Find out what our students and guests think about Grenada Bluewater Sailing:
Claire Ryan, Canada – April 2022:
We had a wonderful time! I think I even dreamed about sailing last night. The first thing I thought this morning was Ready to Tack, Helm to Lee, Let Fly! Needless to say, I woke up with a smile on my face! We saw so much along the way! Great memories were made and we learned a ton! Thanks to you Polly, to Alex of course and to Susan as well, whom I know makes a big contribution to your team!
Axelle Cousty & Matthew Bromage, France/UK – May 2022:
Thank you so much for everything! We feel very lucky that our first mini cruising experience was in such a wonderful part of the world. Thanks for showing many beautiful places Alex, and thank you Polly for putting up with all the back and forth. I hope we can do our Day Skipper course later this year!
Mandy & Peter Joyce, Canada – January 2020:
We just want to say thank you for the brilliant Competent Crew course and sailing experience. We felt you achieved exactly the right mix between learning and leisure and we absolutely loved sailing around Grenada and the Islands. The meals, swimming and snorkelling were all amazing and we will highly recommend your services to others.
Bill Delo & Steve Wider, Canada – August 2018:
Alex made me look good and impressed my wife. Please share with Alex how much we appreciated him sharing his tremendous knowledge, experience and his beautiful and very efficient Chao Lay. Having chartered another boat the week after the class reinforced the importance of Alex’s meticulous care and maintenance. On Our charter the following week, skipper Steve Wider successfully sailed us (no functioning engine) from Petite Martinique to Tyrrel Bay were a mechanic diagnosed the ignition problem. Alex’s instruction made that possible. We also, appreciated the wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables Alex shared with us for our charter as well as the excellent meals especially the fresh fish he caught and prepared for us. Wonderful. A very memorable and educational experience.
Jerome Perreau, France – June 2018:
Many thanks for all you have done. You have arranged everything brillantly and I had a wonderful expérience with Grenada Bluewater. I admire Alex for keeping his British flegma while having a French guy sounding like inspector Clouseau trying to poison him with indecent tea for 4 days in board of Chao Lay. Can I also stress that the lunch and dîners were amazing?
Michael Jones & Family, US – December 2017:
Thanks for everything both of you did to help make our sailing experience so much fun. Alex, we especially appreciated your patient and clear instruction and the confidence you instilled in all of us that we can become sailors. Your talents in the galley were an unexpected bonus (we all gained about 5 pounds) and the fun we had while learning to sail made us all eager for our next sailing adventure.
Thank you as well for treating us to a Grenadian Christmas with your family. We will never forget the food, the fun and the caroling. And the rum! Please let Susan and the kids know how much we enjoyed getting to know them and their willingness to share Christmas, your home and your new puppies with us.
All our best wishes for a very Happy New Year!
Edita Adamcikova, Czech – November 2017:
We had amazing time with Alex aboard Chao Lay completing Competent Crew training. Alex is a brilliant and very patient instructor and great cook! We managed to sail over 175 nm and visit places like Carriacou, Tobago Cays, Union Island, Bequia, Petite Martinique and other. Alex always made sure that training was well balanced with rest and fun time. We would highly recommend to everyone for any type of training, mileage building or just family holidays! Hope we will be back! xx
Nigel Purse, UK – November 2017:
Just back from an amazing adventure with Alex aboard Chao Lay doing our Day Skipper qualifications. Alex was the perfect instructor who gave everyone aboard the chance to build their skills and confidence on a whole range of manoeuvres. Alex was unbelievably calm, patient, and considerate of our needs. He went above and beyond the call of duty to give us all a great experience and ensure we had fun throughout the week. The sailing was exhilarating and Alex’s extensive local knowledge of Grenada and the surrounding islands meant we got to see spectacular scenery and many places you can only get to by boat. Alex was not only the best host imaginable, taking us to fantastic local restaurants, but he’s also a fabulous cook himself, creating great dishes for us aboard – even for my tricky vegetarian wife! We loved the week and if you’re looking for a really personalised sailing adventure that gets you qualified too, look no further! Cathy & Nige.
