Testimonials

Below is a selection of the feedback from Clients that have completed courses/charters with Cornish Cruising;
 
==============================================================================

I had a great time. I wasn't looking forward to it but wanted to kick myself into action. I needed coaching gently and it seemed to do the trick. I was relaxed with no expectations. I definately want to return to get in some more practice before I go out as "skipper". Fiona (Jan 2012)

Great day on a great boat with a mild mannered, patience and excellent instructor who allowed me to work through various exercises at my own pace John (Nov 2011)

We did the start yachting course at the weekend with Joe and we wanted to let you know how enjoyable it was. Joe was a great instructor and really made the trip both enjoyable and educational, teaching us in a relaxed and friendly manner. Thank you for a brilliant weekend, we will be recommending both Cornish Cruising and Joe to anyone interested in taking any of your courses. Jen and Darren (Oct 2011)

A great week. We all enjoyed it and will be talking about this experience for years to come. Bob is a brilliant instructor, passionate about what and how he puts across. A true credit to Cornish Cruising. Thank you. John & Family (Sep 2011)

Just a quick e-mail to thank you and Cornish Cruising for a great week on my Competent crew course. Could you also pass on my thanks to Phil who was an excellent instructor and a credit to your organisation. I hope to further my sailing experience over the next few years and will definately be using Cornish Cruising in the future       Darren (Sep 2011)

I would just like to thank yourselves and especially Tony, for a fantastic day out. He was kind, patient and helpful to a set of complete 'landlubbing' novices. A marvellous instructor. Thank you. Jill (Aug 2011)


What a fantastic week  ! ( 7th August  to 12th August) Your brief -" An enthusiastic husband hoping to encourage a reluctant wife". Mark and Emily not only managed to fulfil Johns expectations 100% but converted a complete novice , sea sick prone land lubber wife to some one who cannot wait to do it again. To sum up, a brilliant ,challenging and varied week ( helped by Peter and Rutger, the other crew members) Mark showed patience and expertise ,together with his lovely second in command , Emily, went the extra nautical mile! Thank you !! John & Andrea (Aug 2011)

Bob was excellent.  Not only was it obvious that he was incredibly knowledgeable and had great boat handling skills, but he was a fantastic motivator as well and, without him, I would never have sat the final assessment let alone pass it, so I am extremely grateful to him. Paul (Aug 2011) Yachtmaster Coastal Prep & Exam

Simon has taught me on both my Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper Theory courses.  He obviously has a vast experience and background in navigation and boat safety and, through his enthusiasm, I learnt a tremendous amount on both occasions. Paul (Aug 2011)

I was looking into doing the RYA development program last year.  After doing my research, looking into many different RYA training schools, I selected Cornish Cruising for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the quality of different Instructors that I would be trained by with their wealth of experience.  Also, the varied number of boats that I would be sailing. The trips that had been planned during the course were the Scilly Isles, Channel Islands, Northern France, London and Ireland.

I have now just completed the course and I was not disappointed. Cornish Cruising lived up to my expectations and more.

I have now started my first Job as a skipper delivering sail boats around the Med. Thanks to all the instructors and staff at Cornish Cruising I feel I have the confidence and knowledge I need. Martin (Jul 2011)

We had a great time, possibly helped by the weather.  Dave was a brilliant instructor, patient and knowledgeable, but also humorous and fun to be with, for throughout the 5 day course.  We'd recommend Cornish Cruising to anyone, we learnt so much more than the minimum and we've become really enthusiastic about the sport as a result.  Thanks! Richard & Gillian (July 2011)

Thanks to our instructor, Mark, who made the week a huge success. His knowledge, enthusiasm, stamina and ability to impart knowledge were all top drawer. Ultimately, he gave me the confidence to approach my Yachtmaster exam without fear, well almost.  A chuffing great week. Willie (June 2011)

Yet again the most fantastic experience all our needs catered for excellent value for money. Our skipper Phil took us through the week with expert guidance, patience and a wealth of knowledge. We would recommend Cornish Cruising for anyone considering a course in the future. Thank you Nick and Phil  Mark & Heather (May 2011)

