After another night and two full days of sailing I have completed the RYA Day Skipper Course. So now I should be able to charter a sailing boat anywhere we want – time to book a holiday!

I would recommend the course to anyone wanting to sail a large boat. It was a lot of fun and great to practise everything under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor.

Main lessons;

  • Don’t fall overboard while I’m in charge unless you take sandwiches and a book to read – it could be a while before I get back to you. Man overboard drills need to be practised lots!
  • Plan night passages before it gets dark – TMB eyes cannot read chart symbols in dim cabin lighting. A magnifying glass will be an essential piece of navigational equipment on any boat we own.
  • Check that the boat is in neutral before starting the engine.

A highlight of the weekend was a trip down the Dubai Creek. A fabulous mix of old and new.