Greg Morris, UK – July 2017:
Just wanted to thank you for a simply wonderful time, the whole family enjoyed our week with you immensely. I really appreciate the way you looked after us and the professional nature of your operation. I would have no hesitation recommending you. It was really nice to also meet your dancing queen wife and lovely children. I wish you all the very best.
Ed Coppen, UK – July 2017:
I have just spent a week with Alex completing the RYA Day Skipper course. I bit off a lot by doing both the theory and practical components. Alex was very supportive and tailored the entire week based on our needs/development. Mission success! Grenada was a beautiful place to explore, with minimal tourists compared to other Caribbean islands. It was a great action packed week and has left me feeling both refreshed and with a sense of achievement!
Martin Wakefield, UK – May 2017:
Many tks for your email and photos. I really enjoyed the sailing course and I greatly benefitted from being part of the crew that incl Martin and Jason who were on the Yacht Master course,as I picked up lots of useful info from Alex’s conversations with them. Alex was an excellent teacher and I greatly appreciated his patience in passing on his skills and experience and for his ability to make the whole week so enjoyable. I would have no hesitation in recommending this course to my family and friends.
Helen McGillivray, UK – April 2017:
We had an outstanding experience with Grenada Blue Water Sailing on our mile building trip. We were so pleased to have done the overnight to Martinique, and visit the other islands building over 350 miles on the ocean. Alex has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share and we were happy to have been able to build on our sailing skills. He is very organized, professional, patient and we were impressed with how he managed the routines on the boat, emphasized safety and helped us make the most out of this experience. The food – prepared ahead of time by Susan and cooked on board by Alex – was delicious and it was lovely to be offered a cup of tea at times throughout the day! Polly was pleasant, prompt and thorough with communicating all that we needed to know prior to our trip. We would highly recommend Blue Water Sailing!
David Reed, US – March 2017:
Thank you very much Polly, Alex and Stuart! I learned a lot from Stuart. We talked things through so that I understood the concepts and thinking very well. We covered areas where my experience had been short and where pure theory is no substitute for hands on experience. Stuart is very knowledgeable. Fortunately he has a great sense of humor and is someone you can enjoy being with in close quarters for a week– also a good cook! The boat is beautiful and very spacious. The equipment is sound and we always felt secure. Also, please thank Susan very much for her efforts to get my luggage. I felt a lot better when I heard my bag was safe with Alex. We’re glad to be associated with Bluewater Sailing! You all did a fine job for us in a responsive and pleasant way. Maybe our paths will cross again someday. In the meantime may we all have smooth sailing!
Sam Arnold, UK – January 2017:
Thank you so much for a fantastic week. I thoroughly enjoyed it and really appreciate the excellent training and guidance received. I especially thank Alex for providing the opportunity to share in seeing some amazing and truly special places that will remain with me forever. Hope to be back soon!
Caroline Horgan, UK – January 2017:
Thank you Alex for an absolutely incredible course. Our week away has been a perfect introduction to the world of sailing…very much looking forward to more. It was also an amazing trip visiting gorgeous islands & getting a true feel for Caribbean life. Beautiful boat & gorgeous company too.
Tyrell Young, UK – December 2016:
Now we are back in freezing London I wanted to drop you a line to thank you for our excellent RYA Coastal Skipper course. We took our bareboat charter a few days later with a great deal more confidence than we would have done without the course and had a throughly enjoyable 10 days sailing. We did our best to put into practice all that you had told us and as a result had a very successful and more or less event free holiday.
Confidence in our anchoring skills and handling the boat in general was significantly improved by the course and we were pleased to have anchored uneventfully in strong winds with far less anxiety than would have been the case previously. Chai Lay is a very well maintained boat that sails well. The accommodation on board was comfortable and your cooking, particularly of the freshly caught Barracuda, was excellent. All in all we much enjoyed our course and learned a great deal.
Scott Fowler, US – December 2016:
It’s hard to imagine better sailing instruction or a better way to spend 7 days. Think vacation meets adventure meets personal growth and goal achievement, all while gaining the skills and confidence to sail off to just about anywhere in the world. Alex is a phenomenal teacher who lights up when given an opportunity to share his extensive knowledge and experience. His hospitality and patience are second to none – even after I tried to ram the fuel dock (tip: reverse is backward on the throttle, not forward:) He’s a good chef, too!