Phil was a fantastic instructor. Tailored the programme perfectly - always encouraging - extremely knowlegeable - great fun to be with on what was a terrific week. Bill (May 2011)

I just wanted to say a big thank you to Cornish Cruising, I had a great time on the CC course last week -  I learned a huge amount from Mark and also really enjoyed it!  Carla (May 2011)

Just to say again what a good course it was, and how much we enjoyed it. Bill was a fantastic instructor and also very good company. The additional inclusion of Mike on board too was great, and the course really exceeded our expectations. Graeme (April 2011)

Thanks for an excellent week's instruction. Mark is one of the best instructors I've been taught by in any subject and I learnt a great deal from him over the week. The exercises he set were challenging but never threatening and I thoroughly enjoyed the course and came away with a real sense of achievement. John (April 11)

Sorry to have taken so long to drop you this line but as you know it doesn't go away when you do, it just sits there lurking on your desk until you get back! Just a quick note to say thanks for arranging a superb months Coastal skipper course, instructors, boats, food and ambiance totally superb. You still have a bit of work to do on the weather though. Haven't got a certificate from RYA yet, is this normal or should I/you get in touch with them? Think I've got a chance to sail regularly on a Hanse 400 out of Fleetwood (exciting I know!) so I'll be back in 2500 miles time. You have been warned. Give my best to all there and have a great Festive Season, once again many thanks, Neil (Oct 10)

Nick many thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable Day Skipper practical course. Keith was an excellent tutor and fun to be with. We all got on very well and have many memories.

Alan Wade and myself are certainly keen to charter a yacht from you sometime in the future. The south coast is simply stunning, interesting to sail and there are safe havens within easy reach. Our North Devon coast is a little inhospitable at times. Thanks once again. Garry (June 2010)

Hi Nick - back at work now and still rocking a little.  Just thought I'd like to drop you a quick email to let you know just how very much Rosie and I enjoyed our time last week on the Day Skipper Course.  The 5 days turned out to be the perfect mix of learning, good company and putting into practice our theory from the previous course.  The weather was great and Russel even better - we really appreciated his energy, enthusiasm and experience.  Please pass that onto him.  Thanks Nick, we'll be recommending Cornish Cruising for sure. Toby & Rosie (May 2010)

Having recently completed the circumnavigation of the UK I would like to say a big thank you to Cornish Cruising for a wonderful experience.
From arranging the booking to the arrival back in Falmouth everything has been truly first class. Nick, as always, nothing is ever too much trouble for you. You consistently provide a friendly, personal and professional service that inspires confidence from start to finish. The same attitudes and values are reflected in your staff and a few words of appreciation should be given to Karl, the skipper for a memorable 6 weeks. Karl, provided a blend of patience and professionalism mixed with a wealth of experience that secured trust in his sailing competence from the first moment. In addition to this he was approachable, friendly, supportive and always ready for a laugh.
“Cheers for the English Bitter, Scotch, Guinness, and more Guinness, Manx Brew, Welsh Whistle Wetter, and the Scilly Ales, Happy Sailing, Dude!”  And finally the journey, six weeks of sailing heaven in a well specified and equally well maintained boat. Fantastic, this trip had it all, visiting England, Scotland, The Orkney Islands, Northern & Southern Ireland, The Isle of Mann, Wales, and the Scilly Isles. Covering around 2000 miles in all types of weather and sea states has allowed me to develop my sailing skills whilst enjoying the trip of a lifetime. Exploring the incredible and stunningly beautiful coastline of the United Kingdom. Sailing to places that you have only ever read about, this was more than six weeks at sea; we had time to enjoy a trip along Brighton sea front on the electric tram. A sunny walk from Whitby harbour past the local Jet shops to the ruins of the historic Abbey. Lunch eaten onboard anchored off Holy Island in the Farne Islands, and a wander around Newcastle taking in the Quayside. A visit to the 5000 year old Neolithic village at Skara Brae, which is incidentally older than Stonehenge and the pyramids. The Ring of standing stones at Brodgar, the Churchill Barriers and Italian Chapel in the Orkney Islands.  Tobermory with its pretty painted houses and Distillery, a pleasant sail under the magnificent Skye Bridge. Strangford Lough, and Dublin, where the Guinness Factory tour was well worth a visit to see how the ”black stuff” is made before an evening spent sampling the product in The Temple Bar. The evenings entertainment provided by traditional Irish Folk music played by some of the many talented local musicians. Following a pleasant sail across the Irish Sea we arrived at Peel on the Isle of Mann. Taking a bus to Douglas and Laxey we visited the famous Laxey Wheel before catching the Electric Mountain Railway to the top of Snaefell. A bus ride back, via Ramsey, completed the tour which also appeared to take in most of the TT motorcycle race course.  Some scenic walks were by enjoyed by all along the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park around Dale, working up a healthy appetite for the succulent steaks served at The Mermaid Inn at St Mary’s on the beautiful Isles of Scilly.

