Gibraltar.

14 Week plus Fastrack itinerary.

At our discretion we offer free extra weeks for those who have worked hard but need extra tuition.

Out of the fourteen weeks fastrack you spend a full 12 weeks actually sailing and getting experience. Up to three of these weeks can be spent skippering the yacht yourselves without an instructor. This demonstrates the confidence we have in our teaching and students and gives them the confidence and experience they need. Two weeks are spent doing theory and the weekends are spent doing the auxiliary courses and revision. e.g.. first aid, radar, diesel engine course, sea survival, business studies etc.
 

	There are no hidden extras all the above courses are included in the price along with the examination fees. Everything you need to get you all the way to D.o.T. Yachtmaster. We are the only school offering this as an all in price with no hidden extras and after two weeks a review of your options with an opt out clause.
	Our itinerary is based on lots of shorter trips (max 150 miles) as recommended by James Stevens (RYA) This is to achieve maximum hands on experience berthing etc. The course is designed for those who wish to have a broad base of sailing experience or wish to have a career in sailing. To join a fastrack course you will need to be focused, able to get on with other people, keen to carry out duties on the boats and be able to behave in a reasonable way when aboard and ashore. Order of events. Meet on the first Sunday of the course at 1800 hrs. Introductions and a get together for a drink and an evening meal.
	Competent Crew Monday morning full meeting with the instructors, principal and other members of the team. This is followed by a full safety brief. In the afternoon out sailing in Gibraltar Bay. You will be instructed in and become acquainted with the boats and basic seamanship, crewing, knots, sail hoisting, reefing and setting and some general boat handling.

During this part of the course you become familiar with the places we visit such as Smir (Morocco) pictured on the right. Later you will visit
Portugal, Spain and possibly the Canaries. The competent crew course can last up to two weeks depending on circumstances and progress.
The competence required will be much higher than the normal RYA level.

Day Skipper Theory.

In your second or third week you will start your day skipper theory either on the boats or in the class room.
This is a comprehensive theory course and time is taken to make sure everything is understood by everyone.
All the instructors are keen that students understand every aspect of the course no matter how long it takes.

Day Skipper Practical. Your day skipper theory is followed by one or two practical on the yachts, You will learn to put into practice all the theory previously covered. During this part of the course you will be asked to take the position of skipper and practice mooring and berthing both under sail and power. Sail hoisting, reefing, picking moorings etc are all included in this part of the course. You will also be asked to debrief other members of the crew.

During these weeks you will develop confidence in you abilities as a skipper and will become familiar with all aspects of sailing.
During your stay you will be on various boats to gain more experience.

First Aid, VHF, & Diesel Engine Courses.
 

First aid, diesel engine and VHF courses will be completed at weekends ready for your coastal skipper qualification.
When you have completed the coastal skipper part of the course you will be able to take the boat out without an instructor.

Coastal Skipper Theory.

No one is left behind. The course is not hard when taught properly and we will take as much time as you need so that you understand everything clearly.

The next stage is one or two weeks coastal skipper practical on the boat. You are really becoming a sailor by now.

Preparation for your Yachtmaster Exam.

Left Dick Durham from Yachting Monthly. who did his Yachtmaster prep and exam with Allabroad. His comments are listed below and reflect the care and attention to detail at Allabroad.

"What I like about Allabroad's set up is that it comes with its own waterfront: each day after intensive tuition in Gibraltar Bay you can relax and carry out post mortems over a drink in the local bars or an excellent sea food dish in the harbour side restaurants within halyards clanking distance of Allabroad's fleet.

'Vic Punch and his team are on hand 24 hours a day to iron out problems. If you have some really embarrassing question to ask about some navigation niggle which you should have learned years ago, Vic will take you quietly to one side and spell it out in a language you cannot fail to understand. At the end of each day's training he will spend time quietly debriefing each student pointing out their weaknesses and strengths in confidence.

'I met dozens of students at various levels during my Yacht Master course and all of them agreed on one thing: they didn't know they had it in them until Allabroad lured it out."

Dick Durham, Yachting Monthly.

Yachtmaster Preparation.

During this period you will be expected to take full charge of the yacht and instruct the crew in a clear and concise way.
For the Fastrack course you must have your own life jacket and harness, waterproofs, deck shoes, Breton/Portland plotter or similar, dividers, pads and pencils (2B).

To be a good skipper you need to earn the respect of your crew, give clear instructions in a friendly way, and keep the boat happy. Our promise is that we will do our best to get you through this course. Our standards are the highest and so is our pass rate.

Sample of the first weeks sailing.