Jennifer Stevenson, UK – September 2016:
Cannot say enough good things about this course. Alex is great instructor…..really patient and provided a lot of explanation along the way. Very much appreciated the way he included my son. Would highly recommend this for a family adventure.
Delvoie Family, UK – August 2016:
For full review click here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f112/rya-competent-crew-course-grenada-bluewater-sailing-172035.html
Alleyne McLawrence, France – July 2016:
It was an awesome 3 weeks at GBWS, both you and Andy were excellent instructors/examiner for the Yachtmaster. Thanks also for the warm hospitality and great meals.
Rajesh Ramakrishna, USA – June 2016:
Am very excited to get my skipper license! Although I still need a lot of fine tuning and practice, it gave me a good insight and inspired me to build on my sailing skills. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I enjoyed the hike up Martinique! We were well fed (or over fed!) on the yacht. Chao lay was great to sail on and was very well maintained. The booking process was easy. I look forward to building up my skills and coming back for my costal skipper license!
Dr. Ruthie Nixon, UK – June 2016:
I would definitely recommend Alex as a teacher. He is dedicated, patient and doesn’t cut corners. You come away feeling that he has left you as safe to handle a yacht as you can possibly be, taking into account your own prior experience level. He encouraged me to be confident in my decisions and I feel that he has prepared me well to come back and charter my own yacht with my family later this year.
Douglas Forrest, UK – May 2016:
I had a fantastic time!! I thought the whole set up was great. Everything from the info given, being met at the airport and getting access to the yacht straight away was great.
Stuart worked extremely hard to make sure we were having a great time, that we were understanding everything to do with the course and most of all made sure we were well fed. Meeting up with the crew from the other boat and organising a tour of Bequia was just a couple of examples of his desire to give us the best holiday ever. He went the extra mile by discovering it was my birthday while I was out there for the week and cooked a birthday cake despite a little incident with the eggs! This was a fantastic surprise and I could not have asked to spend my 40th with a better bunch of strangers which I am glad to say I now consider to be good friends.
I thought the lay out of the yacht was great and she sailed beautifully. The reasons for choosing to learn with you guys was the size & type yacht and experience of the the skippers. I would be keen to join you should you need crew for the Antigua Regatta as I would love to experience racing. Thanks once again!
Joachim Planta, Brazil – May 2016:
Back home, still in mind sailing with these three crazy English and Scottish …….. It was a fantastic experience. Special thank you Stuart for the top cuisine.
Andy Blagg, UK – May 2016:
Grenada Bluewater Sailing was everything I was looking for; I learnt a lot, discovered some amazing beaches, and met some interesting people. Along with the Coastal Skipper qualification, I came home feeling like I’d also had a holiday.
Bob McDermott, UK – April 2016:
I very much enjoyed my week on board and learned so much with Stuart.
I really do miss the daily sailing and the sound of the wind and the sea.
My adventure has sparked some interested from others in the area, and I will be passing along your web page to them.
Hopefully, I will be back next spring for the Day Skipper course after I get more experience sailing this summer.
Fergus Brown, UK – April 2016:
What an amazing week that was, I really learned a lot and had so much fun.
We did far more than I expected and Alex is an incredible instructor. I can’t rate your course highly enough.
Vanja, UK – April 2016:
I thought that the course was superb; excellent teaching Alex, in a learner friendly way, and with a real willingness to expand on topics as they arose. Wonderful location that allowed for the full range of learning. I feel very de-rusted but recognise also that I have some way to go so will continue with some further theoretical learning and also more practical skills training.
I very much hope that I can join you again at some future point.Just also to say to you Polly that I found the administrative process really efficient and friendly with great information ahead of the trip … thank you!
Malcolm & Sally Hyde, UK – Jan 2016:
The sailing was excellent and the teaching was spot on. Great food and lovely relaxed approach. Very much look forward to returning! Fantastic time with top skipper and cook all in one with Stuart! Oh and fresh fish almost guaranteed to be caught. Never a dull moment always learning can’t wait to go again.