These are only some of the shore based highlights; overall it has to be the sailing experiences that are best remembered. Some challenging weather in the English Channel, a sunny sail up the East coast to the Holy Islands before enjoying lunch at anchor off Lindisfarne.  Waking up on a warm boat to find fresh snow had fallen on the tops of the Scottish mountains that surrounded our anchorage for the night. Spotting Whales and Submarines in the crystal clear waters around the Hebrides. Sailing with pods of Dolphins and Porpoise in the Irish Sea and at the same time trying to identify the hundreds of sea birds we encountered en route. Name the landmark became a popular distraction, as we passed Beachy Head, Dover Cliffs, John O’Groats, Scapa Flow, The Old Man of Hoy, the shipyard cranes of Harland & Wolff, Bishops Rock lighthouse, Lands End, and others too many to name.
A truly memorable trip, if you love sailing then this is the one not to be missed. If this sounds like your idea of a great way to gain some valuable sailing experience, meet some fantastic people on the way and visit some of those places you only dream about, I can think of no one better to give you all this and more than Cornish Cruising.
Thanks Again,
Karl (May 2010)

I have spent the last 5 days on my boat (Jellykat) with your Instructor, John Chadwick, teaching and supervising the RYA Day Skipper Practical course. My 16 year old daughter and one of her school friends also came along to do the RYA Competent Crew course.

I just want to let you know that John conducted the course absolutely brilliantly. His warm, friendly and charming style immediately puts everyone at ease and allows him to share his vast knowledge and experience in a truly engaging way. He took a real interest in our development and even went as far as to teach and encourage the girls  to cook a fish pie and bake a loaf of bread, feats which they would previously have never contemplated. He encouraged us to take responsibility and push ourselves to our limits, but without our ever feeling anything less than safe and secure under his watchful eye. We left the boat with a real sense of achievement and enormous progress in our development. In 5 short days we became a competent crew with a growing sense of confidence. We are all very grateful to John for allowing us to explore and expand our seafaring abilities whilst at the same time having such fun. I can honestly say it was one of the best weekends of my life.David,  (Apr 2010)

I would just like to say thanks to Nick who always has a friendly and approachable attitude, he is very flexible  and will do his hardest to help.
the quality of training and instructors is second to none, I would also like to say thank you to Karl my instructor/skipper for the week, he had a highly professional approach to everything yet also being friendly and easily approachable. and was willing to answer any questions i had. i have also been highly impressed with the quality of the other instructors at Cornish Cruising. as they also have a professional yet friendly attitude to teaching.
I can quite honestly say that i would not think about going anywhere else for instruction and training as it is second to none and if anyone else is thinking about going anywhere other than Cornish Cruising then they would be a fool unto themselves. once again Many Thanks. Rhiannon (Jan 2010)

Great experience! A Must for every sailor! Well done!
Staff, boat, classroom, location, meals, tea, seals, cormorants, weather simply perfect!
Congratulations! See you soon for other courses and cruises! Franco (Dec 2009)

Just dropping you a quick line to say thanks for the support and help in gaining the Yachtmaster ticket. Having split the time over a couple of years, has made the logistics on your side not easy, but you managed to fit me in!! Also a big thank you to all the instructors who are all a credit to Cornish Cruising. (Special mention for Bob). Once again Thanks!  Kev  (Nov 2009)

