{"ID":240,"SpaceID":1,"PageID":29,"CreateCopyOfID":null,"HasCommentsThread":false,"SeoTags":{"OpenGraphTags":[{"ID":"og:title","Name":"Tips for Skippers and Organisers"},{"ID":"og:type","Name":"website"},{"ID":"og:url","Name":"https://www.londonsailing.club/Cms/Spaces/DEFAULT/Tips+for+Skippers+and+Organisers"}],"NonOpenGraphTags":[]},"Path":"Tips+for+Skippers+and+Organisers","Title":"Tips for Skippers and Organisers","Author":{"ID":4,"Name":"Rob Martineau","CompanyName":null},"Version":2,"IsDraft":false,"IsOldVersion":false,"PublicationDate":"30/01/2022 19:56","VersionDescription":"v2 - Tips for Skippers and Organisers - Rob Martineau - 30/01/2022 19:56","HideHeader":false,"IsFullWidth":true,"Blocks":[{"Columns":[{"Width":12,"WidthClasses":"col-md-12","Elements":[{"Type":"HTML","Content":"\u003ch3\u003eIf you’re considering organising a trip… THANK YOU!\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLondon Sailing Club is fundamentally non-professional in nature and Corinthian in spirit, and so its\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esuccess depends on members wanting to organise, host and/or skipper their own trips.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Club is always keen to facilitate more members getting involved in running trips, and we hope\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe following sections will prove helpful. Similarly, any of the Committee will be delighted to help\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eanswer questions or provide general advice to current or prospective members, so please don’t\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehesitate to reach out!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e1. It’s my first time, so where do I start?\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnless you happen to own a yacht (which most of us don’t!), organising your trip may initially feel\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elike a classic ‘chicken and egg’ scenario. People can’t really sign up to your trip until you’ve booked a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eboat, but you may not feel totally comfortable reserving a boat until you know that at least some\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epeople are willing to sign up...\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne solution is to start chatting about the idea of a trip with other members you meet at one of the\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClub’s monthly socials, and then perhaps a winning date and a plan will emerge through\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003econversation. The more common approach is to just go for it: reserve the yacht, advertise the trip\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand start talking to people about it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemember also that, for UK trips, it’s often worth consulting the tide tables before selecting a date -\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enobody enjoys having to get up at 4am or being unable to visit the best anchorages due to adverse\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etidal streams!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce you’ve selected a date and reserved a yacht (which will probably require you to pay the charter\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efirm a 50% deposit) then things get much easier, because you now have some clarity around the cost\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the trip and whether or not the people who seemed interested in the idea are physically able to\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emake the actual date.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever you decide to conceive the trip, attending the Club’s monthly socials and meeting other\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emembers in person can prove invaluable - and this is something the Club actively encourages.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople are far more likely to feel comfortable signing up to your trip (and transferring\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003edeposits/money to your bank account) if they’ve met you in person or they’ve met other sailors who\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ealready know you. You can also greatly improve the appeal of your trip by chartering a decent and\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emodern (but still affordable) yacht that’s based in an accessible location. The following section has\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esome practical tips about what our members typically expect from a sailing trip.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e2. What do members typically expect when they come on a trip?\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst some of our members have done plenty of sailing (and a few of your crew may be more\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexperienced than you are!), many people also join the Club as a sociable way of being introduced to\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe sport.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo it’s possible that some of your crew will never have set foot on a yacht before. As such, the key to\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emaking the trip successful extends far beyond the practicalities of just sailing and navigating the\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyacht. It’s equally important to foster a good atmosphere aboard, to prepare nice food, and to make\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esure everyone feels comfortable enough to enjoy the overall experience. It’s meant to be fun, after\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eall! Moreover, when the trip as a whole is going well, then the sailing will tend to go well too.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere are a few specific things to bear in mind…\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe yacht\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople will expect a seaworthy, well-equipped and modern cruising yacht. Most of our members’\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003etrips make use of charter boats (which, by law, will already be MCA-coded) that are 36-44 feet in\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003elength and no more than ten years old. Unless your trip is geared towards racing, people will expect\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea ‘comfortable cruiser’ with nice cabins and heads, rather than a stripped-out racer with pipe-cots or\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebunks! People will expect the yacht to have been cleaned and prepared to a professional standard\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebefore they arrive, and they won’t expect to have to clean the heads at the end of the trip.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe food\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn army marches on its stomach, and it’s important that both the quality and quantity of food\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eaboard the yacht is of a good standard. Remember that people are signing up to a sailing trip, not a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecamping trip! Most of our skippers budget around £20 per sailor for a weekend - that’s enough to\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ecover cooked breakfasts, lunches, snacks, hot drinks and soft drinks. If you plan to stay overnight in\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emarinas, then people will usually opt to go ashore for evening meals in a pub or similar. Note that\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emany charter firms will let you book an online delivery from your favourite supermarket, and some\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emay even offer to load those provisions into your boat/fridge before you arrive - this is both a great\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eidea and a massive time-saver. Most people will not be happy to drink ‘tank’ water on a charter boat\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebut, rather than providing bottled mineral water, consider alternative solutions (such as refillable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eplastic bladders) that are both kinder to the environment and that reduce the amount of waste or\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esingle-use plastic on board.