucket as a toilet ! - Tell me that's never going to happen!

Never! There's a proper toilet, washbasin and even a shower.

Will it be too much physical work for me to handle?

No!
You can do as much or as little as you want. Of course, you'll learn more if you do more, but you'll never be asked to do anything you don't want to do. The youngest student so far is 12 and oldest were in their eighties, so come along and give it a try.

Do I have to bring my own food and drinking water

No!
There's drinking water on tap, tea, coffee, cordial, snacks and fruit all freely available. And breakfast, lunch and dinner if you're on board when it's that time of day. Even a hobbit wouldn't go hungry.

But we will get to do some serious sailing, won't we?

Absolutely!
Our training vessel is an ocean-going thoroughbred. She has clocked over 14 knots at sea for hours at a time and regularly clocks 10+ knots in the harbour (for those who don't know, 14 knots is about as exciting as you need!) Regarding racing and things, our trainer has worked on Sydney 38s match racing in Pittwater and enjoys hard sailing as much as anyone - so long as the crew are enjoying themselves!

Cancellations due to personal circumstances or weather

What if the wind just dies - or a strong southerly kicks in? Will my weekend be wasted?

No!
Because our vessel is a fully equipped ocean-going yacht, we have lots of choices (no drifting under a baking sun for us!) Our 70 HP motor will take you to an anchorage where you can have lunch or tea then switch to some essential theory - there's VHF radio, radar, ropework, charts, the opportunities are endless. And if there's too little wind, there's the inflatable dinghy to learn to drive, the rigging aloft to inspect (er.. that bit's voluntary). Or maybe try a swim - to enhance your understanding of the boat's underwater geometry, of course - and then there's more tea, coffee, cordial, cake.

What if life catches me out and I just can't do the weekend I'd planned to do, will my money be wasted?

No!
These things sometimes happen. So long as we've kept in touch as plans change, if you've paid in full, We will always offer you a future date, mutually agreed, when you can try again.

What if I'm unwell or it's one of those days and I'm not up to staying on board? Will my money be wasted?

No!
You can be taken ashore (met ashore if need be) and we will always offer you the chance to rejoin a course at a future date, mutually agreed again, to complete what you've started.
And if you simply don't get on with sailing - maybe you're one of those unlucky people who gets sea-sick in the bath - we'll get you ashore somewhere near a bus or train station and let you transfer the unused part of your course to a friend - how's that?

Privacy and Gender issues

I'm a single woman, will I have to share a cabin with anyone?

Yes, possibly with another woman.
We never put women and men in a shared cabin (well, not unless they're happy to share, of course!) Bookings are always scheduled with this in mind. There are two twin-bunk cabins and a double-berth cabin, with it's own shower-room. When you book, you'll be asked to stipulate if you want to share with a friend. Sometimes, if the numbers stack up that way, you may be asked to share with another woman.

We're a couple, will we be able to share a cabin?

Yes.
There are two twin-bunk cabins and a double-berth cabin, with it's own shower-room. When you book, you'll be asked if you are coming with a friend and bookings are always scheduled with this in mind. Sometimes (very, very rarely) the mix of women, men and couples means that a couple may be asked if they'd sleep separately - that is to say each share a twin-bunk cabin with another person of the same gender.

Is this an equal opportunities yacht?

Absolutely!
Our trainer has sailed thousands of miles and crossed oceans with all girl crews: the Atlantic with only his two daughters aged 11 and 15 as crew and New Zealand to Sydney with two French women and a Canadian teenager. He has also sailed the Med, the Caribbean and brought the yacht from the UK to Australia with just his wife and daughters. They all participated fully - handling sails, steering, keeping watch and still enjoy sailing with him now! Everyone has the chance to do as much as they want and, as with any proper team, if you get tired someone else will come and give you a hand - female or male is of no importance.

Poverty Action

Can I arrange a company or club sailing day to raise money for a charity?

Yes!
We are happy to set up days when our trainer could teach groups of 6 to 8 on a weekday as a fund-raiser. There are some pre-requisites laid down by NSW Maritime, the Tax Office and by NSW fund-raising authorities which we have to observe, for example, the charity has to be Australian Registered.

2023
Ocean Sailing

Sydney - New Caledonia

22nd September - 6th October
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New Caledonia - Bundaberg

28th October - 10th November

14 day RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Qualifier - $2100 AUD

Fun Sailing
Sail Training

Sail The Pacific Lagoons of New Caledonia

8th - 27th October

3 x 7 days cruises of fun sailing, mile-building and maybe some training - $1150 AUD

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Sail The Great Barrier Reef

14th - 30th November

2 x 7 days cruises of fun sailing, mile-building and maybe some training - $1150 AUD

Coastal Sailing

Mackay - Southport

2nd December - 8th December
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Southport - Sydney

9th December - 16th December

2x 7 day RYA Yachtmaster mile-builders - $1050 AUD

* See pricing note at foot of page