Growing up on the wild North Devon coast had a big impact on me. The sea grabbed my attention from an early age; windsurfing, surfing and messing about in a Mirror dinghy on the River Torridge, it was always the sea.
From the viewpoint, perched on the edge of the cliffs, distant yachts could be glimpsed, sailing past Lundy Island and on up the coast. I would always wonder where they were heading…
Work lured me inland to Wiltshire in my twenties. How to keep connected with the ocean? Answer, yachts! I signed up for RYA Competent Crew with Bill Johnson of Aztec Sailing in Plymouth and had an amazing week being crew for a Yachtmaster candidate and a Coastal Skipper. Night pilotage into Newton Ferrers, surfing down what seemed like huge waves to Falmouth in a force 7 and an entertaining run ashore in Fowey. This was definitely for me, but after the week it suddenly dawned on me how much there was to know. This was worth it though! Over the next decade I progressed through each stage of the RYA sail cruising program becoming a Yachtmaster in 2008.
I was very fortunate that during this period I co-owned two cruising boats. The first was a gaff-rigged 24’ Cornish Yawl built by Cornish Crabbers. A sloop rigged, Swedish-built, CR310 followed as I became more ambitious. The practical experience acquired in skippering and running these boats was invaluable. Servicing engines; checking safety equipment on board; organising cruising strategies that keep your family safe and entertained. The list is endless…..
Financial necessity in 2012 meant scaling back to a day boat, but as one door shuts another door opens. During these years I was been able to dedicate much more time to instruction and have forged good relationships with a number of RYA schools both here in the UK and abroad. It was intense, demanding work but incredibly rewarding at the same time. And I learnt a lot about people…
In 2016, I passed my YachtMaster Instructor qualification which allowed me to teach the full range of RYA Yachtmaster courses; including shorebased theory and Yachtmaster preparation weeks. It opened up a lot of doors and I spent a couple of years instructing in various RYA sailing school locations; Plymouth, The Solent, Gibraltar, Croatia…..Loads of students, loads of fun!
In 2019 I helped set up Yacht Sail Training as an RYA (Recognised Training Centre) in Croatia with my good friend Jon Colwell. As Chief Instructor I was in charge of the standard of training ensuring that it was up to scratch and thorough. This was a great learning experience and got me thinking…..
At the end of 2019 I approached Liberty Yachts in Plymouth with a proposal….let’s set up an RYA school alongside their existing charter business! Simon Beeby, owner of Liberty Yachts, had previously been an RYA instructor and had in fact been an RYA sea school years before, so I’d done my homework….Fortunately he liked the idea and I am now Chief Instructor for the RYA Liberty Yachts Sea School (May 2020 accreditation as an RTC).
2020 has been a bit of a rocky ride but it’s been ideal to build a solid partnership between myself and Liberty Yachts. I am still completely independent, but am part of a bigger thing, which feels right! We are concentrating on quality not quantity.