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eYou as the skipper\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople will want to feel reassured that they’re in safe hands from the outset. They’ll expect you to\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003einspire confidence in them and help them learn how they can contribute to the running and sailing\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eof the boat. Be confident, but also be realistic about your own abilities. Whilst the Club doesn’t\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eendorse anyone’s sailing credentials, our experience suggests that, if you’ve never skippered in the\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUK before, then taking five strangers out into the Solent aboard an unfamiliar yacht may not prove a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003estress-free experience for anyone. Similarly, if the weather forecast looks dire and the charter firm\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esuggests you rebook your trip for another time, don’t be afraid to postpone or cancel the trip. That’s\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eall part and parcel of being a sailor, and even a disappointed crew will welcome a firm decision that’s\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebeen made with their safety and comfort in mind!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe atmosphere\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf some or all of the crew are new to one another, make a conscious effort to get people talking and\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emingling when they first arrive. Sailors rarely need much encouragement to talk about their past\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003enautical adventures, and this can also be a useful way for you to gauge everyone’s level of sailing\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eexperience and their expectations for the trip ahead. Most of our members’ trips begin with people\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ejoining the boat the evening before departure so everyone can share a meal and get to know each\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eother. Novice sailors will also tend to feel more comfortable and confident heading out to sea on a\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyacht if they’ve already spent a night on it in the marina.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe sleeping arrangements\u003c/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reality (and cost) of sailing means that it’s likely people will need to share cabins, possibly with\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esomeone they haven’t met before. This can understandably be a source of concern or nervousness\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eamong those who are new to yachting and who perhaps haven’t appreciated how small the inside of\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ea boat can feel. Do your best to prepare people for this reality, and be sensitive to their needs. Try to\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eavoid having too many people aboard simply to keep the per-person cost to a bare minimum. Boats\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eare like tents in that, if a tent or a yacht is marketed and coded as being suitable for 8 people then,\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ein reality, it will be comfortable for 5-6 people at most. Don’t be surprised if one or two of your crew\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eopt to sleep in the saloon rather than sharing a cabin with a stranger. And it should go without\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003esaying that, when co-ordinating sleeping arrangements, your planning should always be mindful of\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eeach individual’s specific personal circumstances.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e3. What types of information should I include in my event description?\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProviding clear and accurate information from the outset will help to encourage people to sign up\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003efor your trip, and it will also help to allay some of the concerns a person may feel if they’ve not done\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003emuch sailing before.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere’s no one-size-fits-all approach to writing an appealing description, but most will contain at\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eleast the following types of factual information:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• An overview of the vague plan, dates and timings\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Some details about the boat and the skipper’s experience\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• How much the trip will cost, and what’s included/excluded\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• What kit people should bring\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Terms and conditions\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBe succinct. And don’t forget to mention who your trip is suitable for. If absolute beginners are\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewelcome, then it does wonders for their confidence to see this written in the trip’s description.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEqually, if you plan to cross the English Channel and need your crew to be able to stand a night\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewatch, then it’s definitely helpful to mention those kinds of expectations in advance!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","ContentConfig":{"Caption":null,"Icon":null,"IconColour":null,"CaptionColour":null,"UnderlineColour":null,"TextColour":null,"PaddingLeft":null,"PaddingTop":null,"PaddingRight":null,"PaddingBottom":null,"FontSize":null,"LineHeight":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true},"ComponentCode":null,"ComponentData":null,"ComponentError":null,"BottomMargin":0,"ResponsiveClasses":"","Background":{"Colour":null,"ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":""},"ImageConfig":{"ImageURL":null,"ObjectFit":"contain","ImageHeight":null,"FrameStyle":null,"BorderRadius":null,"AltText":null,"LinkURL":null,"PaddingLeft":null,"PaddingTop":null,"PaddingRight":null,"PaddingBottom":null,"BottomMargin":0,"PhoneVisible":true,"TabletVisible":true,"DesktopVisible":true}}]}],"ColumnSpacing":0,"BottomMargin":0,"TopPadding":0,"IsFullWidth":true,"IsBackgroundFullWidth":true,"Background":{"Colour":"rgb(232, 235, 239)","ImageURL":null,"Filter":null,"IsParallax":false,"Image":"linear-gradient(rgb(232, 235, 239), rgb(232, 235, 239))"}}],"PageURL":"https://www.londonsailing.club/Cms/Spaces/DEFAULT/Tips+for+Skippers+and+Organisers?version=2","AllVersions":[{"ID":177,"Name":"v1 - Tips for Skipper and Organisers - Rob Martineau - 28/11/2021 20:47"},{"ID":240,"Name":"v2 - Tips for Skippers and Organisers - Rob Martineau - 30/01/2022 19:56"}],"Comments":[],"UpdatedComments":[],"Spaces":[],"IsWatching":false,"LastViewTime":null,"CanEdit":false,"CanPublish":false,"CanCopy":false,"CanComment":false,"CanReadComments":false,"CanModerateComments":false,"CanLike":false,"CanWatch":false}