Coastal Skipper

August 1999
After the stories of all the rough, cold weather, here was a training experience with a difference – sun and blissful heat in the stunning surroundings of the Andaman Sea!

I had travelled from Brunei to Phuket in Thailand to take part in a practical Coastal Skipper course. There were two other potential Coastal Skippers and one Day Skipper on board. At this point, I should explain that the UK based Royal Yachting Association run courses to encourage safety and competency in boat handling among both sailors and power boat owners. For sailors, novices take the Competent Crew course, while those with some experience take the Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper courses. Part of the attraction of doing this course with Sunsail in Thailand was that it is the only RYA accredited centre outside Europe.

We sailed a Bénéteau Oceanis 390 named Madelena, length overall 38' 3", beam 12' 9", draft 5'5". With a furling jib and mainsail, it had a sail area of 791 sq. ft. The wide bimini over the cockpit shaded us from the searing rays of the sun and the electric windlass made the frequent task of raising and lowering the anchor physically easy. Changing and packing sails were clearly not to be of importance that week!

Our instructor for the five day course started by giving us a thorough briefing about the boat down below, pointing out the layout and the stowage of everyday things including food and drinks. He highlighted, for example, the locations of lifejackets and harnesses and explained how to pump the bilges, how to check the engine and position of seacocks. On deck we looked at the arrangements for the halyards and sheets (to raise and control the sails) and the method of raising the anchor.

The first day was a shakedown, allowing us to get used to the boat generally, then for each day after that, one of us was to take the part of the Skipper and call the shots. Most importantly, we had to plan the passage as indicated by our Instructor. This meant consulting the charts and giving the helmsman a course to steer after consideration of navigational hazards and the effect of tide.

Each day there were things to learn, revise and practise. We took fixes to determine position, we considered 'rules of the road' as we encountered other vessels and we sailed at night to learn more about recognising lights. Each of us had to give a brief talk about different allocated subjects, buoys and channel markers for one, how to send a MAYDAY call for another and boat maintenance for me.

We practised many things under power, for example, coming up to a mooring buoy, turning the boat in a confined area and coming alongside a pontoon. We practised man overboard drill and all that it entails. The usual technique for all these activities was to listen to and watch the instructor first, then we each tried for ourselves.

My major progress that week was in handling the boat under power. This was put to the test at a time when yours truly was at the helm. We were happily sailing along and chatting away merrily when, quite unexpectedly, the instructor threw himself over the stern and into the water. Having practised the man overboard manoeuvre many times the previous day, our well-trained team of four aboard Madelena moved smoothly into action to recover the 'lost man'!

Was the course fun? Just great! Worthwhile? Absolutely. Value for money? Undoubtedly. Would I recommend it? Without reservation!

Anyone can take part in a competent crew course without previous experience. In fact, a Sunsail boat we met up with daily, had a family of four adults on board, all doing just that.

Notes:
Sunsail is a specialist sailing holiday company which operates in 37 bases in 19 countries worldwide. The course price for 1999 was 16,000 Baht per person (approx. £267) and includes tuition by an RYA qualified instructor, food and drinking water on board, as well as accommodation on board including sheets, pillows and towels. Please check the brochure for all current details.

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