The Guernsey Sailing Trust Team are very excited to be able to offer some new powerboat sessions in 2017!
Meet Tara…
Tara de Jersey will be running Powerboat Taster, Forage Afloat and Basic Pilotage sessions. Tara is a very experienced skipper, having joined the team of Island RIB Voyages from the time they were established, creating their routes and material for the guided trips and skippering for many years. She studied marine zoology at university and has a passion for sailing, having taken her 22ft gaff-rigged boat to the Mediterranean and now sails a 40ft cruising deep water sailing boat with her family. Both her sons, under 6 years old, are skippering their own little vessels at regular sailing sessions with The Sailing Trust.
The sea range of these courses is within 3 miles of St Peter Port, which extends out to Herm and Jethou, up to the north by Beaucette marina, the east coast of Guernsey and south reaching round the corner to the stunning Peastacks cliff of St. Martins point.
Here is a little more salty detail about the individual sessions…
Powerboat Taster – These sessions are personally tailored and the main focus of the session is to generate confidence in a powerboat in a safe environment. You will have the opportunity to learn some basic powerboating skills, for example, high speed helming, anchoring, turning in tight spaces, man over board, picking up a buoy or helming in tide.
The course is perfect if you require more information or confidence before embarking on the RYA Powerboat level 1 or 2 Scheme (please note this course is not a prerequisite), as well as introducing you to boating in Guernsey. We’ll stop for tea and biscuits and you’ll pick up local knowledge from your guide and teacher about the natural habitat to enhance your time on the water, bringing you closer and expanding the world outside of St Peter Port.
All the time will be spent on the water. We welcome any age as long as children can be held comfortably by an adult or they are able to sit independently on a jockey-type seat. Unfortunately this course is not suitable for people with back pain/injury.
Foraging Afloat – This course does what it says! Why walk down the beach to collect and learn about seaweed, and how you can add it to your larder, when you can lean over the side of a boat and pick the freshest fronds?! The course will cover preparation and uses of sea vegetables, whilst taking in the environment and learning about the habitats, heritage and medicinal benefits. Snacks will be supplied giving you ideas of recipes and how to cook seaweed. The course is run in association with WildGuernsey (www.wildguernsey.co.uk).
Basic Guernsey Pilotage – The aim of this course is to increase your confidence to explore our waters. You will learn about transits and clearing marks in order to stay in safe water and pilot your way around the rocks and coasts near to St Peter Port. The course will give you more confidence with tidal flows (and how to use them to your advantage) and knowledge that can be applied to other parts of our coastline.
Experience of chart work, use of a hand compass and basic boat handling is required for this course. This can be gained by doing the RYA powerboat level 2 course.