Alex & Prathiba, UK – Dec 2015:
We had a great time thanks. I believe my family is already in contact with you RE a potential trip as she liked the sound of our one!
Peter Eliot, UK – Dec 2015:
Thanks for last week which I thoroughly enjoyed. Alex was a very capable instructor and provided for a fun week. The food was excellent as were the facilities.
Peter Wallace, UK – Nov 2015:
Well were back in a very cold, wet and windy Cornwall – quite a shock after the joys of Grenada! Thank you both for making my YachtMaster preparation and examination such a great experience. It was tough and challenging, and rightly so. I learnt a lot from you both, and thoroughly enjoyed it (at least with hindsight – once I realised I’d passed!). I shall be sailing much more ‘yachtmaster-like’ from now on, and practising those skills to further improve them.
Nick & Julie Gabay, UK – Nov 2015:
We’re now back in cold, wet and windy England. We had such a great time sailing, 162-ish nm, 10-ish Caribbean anchorages, local food and drinks (rotis and Carib/Stag – not to mention Plantation rum – hic!), great on-board chef (good training, Susan!), excellent sailing training and patient answering of never-ending questions (thanks, Alex!), close and beam reaches, tacks and gybes, knots and reefing, blue skies and seas, beautiful country and scenery, romantic looks (thank you Herwig), Sydney’s t-shirts, guitar nights (thanks for your generous but undeserved praise), saving (and not saving) Bob, water taxi-ing, lots of lobster, all thanks to you guys. The week flew by, and yet we seemed to learn and experience so much – a very helpful piece of the jigsaw completed!
Thanks so much for a great time – hopefully see you again soon!
Dan & Fay C, UK – Oct 2015:
Thank you so much for organising such an awesome trip for us. Despite the ‘variations’ in weather we had an amazing time and feel we are equipped to deal with more conditions than if we had blue skies the whole time! We would heartily recommend! Take care and enjoy the rest of the season and we will let you know when we come back to Grenada.
Rob Blackburn, UK – Oct 2015:
What a wonderful week we had. Thanks to Alex for his kind patient and confidence inspiring leadership. I shall never forget the week and probably never forget where I was when England lost to Australia in the rugby World Cup. Entering the beautiful area that is Tobago Cays is just mesmerising, I chose the path less trodden to get there and sailed in past Jamesby and anchored between Petit Bateaux and Petit Rameau. The clear water, turtles, trip to Baradel and talking to my family on the phone while watching turtles surface and rays swim under the boat. Wonderful snorkelling in good currents and then, as the sun set, Johan, a St Lucian, produced his bottle of Chairman’s Reserve rum. Happy memories.
I have sailed with many people and each has their own slant on things, I think Alex is one of the best. I really liked the way he organised the boat, probably due to his many long ocean passages and I value my experience enormously with Alex.
Ray and Carolyn Bacon, UK – Sept 2015:
Firstly, Thank you very much for all of your help towards us completing and passing our RYA Day Skipper certification and could you also please pass our huge thanks and appreciation onto Alex for all of his help, patience and support during our course. We certainly enjoyed the time we spent aboard the Chao Lay and have great memories of the places we visited during our time sailing. The yacht could not be faulted in any way it really was clean, comfortable and well maintained, containing everything that was needed to make our stay as comfortable and pleasant as possible. We thought that Alex’s method of instruction was great, he is very calm and patient with his manner and explains well what is required giving explanations of why things have to be done in certain ways. He made us feel at ease during the course and also has plenty of knowledge of the area which also makes the voyage all of the more interesting.
Richard Willis, Bonaire – July 2015:
My friend Rob and I have just completed a competent crew course, VHF course and I did my Day Skipper practical with Grenada Bluewater Sailing. In addition our instructor, Stuart, sailed my new boat back with us from Grenada to Bonaire. From the initial arrangements with the very efficient Polly through to the final delivery and training in Bonaire the team have been incredibly accommodating, professional and friendly. Due to our purchasing a boat our dates kept changing but Polly still managed to keep everyone available to meet our schedule. Great job!!! Alex did a great job on testing our VHF handling skills. Stuart was amazing and taught us everything we needed for the course but then went the extra mile and taught us many more things that will help us in the future. It was a great balance of learning and fun. Just what I needed after the stress of the previous few months.
