Golden Vanity

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 is part of the UK National Historic Ships Register of core vessels.

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.

Duke Of Edinburgh Award, RYA Courses, Maritime Festivals & More

Golden Vanity's programme is a mix of RYA courses (competent crew and day skipper), adult charter voyages and adventurous sailing for young people. She makes an affordable vessel for groups, clubs or families to charter too (skipper, mate and food provided)

She can take individual bookings for young people aged 16-25 working towards their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award - or just book to enjoy the sailing with sailors and novices your own age.  Golden Vanity is run by a sail training charity and has a skipper and a mate who are used to working with all ages and abilities.

Golden Vanity - Full Voyage Schedule - voyage descriptions, dates & prices

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.

All Golden Vanity RYA Comptent Crew and Day Skipper courses - Voyage descriptions, dates & Prices

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

Working Boat for an Artist

Golden Vanity was built in Brixham for the artist Arthur Briscoe.

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.