Golden Vanity

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Golden Vanity – Makes learning to sail so much fun!

Golden Vanity is 53 feet long overall and 20 tonnes. Getting to grips with a yacht this size is not difficult with the expert tuition you will receive. The real bonus is that your confidence will saw and after Golden Vanity modern yachts will feel like mere toys.

Golden Vanity was built as a yacht for local artist Arthur Briscoe in 1908, at A.W.Gibbs' yard at Galmpton on the Dart, in the same yard as Leader and Provident. She followed almost exactly the same design of the traditional working boats of the day and was fully renovated in the 1980's.

Golden Vanity’s long and exciting history involves a variety of owners who used her for cruising far and wide, including several transatlantic crossings.

She has wooden decks and a characterful interior. Her 20 tonnes makes for a good stable platform when you are beginning to learn about sailing.

RYA Courses on a Classic Boat

In a nutshell the RYA Competent Crew course is for both total novices and those who have tried a dinghy, or tall ship and want to know more. The 6 day voyage is a full on practical sailing course where you experience sailing and living on a boat. Learn safety at sea, ropes and seamanship - both traditional and modern and take part in anchoring, setting sails, reefing, steering with the wind and motor, manouvring, rowing small boats, picking up moorings, helping tie up the boat on a pontoon or quay wall.  As there may also be people learning to navigate and skipper you can pick up some skills from watching and being invloved in their exercises too.

Day Skipper is for those who have already sailed and are hungry for a bit more responsibility. They should understand about tacking an gybing and how to trim sails and keep crew safe.  They also need have some basic navigational knowledge, so it helps to do a RYA Day Skipper Theory shorebased course first.

For more on the RYA Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses and why it is so brilliant to do it on a gaff rigged cutter, see our pages on Royal Yachting Association courses.  These have full details of the RYA course syllabus and next steps up the sailing qualification ladder.

If you are not sure which course level is best, then ring one of our instructors on 01872 580022.

For 2012 course availability please Click on the Voyage below.

	RYA Competent Crew & Day Skipper Course on a Gaff Cutter - 6 days £650 GV1201	Golden Vanity	Brixham	Brixham	Sat, 28/04/2012 - 13:00- to Fri, 04/05/2012 - 12:00
	RYA Competent Crew & Day Skipper Course on a Gaff Cutter - 6 days £650 GV1202	Golden Vanity	Brixham	Brixham	Sat, 26/05/2012 - 13:00- to Fri, 01/06/2012 - 12:00
	RYA Competent Crew & Day Skipper Course on a Gaff Cutter - 6 days £650 GV1203	Golden Vanity	Brixham	Brixham	Sat, 09/06/2012 - 13:00- to Fri, 15/06/2012 - 12:00
	RYA Competent Crew & Day Skipper Course on a Gaff Cutter - 6 days £650 GV1204	Golden Vanity	Brixham	Brixham	Sat, 23/06/2012 - 13:00- to Fri, 29/06/2012 - 12:00
	RYA Competent Crew & Day Skipper Course on a Gaff Cutter - 6 days £650 GV1205	Golden Vanity	Brixham	Brixham	Sat, 14/07/2012 - 13:00- to Fri, 20/07/2012 - 12:00
	RYA Competent Crew & Day Skipper Course on a Gaff Cutter - 6 days £650 GV1206	Golden Vanity	Brixham	Brixham	Sat, 01/09/2012 - 13:00- to Fri, 07/09/2012 - 12:00
	RYA Competent Crew & Day Skipper Course on a Gaff Cutter - 6 days £650 GV1207	Golden Vanity	Brixham	Brixham	Sat, 20/10/2012 - 13:00- to Fri, 26/10/2012 - 12:00

 There are also Cornish based RYA courses on 38ft gaff cutter Eve of St Mawes with slightly different dates.

RYA course dates on Eve of St Mawes in 2012

What to Bring

N.B. BOATS HAVE LIMITED STORAGE SPACE SO PLEASE LIMIT YOURSELF TO ONE SOFT BAG OR RUCKSACK (not suitcases).

Offshore waterproof jackets and trousers can be hired at £4.50 per day of you can bring your own. Please contact us if you wish to hire waterproofs 01872 580022
Hats for sun and cold weather.
At least two sets of warm clothes - layers e.g. tracksuit bottoms, shirts, fleece jacket, wool jumpers, thick socks, and neck scarf. It can get cold at sea even in mid summer.
Swim suit, towel, and suntan lotion.
Flat shoes with a good grip e.g. trainers or sailing deck shoes. Sailing boots or wellies as the sea can come over deck if rough.
(An alterative to boots in summer is to bring another pair of flat shoes with a good grip in case the first pair get wet).
All terrain type Sandals are great for dinghy trips ashore – but you do need shoes which protect your toes for sailing.
Camera, binoculars, sketchbook, a relaxing read.
Passport for French Voyages, (an E111 Form from Post Office - Reciprocal Free Health Care in Europe) E111 New Edition
Any medication, spare spectacles. Seasick tablets - check with your Doctor, which brand if you suffer asthma or are on medication.
RYA Cruising Logbook for RYA Courses.
Musical instruments are always welcome.

Arthur Briscoe sketches shows Brixham Trawlers at anchor drying sails and the second shows men hauling on the fishing net, that was real hard work.