Eve of St Mawes RYA Competent Crew and RYA Day Skipper Practical Course - Brixham to St Mawes

Eve of St Mawes RYA Competent Crew and RYA Day Skipper Practical Course - Brixham to St Mawes

The Itinerary 

This is a really exciting RYA Course as you will be sailing along some of the best coast in the Uk and going into lots of small ports and harbours. Ideal training for sailing.

After a safety briefing and introduction to sailing Eve you will set off on your adventure.
This is a brilliant route to sail but like all sailing itineraries will be dependent on the weather and tides and your skills.

From Brixham to Dartmouth to is quite a short hop and you will see the big cliffs of Berry Head on your way out of Brixham. Look out for Peregrine Falcons that breed on the cliffs. Dartmouth is well known for its Royal Naval College and many traditional boatyards further up the Dart.

Leaving Dartmouth you will navigate past some sand banks or head well out to sea. Rounding Start Point you will see the interesting entrance to Salcombe that cannot be done at low water at certain states of tide; ideal Day Skipper training. Salcombe is one of Devon’s most scenic harbours.

Carrying on down the coast past Bolt Tail is Digbury Bay Head and enjoy locating the tiny entrance to Newton Ferrers which is far very tight scenic little estuary.

Nearby is the east entrance to Plymouth and various large Rocks. Inside the Plymouth Breakwater is an extensive area busy with Naval ships, Channel Ferries and lots of pleasure sailors. We do not often stop here as just a little too noisy for our liking.

Next headland is Rame which guards the west entrance to Plymouth Sound and continue west into Cawsands Bay and possibly into Looe if the tides are right.

Either Fowey or Mevagissey have lots to offer for overnight stays, more so in Fowey which has a very scenic harbour.
Next up is Dodman Point and around the corner from Mevagissey which can have interesting tidal overflows.

Nearing the Roseland Peninsular not far from the voyages end is Gull Rock home to breeding colonies of Cormorants, Shags, Razor Bill and Guillemots. In the air there will be Gannets and if you see a lot of them diving into the water the likelihood is they have found a shoal of fish. If you are very lucky it could be that dolphins may also be after the same shoal of fish. At the right time of year, May to June Basking Sharks are can often be sighted.

Once you round St Anthony Lighthouse, Eve of St Mawes will probably take you home herself unless you head into Falmouth, the Helford or one of many overnight stops near St Mawes for your last night.

Introduction to the principle of the voyage

These courses are combined on 6 day voyages giving longer sea time and less pressure than those schools which offer a 5 day course. The joint course offers advantages to every one. Those studying for Competent Crew can if they have the ability complete sections of the Day Skipper practical syllabus and see what they need to do for the next step up the ladder. Whilst those doing the Day Skipper practical have an enthusiastic crew to work with and gain command experience.
A four hour night passage is a compulsory part of the course but it is very often also the highlight of the voyage. It’s a great team effort with pilotage, communication, lookout duty and command skills.

RYA Competent Crew

We want you to develop a love of sailing, and the best way to make a start on any boat is to feel you are a vital and competent part of the crew. On the RYA Competent crew course, we will teach you the seamanship skills of steering, setting sails, reefing, and tying knots with conviction ! The course is about going places, so you can experience a wide range of sailing experiences:- anchoring in remote bays, mooring in sheltered rivers, coming alongside harbour walls or pontoons, night sailing. The skills you learn will be relevant for modern yachts, but after the rya competent crew course you should also feel at home on traditional boats and tall ships with blocks and tackles. ( 6 day course. Maximum 5 students to one instructor on any RYA course, fully inclusive prices)

See Itinerary (tab above) for the full syllabus, our wild and beautiful Cornish sailing ground and what to expect on a 6 day Competent Crew Course on 'Eve of St Mawes'

Read what 'Cornwall Today' Magazine editor Nikki Van de Bij had to say about her Competent Crew course on Eve on the last voyage of the year in 2005.

RYA Day Skipper

Skippering a boat is fun, and this RYA day skipper course is about taking your first steps towards taking charge, with the safety net of an instructor on board. Everyone will be given a chance to navigate and take control of 'Eve' on short coastal passages. You will also have plenty of practice at coordinating manoeuvres under sail and power, and learning how to cope with emergencies. Learn big boat watch leader skills on deck, and navigational techniques below with GPS and radar and a large chart table. Successful completion of the RYA day skipper course means you should feel confident enough to tackle short day passages as skipper in tidal waters.