I cannot recommend the team more highly and if you want to learn to sail, improve your skills or go further with Yachtmaster training then give these guys a call. You won’t be disappointed.
Carol & Paul Mayzes, UK – May 2015:
Thanks for the wonderful experience and for arranging the route to allow us to disembark at Bequia. We both thoroughly enjoyed it and it has certainly captured our interest in doing more sailing.
Serrant Edwards, Grenada – May 2015:
Everything was great. Love all de anchorage. Meals were fantastic, boat well kept at all time. Alex is a great teacher… he pushes, motivate you when you feel down. He helps you to build confidence when it seems lacking. Thanks very much for helping me and my accomplishment.
Barry & Irina, UK – Mar 2015:
Many thanks to the team at Grenada Bluewater Sailing. Irina and I had a wonderful time aboard Chao Lay, and learned a lot from Stuart, who instructed and looked after us so well. Everything from the organisation to the 5 days sailing was executed with professional quality.
Richard & Sally, UK – Mar 2015:
We’re now back in the UK (freezing!) after a great week on Chao Lay in Grenada. Many thanks for all your help with the organising Polly, and please pass our sincere thanks to Stuart, for his excellent instruction (and patience!).
Isabel & Michael Schmidt, UK – Jan 2015:
Thanks for an excellent week. Stuart brought my theory studies into the real world and I’m looking forward to honing this practical understanding further by building up more miles. The feedback from Stuart is great and Michael and I appreciated the time he took to set it down for us. Please pass on our thanks… Thanks also for the photos and the movie which will help us keep the wonderful memories bright in our minds.
Duncan Forrester & Family, UK – Dec 2014:
We reluctantly said goodbye to Chao Lay this afternoon as our amazing 2 week trip came to an end. We went from sailing novices to Competent Crew and Day Skipper, but best of all we had a thoroughly enjoyable time doing so. We ate fantastic food, sang, snorkelled, fished and best of all smiled all around the Grenadines. Christmas Day in the sunny Tobago Cays was just perfect. Alex and Stuart were both perfect hosts, patient and excellent instructors. Be warned – they’re also demon players of the “Pass the Pigs” game!
If you’re seeking a comfortable crewed sailing charter or RYA training in the Caribbean look no further – Bluewater Sailing is the perfect choice.
Jonathan Côté-Paré, Quebéc, Canada – Nov 2014:
I want to thank you for your help booking this marvelous week of sailing. Stuart is a gentleman, and had us feel safe at all time. We learnt a lot, but mostly we had a very nice time. Be safe in your endeavours, and cheers to you!
Tom Attenborough, UK/Hong Kong – Oct 2014:
5* A wonderful week sailing through Grenada, Carriacou and Tobago Cays – the Day Skipper ticket was just a small part of an awesome trip.
Kevin B & Jenny, UK – Oct 2014:
A big thank you to you all at Bluewater for having us again, such a valuable experience, we thoroughly enjoyed all the hard work. I am sure we will be back in 2015 again for mile building!
Melanie Ford, UK – Oct 2014:
Thank you for a lovely trip, we had great fun and are looking forward to putting our training into practise.
Cosmas Elibox, St. Lucia – Yachtmaster Candidate Sept 2014:
Thanks for all you guys help at Bluewater Sailing School. My instructor Alex for your time & effort a heartfelt thank you. A thumbs up to the team at Bluewater Sailing School. Thanks again.
Morgane & Brendan Gribben – Sept 2014:
Thanks for kick starting our honeymoon with a bang! We had an absolutely amazing time sailing with Stuart and might even have learnt a thing or two 😉 The video is really awesome, thank you for pulling it together for us. Until next time, we have really enjoyed this little introduction to the Caribbean.
Shea Inniss, Barbados – August 2014:
I had a great time doing my RYA Day Skipper licence. Alex and Stuart were very good in their teaching and everything was fun! Thanks a lot!
