Winter Navigation Courses 2011/12

   As the longer evenings approach, thoughts turn to keeping our brains active over the winter months. I run Navigation courses from Wicklow Sailing Club and other locations, if demand exists. Yachtmaster Offshore, Yachtmaster Coastal and Introduction to Navigation are all reasonable options that can be provided, numbers permitting. Depending on the level of prior experience, there should be an option above for you. Give me a call on 087 2394379 or email sailsoutheast@eircom.net I also run SRC radio courses on an occasional basis (see below)

Peppers Book

   Me auld mate Pepper, who passed away in 2003, "has come back from the dead" and is writing his autobiography at present, provisionally titled "Charlie and Me". It will be an account of his own very exciting life tied in with my sailing school, personal, family and Wicklow lives.

My Blog

   I've realised another long held ambition today (12th July 2011) - I finally set up my own blog www.charliekavanagh.com. You never know what I might be writing about there - drop in once in a while to check it out. Sailing and issues around sailing will feature, but there are lots of other topics out there that tweak my bits. If you do venture for a look, please let me have some feedback.

Is this the end?

   Many of you will be aware that 2010 has been a disastrous season for my little business - I lost most of the summer due to damage to my engine and also had a war of words with my Department of Transport MSO surveyor over stupid (mis-!) interpretations of the new Regulations for Sailing Schools. The net result is that I am unlikely to get through the eye of this particular needle and have written to Afloat magazine setting out my reasons - read here.

   If you can contact TD's or Ministers (esp. Noel Dempsey) on behalf of Sail Training in general, that would be great.

   Having taken time out in December 2010 and January 2011 to help take a yacht across the Atlantic (my virgin crossing - see below) to Antigua, I am now resigned to the fact that after 14 years of offering Sail Training under the Irish Sail Training Cruising Scheme, I now have to move on and find another way of making a living. There is no way that the Department of Transport Marine Survey Office will facilitate my boat getting through the Passenger Boat Licence scheme, so I have no choice other than to cease trading in Ireland. Stupid regulations and a CYA attitude by the Surveyors has brought several areas of our Maritime world to a virtual standsill, with only the wealthiest or luckiest able to get past their draconian legislation.

  Am I bitter? You bet - I've poured my heart and soul into this business only to find idiots who care nothing for Sail Training or commonsense ruining our small but necessary niche. They are a law onto themselves and will only pay lip service to the Irish Sailing Association, unlike their UK counterparts who work hand in hand with the Sailing Schools and the RYA.

  I have put through my school well over 1000 students since 1997 and some have gone on to be very successful professional sailors - like Ansis Dimiters, Jim Grey and Ivan Alcorn apart from the many who have achieved leisure qualifications and now operate their own boats for pleasure. I say a big thank you to everyone who gave me business and I hope you all appreciate the various skills you have learned in your time on board.

Atlantic Crossing to Antigua December 2010

   After a nightmare 7 days trying to get out of Dublin and Belfast, I finally joined up with Ansis on Celtic Spirit on Dec 7th in La Gomera, where Jim Grey operates Canary Sail to cross the Atlantic Ocean for my maiden voyage. We landed on Antigua just in time for Christmas (2 hours) and had a ball for the next 2 weeks - my first time away from my home in Enniscorthy for Christmas. See my images on Facebook for a flavour of the frustration, the crossing and the arrival. We also managed to win a major race in the Antigua Yacht Club calendar - their Nelsons Pursuit Race on Old Years Day.

  Check out my Facebook (Charlie Kavanagh) for more images

South East Cruising School on YouTube

   Following on from an ISA Day Skipper course we ran in August 2008, successful candidate Tiberiu Coroliuc put together this video of the trip which gives a good flavour of the types of experiences that candidates might encounter - organising the navigation, taking charge of the vessel, sailing in strong winds, life at anchor and on board and more. Check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BgXLuqYShU - follow the link. Hopefully the weather will be a bit better in 2010!

SRC (VHF) / Emergency Care (1st Aid) courses

   If you would like get a Ships or Personal Radio Licence, we can organise a Short Range Certificate VHFRadio course - generally over 3 nights or 2 days (or as suits), with a separate exam. In order for it to happen, we will need a minimum of 4 students. The next course will probably be run in Wicklow Sailing Club - (3 nights/2 days?) - late March/early April 2012 - prior booking essential - cost €220 adults, €190 juniors (10% discount SECS or WSC members) - includes examiner and Dept fees of €85.

   The Irish Sailing Association Emergency Care (1st Aid) course is designed specifically for boating enthusiasts over 2 days with about 1/3rd taken up with practical training. Whether you need it for vocational reasons or just for your own benefit, this course is well worth the time spent in doing it. I would hope to run a course in April 2012 over a weekend - prior booking essential, min. of 4 required. We are also hoping to organise a course during May - let me know if you are interested.

Sailing in the Canaries Jan 2012

   As I was otherwise occupied on a transatlantic crossing last January, the 2011 option didn't happen. I'm glad to say that we hope to make it back to our favourite cruising ground next January with a one or two week option of cruising the Canary Islands - Dec 31st- Jan 7th and Jan 7th - Jan 14th. These waters are only suitable for people with previous sailing experience, as the open Atlantic can be a challenge at times. If you are interested, give me a call on 087 2394379 or email sailsoutheast@eircom.net - cost will be in the ball park of €800 excluding flights. Check out the information page.

Hot off the Press

   One of our best and most recognisable students, RTE's Bryan Dobson has just achieved his Yachtmaster Practical (Apr 11). Bryan joined us for a number of different courses over the years and has also instructed at Glenans Sailing centre in Baltimore. Congratulations and well done. He also was a good friend of Peppers.

 Some Images from 2009/10

    On a recent trip, we had the pleasure of meeting 3 Bottlenose Dolphins off Greystones (IWDG have had numerous reports of them from Howth to Wicklow) - they were in very playful mood and joined us for c.15 minutes on a windy day.

    Check out this link for some photos of our trips. Our first trip in March 2010 was a Yachtmaster Coastal Preparation course with 4 trainees aiming to tune up for the ISA or RYA Exam. It was an intensive weekend of training and assessing, giving each person an opportunity to find their weak/strong points. One of those on board, Glenans Instructor Bryan Dobson, made a fabulous meal of Spanish Chicken with pasta, followed by bread and butter pudding - yummy. Luckily the weather behaved for a change and all went well, apart from picking up a rope on the prop shaft which put me out of action for 4 months!

 Yachtmaster Offshore Successes

   2 local customers of SECS recently passed their RYA Yachtmaster Power practical exam in July 2010 and are now commercial skippers working for a local firm - well done to James O Brien and David O Leary. Also, Jan Penicka got his ISA YM Coastal Cert in Kinsale after 3 years of training with SECS - well done Jan.

   We are delighted to report  more candidates have passed the ISA Yachtmaster Offshore Practical over the last few years - Ivan Alcorn and Eoin Christiansen, to add to the growing list of South East Cruising School trained Yachtmasters. Others whom we know about in recent years are - Jim Grey (now an Instructor running Canary Sail), Brendan O Connell, John Ahern, Colm Mac Fhionnlaigh, Ciaran Doyle, Nicky Keogh, Tommy Mc Aulay, PJ Swaine and Ansis Dimiters (now skippering a 72' super yacht "Celtic Spirit of Fastnet, having been to the Arctic and Antarctic).

  This Certificate is the highest practical cert available to Yachtsmen wishing to sail or motor vessels in offshore waters (YM Ocean is mainly a Celestial Navigation Cert) and is due reward for building up experience with over 2500 miles logged and your ability to take full charge of a vessel up to 24 metres in length.