Anyone thinking of going elsewhere for training. DON'T. The whole set up at Cornish Cruising is just so well run. Tom's instruction and teaching was faultless, allowing student development, practice and challenging knowledge and skills, while maintaining great humour at all times. I'm grateful to him for his professionalism this week.
The boat was superb; stable and safe, while responsive and exciting. Facilities on board were all we could ask for, clean, comfortable well equipped and very well appointed.
As a package, from management, to instructor, boat and experience. Absolutely top class; refer to opening comment, go with Cornish Cruising. I will be.
Thanks again.  Phil (Nov 2009)

I did the yachtmaster prep and exam week with you earlier this month. Would just like to thank you to your instructor and examiner. The course was brilliant and I learnt alot during the course. Andrew (Oct 2009)

This is just a note from us to say thanks once again for a fantastic 3 months on the Yachtmaster Developemnt Program at Cornish Cruising.  We chose Cornish over all the other schools we investigated for many reasons: your 4:1 student to instructor ratio; the excellent cruising grounds of the West Country; instructor experience; flexibility and individual tailoring of the program; boat selection; accommodation on shore-based sections of the course; value for money.  After our three months, I am happy to say that we were not disappointed in any of these areas.

We sailed on a wide selection of boats which was invaluable experience and something that we could not have had at many other schools.  All the insructors are exceptional having a wide breadth of experience and the skills to impart that knowledge to us.  Special mention must go to Bill, Martin, Allistair and Peter who worked us hard and gave us the ability and confidence to make the grade.  This is not to take away from our shorebased instructors all of whom were excellent.

Many thanks again for a brilliant experience and I'm sure we'll be seeing you again soon when we are looking to get to the next level or simply for some relaxing cruising in the beautiful West Country. Kat & Dave (Sep 2009)

Just a quick note to say how much both Amanda and myself enjoyed our week with you.

Just a quick note to say thank you for all the time and effort you all took to make my Yacht master development program a success. The teaching team, enviroment and atmosphere was light, professional, friendly and conducive to an enjoyable and complete learning experience and as you all know I was loathe to leave, but to your dread will be back in September to take my Cruising Instructor.
For anyone interested in taking the Yacht master development course, or any kind of sailing course with these guys, you would be a fool to yourselves to go any where else.
Yes they are in the far off world of Cornwall, but the journey is worth making to be taught by instructors that are at the top of their trade and an owner that never sleeps in an effort to bring everything he can to the client to provide an enjoyable, rewarding, concise, professional learning experience. The only problem being that you don’t want to leave. Tim (Jun 2009)

I'd like to pass on my sincere thanks to Cornish Cruising for my Day Skipper Practical Course with special thanks to the instructor, Bob. I learned an enormous amount and gained much more confidence in my knowledge and abilities.  I would highly recommend Cornish Cruising to anyone at any level, as a friendly and professional RYA training centre with the ability to tailor a course to meet the needs of individual course participants. Ann (Apr 2009)

I have recently completed the Yachtmaster Development Programme this winter (08/09) and wanted to commend Nick and his instructors for providing a course that was flexible, enjoyable and achievable in the short time frame. The staff were friendly and approachable and due to the varied students I was able to meet people from all walks of life interested in the same goal of learning to sail. Thanks again to all who made my experience memorable despite the weather!  Helen (Dec 2008)

I am just writing to say how much I enjoyed my course last week and that I achieved far more than I thought I would.  Barry, our skipper/instructor; enabled me to gain confidence in my crewing skills and belief in my own abilities.  Diana  (Nov 2008)

Please accept my thanks for the excellent course last week.  From start to finish the whole experience has been extremely well organised and very professional.  You have clearly managed to achieve the difficult, subtle balance needed to remain a freindly, family firm whilst still providing real top quality arrangements.  Roger (Sep 2008)