Elizabeth & Rob Davis, US – July 2014:
We are so overdue in thanking you. We really enjoyed working with Stuart (and honestly we think the Martinque hat is cute) and learned much from our time together. Thank Stuart again from us. Will definitely keep up the learning. Again, thank you both for all that you did for us.
Cherane Read, Barbados – June 2014:
Alex, Ben says you were very patient with him … very much appreciated. He certainly seemed to have enjoyed his time aboard Chao Lay! It means the world to him right now that he has achieved his RYA Day Skipper and I know he had to work hard to get it. So thank you! Keep up the good work!
Fedon Stroude, Carib Cats Grenada – June 2014:
It was a great pleasure sailing with Bluewater Sailing. Not only was it a great educational experience, but Alex and Stuart are exceptional hosts.
I highly recommend Bluewater Sailing to anyone that wants to learn to sail.
Claire Tabor, May 2014:
I had a blast! I am definitely going to come to Antigua Sailing Week again! Alex is an amazing sailor. Next year, I want to come down and race on Chao Lay for Grenada Sailing Week 2015 as well.
Ivan & Vita – Russia, May 2014:
We’d like to thank you and Bluewater Sailing and say several warm words about great supervisors, good boat, and amazing atmosphere. The practical course and the regatta were impressive. We’d also like to thank Stuart and Alex for a good sailing practical (course) and really new experience in race. These two weeks were two weeks of amazing rest time!
Pieter Schouwstra, April 2014:
I most certainly had a good time last week! Wonderful sailing, dolphins, whales, turtles. Yesterdays (Guadeloupe-Antigua race) result was a bit of a surprise really and I didn’t know that we did that well! I really enjoyed the race and the course a lot. I’m glad we had Stuart as our instructor and I’ll tell him in person tomorrow when we have my goodbye dinner. He’s great!
Claudio Iacopino, Feb 2014:
We spent a week sailing from Martinique to Grenada during which I got my coastal skipper. The Grenadines are a sailing paradise and thanks to Stuart the week was not only naturally beautiful, but also technically challenging and cheerful!
Barbara Harris, Feb 2014:
The sailing on Chao Lay was excellent, as last year, with good winds and some pretty exciting waves, not to mention the major excitement of the biggest fish I’ve ever seen landed by Stuart on the way back from Martinique.
Again, I learnt so much and have picked up many tips for sailing on my own, very different, boat. Did I mention the food which was really good and masses of it (especially tuna, eh Stu?). I also enjoyed retiring to my spacious, super-clean cabin with its own head.
I loved sailing with both Stuart and Alex. They are amazing sailors and very thorough, patient and natural teachers. I was very sorry indeed to leave the boat after the 3 weeks and would highly recommend Chao Lay to anyone who wants to sail, snorkel and dine in idyllic surroundings.
Jon Wackett, Jan 2014:
I had a great time – again. The variety of sailing experience with Bluewater is fantastic. In 3 weeks with you I competed in the Grenada Regatta (and came 2nd overall, thanks to a very competitive and able skipper), had a week’s YM instruction sailing around the Grenadines with a highly entertaining couple, and then a week of longer distance sailing to Martinique. Also, it was helpful to have different instructors (Stuart and Alex) and experience different styles of skippering. As usual, the cooking on board was excellent, particularly Stuart’s!
I come back because it’s nice to have my own cabin and head, the instructors are friendly and helpful, the weather is great and the sailing conditions and experience are excellent, and the food is great.
Martin Whitten, Dec 2013:
The whole week was fantastic and I can’t really think of anything that would have made it better. Alex’s temperament really is suited to teaching – and his experience and qualifications suggest we could learn with him for a long time to come. When we come to take our next step, Bluewater will definitely be top of our list. I was particularly struck by the fact he wanted us to learn and be passionate about sailing, not just “qualify” on the course.
We made the right choice, no doubt!
Barbara, H 2013:
Again, I can’t thank you enough for a fantastic week – I’ve learned so much… you were fantastic, amazing. I wanted to jump overboard after those (first) gybes but within 15 minutes I was instructing others, thanks to the way you interpreted the situation and immediately responded in the perfect way for me.
