Go n sail webpage update

We are in the process of updating the go n sail website, to include a new range of services and boats available for charter, thinking of chartering a yacht in Spain this year, then make sure you pay us a visit. Yacht charters available by the day, week or longer.

If there are any other features that you would like to see on the new site, please let us know.
Don't forget to visit the site and see whats new for this year http://www.gonsail.com/

Yachtmaster Prep week and Exam

Are you ready to earn yourself one of sailing most sought after qualifications? Yachtmaster prep week will take place week commencing the 15th April. Fine tune your skills and sit the coveted RYA/MCA Examination. Improve your chance of success with our policy of only teaching 3 students per yacht, add to that our personal and attentive instructors, dedicated to helping you be the best sailor you can be. Book today only 585€ plus RYA Exam fee

Competent Crew and Day Skipper Courses

Our great value RYA sailing courses will be available in Isla Canela from the 8th April. Learn to sail with our Competent Crew course or Day Skipper can complete Tidal courses from our new base, chosen for its ability to provide navigational and tidal challenges, perfect for giving you all the necessary skills to become a competent sailor. Courses start every Sunday, fly into Faro and join us for a great week sailing in the Sun!

Mar Menor Canal

The Canal which joins the Mar Menor to the Mediterranean is silting up and with this bout of high pressure is leaving minimum depths of 2.1 m in places, including the bouyed channel, making it marginal for many yachts. Proceed slowly and keep a close eye on the depth gauge, fortunately most of the bottom is sand so no real harm should come from a low speed nudge. More worrying is that when mentioning this problem to the Port Authorities there is no definitive plans to dredge due to Government Restrictions, so the problem will only continue to get worse. Sailors looking to access/depart from the Mar Menor should arrive with plenty of time to pass under the lifting bridge, current lift times are 10.00,12.00,14.00,16.00, 18.00 and 20.00 hours.

Mile-builder Cartagena to Gibraltar

We have yacht leaving Cartagena on the 25th March arriving in Gibraltar the 30th/31st March. Limited spaces available. Perfect for qualifying miles and passages towards Yachtmaster, also excellent for Competent Crew and those with adventurous spirits looking for a different way to travel.
Full board with evening meals whilst underway, otherwise eat ashore. Take advantage of cheap flights into Murcia San Javier and fly out from Gibraltar or Malaga. Great experience on fully coded boat with RYA Instructor only 585 €. To book call Debbie 00 34 695 326 184. 

Sailing Taster Days

Back by popular demand, we are offering our Try a Sail days over the weekends during March. So if you've ever sat on a beach in awe of the yachts sailing by and wished that was you, well nows your chance. Come along for the day, get involved with hosting the sails, pulling a few lines and even try your hand at helming. With a bit of luck, you may even like it!

No experience necessary as the purpose of the day is to introduce sailing to novices and give them the opportunity to have some FUN. Booking is necessary so give Debbie a call 695 326 184 and put your name down.

Light lunch provided, cost for the day is 50€ p.p. Departs Tomas Maestre 10.30am on Saturdays and Sundays.

VHF Radio Course

We have a VHF radio operator licence course running on Sunday 4th March. Learn to communicate at sea and how to raise the alarm in the event of serious mishaps. Also get to grips with the phoenetic alphabet and gain an in depth knowledge of safety and rescue at sea.
Practice on our training radios and experience the simplicity of Digital Selective Calling (DSC)

Cost is 120€ p.p plus a 30GBP licence fee payable to the RYA 
Spaces are limited so give Debbie a call on (+34) 968 143 718/695 326 184 to reserve your place

Electronic Navigation

Talking to fellow sailors and students, it is worrying that there appears to be an over reliance on technology. With the accuracy of modern GPS its hard not to rely on it but when I hear of people running aground in areas clearly marked on the charts as shallow, I have to question the logic in putting your confidence (and lives) in the hands of the little electric box. Surely common sense and your own eyes should at least prompt you to double check your position if the shoreline appears closer than it should, even if the gadget tells you, you are fine.
Passage planning and basic navigation should form the backbones of any trip, regardless of where you are and the distance you intend to travel. Solas regulations also require us to record our trip .i.e. fill in the ships log. The answer is simple, plan and monitor your outings on the water, pre-plan, identify hazards, set a safe depth and make regularly entries in the log. Whilst you there, pop a mark on the papre chart and look around to confirm that you are seeing what you should be.
If its been a while since you practiced traditional navigation skills, brush up with a 2 day Basic Navigation or 5 day Day/Coastal Skipper shorebased theory courses. Navigation is like any skill, no matter how competent you were, if you don't practice frequently those skills will slip away. Enjoy the challenges of seamanship and arrive safely at your destination, I am not saying throw the GPS away, but get back into the habit of using depth contours, 3 point fix and landmarks to help you on your way. With a little extra attention and effort we can all stay safe on the water and enjoy letting those everyday stresses slip away. Who know's you may even enjoy the challenges of using the traditional techniques.

ICC course

Spanish Authorities require all boat skippers to carry an ICC licence aboard, so get legal and stay on the right side of the law with our 2 day ICC course running on the 10/11th March. This 2 day course not only helps you comply with Spanish Maritime Regulations but also gives you access to the instructors knowledge and the chance to receive personal tuition. Call us for more details 695 326 184

Sailing Masterclass

Thinking of learning to sail or improve skills and reach the next level. Look no further, our low student instructor ratio of 3:1 on sailing courses guarantees you the very best learning experience. Many sailing schools teach 5 students per yacht which not only makes them cramped but also means that you are only involved part time. With our low student ratio you are involved nearly 100% of the time enhancing your learning experience, helping you get the most from your training provider.
Some schools offer a Sailing Masterclass at premium rates, but with Mar Menor Sea School every class is a Masterclass, our philosphy is simply to provide the very best training available making you a safer and better sailor.

Tidal sailing courses

You can now take your Day and Coastal Skipper courses in tidal waters with Mar Menor Sea School. Courses start in April from our new base in Isla Canela, fly into Faro and the yacht is less than 60 km away. Day Skippers can get to grips with navigation, pilotage and boat handling in tidal marinas. Coastal Skippers will find the nearby estuaries challenging and there is plenty of opportunity to practice blind pilotage and eye-ball navigation. For novices the Competent Crew course can be taken in either tidal or non-tidal waters.  When starting out there is normally enough to take in without worrying about running aground or which way the tide is running.

Mar Menor Bridge Times

Following a week of rather blustery weather, conditions appear to be returning to the normal sailing winds we tend to experience in this area. With our minds now set on getteing afloat again, we checked the Mar Menor access bridge for lifting times and can confirm that they are currently opening on the even hour between 10.00 and 20.00 hours

Biscay Adventure

We have some clients looking to bring their own Westerly Oceanlord from Troon down to the Med. The trip is likely to go ahead in June and they are looking for a couple of experienced hands to help with the delivery through Biscay. This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to gain some offshore experience and travel to the Med in time for summer.
Please email me if you are interested so I can put in contact with the owners