I wanted to write to express my thanks for providing me with such a fantastic five weeks' sailing as part of my Royal Marines resettlement.  I was extremely impressed by the quality of both your equipment and instructors, whom I found to be incredibly professional, knowledgeable and good compamy.  The fact that I managed to attain my Coastal Skipper MCA within this timeframe is clearly due to the quality of their tuition.  Tom (Jul 2007)

I would just like to express my thanks and appreciation towards Cornish Cruising for all the help and support you and your team gave me in passing my Yachtmaster exam.  I would especially like to thank Peter, our Yachtmaster instructor for the week, and say how very good he was at teaching us and explaining it in a very easy to understand, none complicated way.  Rupert ( Mar 2007)

Thank you for making my Yachtmaster course schedule work and for the excellent service I have enjoyed as a client of Cornish Cruising.  I would not hesitate to recommend your company to others.  Steven (Feb 2007)

I do not like sitting in classrooms and would normally lose concentration but with Kevin as our (ISAF) instructor that was never going to happen.  With kevin's knowledge and very hands on approach the course was the most interesting and informative course I have done and I would like to thank Kevin for opening my eyes to the very real problems encountered in a survival situation.  Fraser (Feb 2007)

Having successfully completed the Yachtmaster Development Programme last week, I would like to thank you and your instructional staff for a first class experience which delivered beyond my expectations.

I chose Cornish Cruising for my course partly for your location and range of sailing grounds, but was delighted to be taught by the most professional instructors I could wish for, and enjoy a culture dedicated to student learning, which you have established at Cornish Cruising. It was also a huge experience to sail with the many and varied other students, from whom I learned a great deal. Dave (Apr 2006)

We found the course (IASF) provided invaluable advice and guidance which was geared towards the needs and aspirations of the participants. Kevin was extremely knowledgeable and presented the programme in a very entertaining manner. His knowledge enabled him to range widely across the subject of sea safety. The practical demonstrations on the boat and in the pool provided valuable experience which is often not gained in advance of a real situation.  We cannot fault the programme at all, on the contrary, we would recommend it highly to anyone. Colin & Jane(Feb 2006)

Just to say "Thank you" for all your help in taking me from a novice sailor, to passing my Yachtmaster exam.  All very much appreciated!  My special thanks go to Peter for his patience and determination in showing me that I could actually do it!  Helen
(Aug 2006)

I was really delighted to have discussed with you my needs to do the Yachtmaster Offshore Qualification, and even though i had already Circumnavigated Ireland in 2002, You found a program that fitted my needs to get me the Yachtmaster QUalification and then my Cruising Instructors Ticket.  I found your Instructors proffessional and willing, from the Classroom to Mileage Building, Your Yachts and Equipment First Class and you even arranged (apart from 4 Helicopter Lifts) some Heavy Weather Training, on several occasions when appropriate.  Thanks to you for all your efforts and the efforts of your Training Staff. Karl (Aug 2006)
                                 
I just wanted to thank you and Cornish Cruising for such an enjoyable week sailing followed by another informative week of 5 Day Skipper Theory course.  The mileage builder from London to Falmouth was very well organised and despite a challenging time of year and less than ideal weather conditions the professionalism and skill of the skipper Barry and the thought and planning taken by Cornish Cruising made the week not only instructional but very rewarding in experience gained. The boat was first rate, the catering of a high standard and crew safety was thorough. The passages were well planned  and the skipper made sure that there was maximum crew involvement to ensure maximun experience was gained. Much fun was to be had during our time on shore to balance the rigours of a long sail. It has served to confirm my love of sailing.  The classroom work was equally professional and well taught. Dave was a skilled instructor who covered the material in a clear and knowledgeable manner. He was not only skilled in his knowledge but his enthusiasm for both the sea and sailing was contagious and made covering so much material a pleasure.

I will certainly be signing up for more cruises and also classroom based instruction.  Desi (May 2006)
 
Thanks for another excellent course, and please pass on my thanks to Bob, too for his instruction. Julia and I have sampled various sea schools over the last 2-3 years and I have to say that the quality of what you offer is consistently above what we have seen elsewhere, from the kit, to the food and most definitely the instructors.  Peter ( Sep 2005)