Check out the BOSS sailing school before booking. Do your homework.
Before taking a course with British Offshore Sailing School, I suggest you check out 3 things.
1. Yacht.
Innovation is a 37 year old Sigma 38. She appears to have been somewhat neglected and is in need of a refurbishment. She was designed as a cruiser/racer and has the mainsheet traveller dividing the cockpit. She has running backstays and lines everywhere. Below, the decor is tired with cupboards and lockers ill-fitting.
2. Crew.
Check the ages of the other crew members. We had a 90 year old who was not capable or willing to act as a crew member.
We were 5 plus the Instructor. Too many. 2 ladies (strangers) were asked to share a cabin.
3. Instructor.
Our Instructor had never skippered a yacht into Cherbourg at night or to the Channel Islands before. His nervous anxiety was clearly evident at critical times.
In summary, "look before you leap".
Reply from Boss Sail
Dear Paul
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. As you know, we have already discussed your concerns with you directly and have taken the feedback from this cruise seriously.
We accept that a number of maintenance items aboard the yacht should have been addressed before departure, and these have formed part of our subsequent review of the yacht and its preparation. We have also carefully considered the comments about the management of the cruise and the confidence of those onboard.
We would, however, like to put some of the comments about the yacht itself into context. The Sigma 38 was specifically designed for offshore sailing and is well known for its strength, seaworthiness and ability to handle more demanding conditions. Its cruiser/racer layout, including the mainsheet traveller and running backstays, is part of that design rather than a defect. One of the reasons we use this type of yacht for extended cruises is that it provides crews seeking genuine passage-making and offshore experience with a very capable platform, particularly when conditions become more challenging.
Shared cruising inevitably brings together people of different ages, experience and expectations, and we recognise that the particular mix onboard can influence the overall experience.
No concerns were raised with the BOSS office during the seven-day cruise, so unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to discuss or address any of these matters while the trip was underway.
Following the cruise, we responded in detail to the feedback received and offered a substantial goodwill credit because it is important to us that customers have confidence in BOSS and in the experience we provide.
While we may not agree with every point raised, we are sorry that aspects of the week did not meet your expectations. We are grateful for the feedback and have used it constructively to improve the preparation and management of future cruises.
Peter Ellis
British Offshore Sailing School