Frances, UK:
Our lovely sailing holiday in Grenada is still fresh in our minds despite returning to a wet UK and a host of work saved up for our return! But just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the course and sailing on Chao Lay. The itinerary was perfect, the right amount of sailing, relaxing, navigating, snorkeling and of course fishing. We will make many recommendations to any of our friends looking to do similar holidays and courses.
Alex, US:
Just a quick note to say thank you so much for an incredible week. You really did go beyond the call of duty in many areas, and thus exceeded my expectations in a lot of ways. You have every right to be extremely proud of the product you are offering the market, and deserve every success.
Andy & Yvonne, UK:
Thank you for a fantastic week; and of course for the important business of a Competent crew and Coastal Skipper qualifications. We are a couple of days into “La Source”; where time has no meaning – so maybe it’s longer! We both appreciated your calm and sure coaching. I feel like I’ve learned a huge amount but don’t feel like we were ever “taught”… More gently shown the right way to do things and lots of great encouragement. I have already made my first recommendation at the hotel – so I hope the inquiries come through!
Matti, Finland:
Thank you so much for the unforgettable experience! It was so thrilling – especially the start of the race! I enjoyed every moment – hope to join a course soon. I really got hooked on sailing!
Fred, US:
From my side thanks to all involved for a perfect week of sailing (which it also would have been had I failed the exam…) Alex, you have taken the top position in my role model list for skippers/sailing instructors… Best wishes to all of you, hope to meet you again somewhere on the water.
Ann & Ian, UK:
Well we’re home, unpacked and back to work. All seems a million miles away now,but we do have some wonderful memories.Sitting on the beach at the Rex we discussed our highlights, mine …anchoring off Tobago Cays and seeing the milky way for the 1st time, swimming with turtles and eating lobster cooked in the pot. Ian’s….heaving too in a very nasty squall, hoisting the mainsail and watching me row backwards. Sometimes I wonder if we really are compatible!! But it was everything we thought it would be and more.You really made it special for us Alex, you are indeed a very patient instructor with masses of knowledge and a fantastic host with amazing cooking skills. So a huge thank you from us both and gybe-o till we meet again!
Chris Capella, UK:
Thanks to inspiring instruction from the peerless Alex, in one week I learned more about sailing and working with a crew than in years of misguided pottering around under sail. And the combination of great (October!) weather, stunning anchorages, fantastic (and cheap) seafood/wine can’t be matched in the UK. A holiday for my wife, and a qualification for me: two for the price of one! We will be back for more of the good life. Thanks to all of you and my fellow crew for a memorable week on the Day Skipper course.
Stuart, UK:
Just a few thoughts for any of you wishing to spend some time in Grenada and the Grenadines for RYA sail training or for a skippered ‘jolly.’ I’m just back from a fantastic week on board a very well kept Oceanis 461 courtesy of bluewatersailing.net. Sorry to sound like an advert (its not) but I would not hesitate to recommend this organisation for a number of reasons. Firstly the area is sufficiently challenging to make it an interesting alternative to the Solent or indeed other UK bases. Secondly, the sailing conditions are fantastic with an almost guaranteed daily 28+ degrees and a reliable F4-5. Thirdly, the quality and professionalism of the instruction and on board catering was absolutely first class. Most of the areas we cruised were quiet, extremely picturesque and came with the added advantage of being able to swim and snorkel before very well cooked dinners on board or in the local island restaurants. For anyone considering undertaking the Yachtmaster/coastal exam or indeed anyone wishing to escape the predictably poor English climate for a great sailing experience – it comes highly recommended.
Thomas, UK:
Just a quick note to say thank you for all the help and support you gave me and our group over the last week. I must admit that I had heard some fairly dire tales about RYA instructors on courses, but I could tell from our first meeting that the week was going to be informative and stress free. I learnt a huge amount from you, saw some amazing sites and gained some fantastic life experiences (swimming with sea turtles and the Bequia Karaoke being just a couple). In addition to this I have now gained the coastal skipper qualification in some truly amazing settings. I wish you all the best with your future courses and hope to return one day with my girlfriend so that she can also see the sunset over Mustique while I gain my Yachtmaster Offshore.