FAQ

Where do we sleep and eat? Do we return to Largs at night?

On all our practical multiday sailing courses you sleep and eat on board throughout. Each night you will go into a new harbour, marina or anchorage. Our cabins are spacious and comfortable ensuring a good night sleep after a busy day; it is likely that you will be sharing with one other person. We provide food for all your meals whilst you are with us. On training courses you are encouraged to get involved with cooking and cleaning duties onboard. We provide good quality ingredients, for a range of meals that work well in these circumstances. Any allergies should be highlighted to us when booking.

The exception is the Close Quarter Boat Handling weekend. This course does not leave Largs. Food and accomodation is supplied onboard although some customers enjoy staying in the comfort of a local hotel or bed and breakfast.

For practical sailing courses accommodation is onboard. Yacht InTuition has 3 double cabins and 2 single saloon berths in a communal area. When booking with a partner or friend you will likely be assigned to share a double cabin. When booking as a single you may be assigned a saloon berth or sharing a double cabin with an unrelated customer of the same sex. Partitioning curtains (lee clothes) can be used to seperate the cabin. If the boat is not booked to full capacity a single person may be offered a double cabin but this should not be assumed.

If you desire single occupancy of a double cabin for your own privacy and comfort this might be possible for the extra fee of 75% of the course cost. Please email this request in early.

What will I need to bring with me?

You will need to bring:

A sleeping bag, a sheet and a pillow
A towel
A range of warm clothing in layers
Footwear – ideally deck shoes but non marking trainers are fine
Sailing boots (optional depending on time of year)
Sailing gloves (optional)
A warm hat for winter or a sun hat in summer
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Retaining strap for glasses/sunglasses
Essential medication
Toiletries
Log book (if you have one)
Current passport (if you are doing an Irish trip or a milebuilder)
Soft bag for all your belongings (no hard suitcases please)

For clothing, remember that you will be outdoors most of the day. A range of sporty, layered clothing is best. Jeans are OK, but not ideal as they are hard to dry if they get wet. You want to be warm, comfortable and able to move easily. We can provide waterproof jackets and trousers for a nominal charge – see below.

Can I hire waterproofs?

Yes! We have quality waterproof sailing gear available to hire but don’t include it in the price to keep the cost down for those who have their own.

What sizes do waterproofs come in?

We have small, medium, large and XL and XXL.

Will I be sailing with men or women or both? What age will they be?

It is likely you will be sailing with a mixture of men and women although this isn’t gauranteed unless it is a single sex course. We have had several customers in their 80’s who have managed well onboard.

Unless you book on an all woman cruise you should assume that your instructor or fellow crew members could be either male or female. If you have any concerns about the make up of the crew please email Daniel Smith who can try and make sure you sail with a crew that works for you.

Who will be my instructor

Many of the courses are skippered by Daniel Smith although this isn’t always the case. We are very careful to choose the best instructors who are all experts at what they do and who have lots of experience to share with you.

Often people who come back wish to sail with an instructor they sailed with last time. If this is the case we will try and make this possible if we can. Please email requests to Daniel.

Sometimes due to illness or some other reason the planned instructor has to change. We will try not to do this unless we need to.

Why should I come to Scotland? It rains!

Scotland has stunning scenery, challenging conditions and fast changing weather. It has the full range of destinations from busy ports, secluded anchorages, luxurious spas and traditional distilleries.

You will have a great time and if you can sail in Scotland, you can sail anywhere.

Are there toilets and showers on board?

Our yacht has a toilet (the heads) on board. We will alternate between marinas with access to showers ashore and secluded anchorages. Throughout the course there will be some opportunities to shower.

What time should I arrive for a practical sailing course?

Have a look at your joining instructions that will be sent out to you prior to your course. Some courses start at 19:30 in the evening while others start at 09:00 in the morning.

When starting in the evening, no evening meal is provided. When starting in the morning, no breakfast is included. Please eat before you arrive.

How do I get there?

The majority of our courses are run out of Largs Yacht Haven. It is easily accessible by road and rail. Glasgow airport is linked to Largs via bus and rail.

Can I park my car?

Yes, Largs marina provides long stay parking free of charge. On arrival request entry through the barrier by indicating you are participating on a course with Sailing InTuition.

What if I have dietary requirements e.g. vegetarian, wheat intolerance or allergies?

With adequate notice, we can cater for most dietary requirements without undue difficulty. Contact us to discuss any particular requirements as soon as possible.

What if I have not done Day Skipper Theory, can I still take Day Skipper Practical?

You may be in a position to still take Day Skipper Practical; it depends on your existing knowledge of tidal navigation, collision regulations etc. Get in touch to discuss.

I have done some sailing before, do I need to take the Competent Crew Course or can I go straight to Day Skipper?

This is difficult to generalise about. Email or phone to discuss.

Where will we sail to?

On an RYA course you are likely to sail to places such as Loch Fyne, Arran, Kyles of Bute and upper Firth of Clyde. There are plenty of great harbours and anchorages and the plan will be tailored to the weather.

Do I need insurance?

You are strongly advised to arrange your own insurance at the time of booking to cover against personal accident, cancellation, medical problems.
Our yacht is fully insured against accidents and third party liability.

What happens if I need to cancel my booking?

Cancellation by you:

Although this cancellation policy is designed to protect Sailing InTuition from late cancellations if there is a problem with illness or bereavement it is worth informing us as soon as possible. Due to other bookings, customers, boat availability and instructor availability it isn’t always possible to help but where we can we will be as helpful as possible.

Booked dates are final. It may not be possible to change dates once you have booked. You may cancel your course at any time. Written notification via email must be given.

Cancellation will be effective on the day notification is received. Cancellation charges are as follows:

Cancellation > 2 months prior to start of course will incur a fee of £50;

Cancellation 2-1 month will incur a fee of 50% of total;

Cancellation 1 month-2 weeks will incur a fee of 75% of total;

Cancellation 2 weeks or less: will incur a fee of 100% of total.

Cancellations will be made to the card or to the bank account the booking was made from.

It is recommended that customers take out their own travel / cancellation insurance to protect them if they do need to make a late cancellation.

Cancellation by us:

Courses will sometimes be cancelled due to lack of bookings. Minimum numbers onboard are necessary to make the business financially viable. When this is looking likely we will try and let you know with a month to go with a final decision being made 2 weeks before the start of the course. In this situation, alternative dates are offered first and then credit which can be spent on any sailing InTuition course. If rescheduling or credit can’t be agreed a full refund will be offered.

If your booking is cancelled we will not be liable for any other costs or losses of any nature to you other than to refund the price of the course.

Full terms and conditions are available here.

FAQ