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Big
fun in small boats in the waterways of Clayton Bay |
BACKWATER BOATS SAILING
SCHOOL
Sailing can
be the most relaxing of the many forms of boating available for the whole family.
However this can depend a great deal on how you approach it.
A fortunate
few are born to sailing or are members of sailing clubs at an early age and sailing
is in their blood. Others are drawn to sailing at a mature age and face the prospect
of trying to find a way to get themselves sailing.
Backwater Sailing School
was set up to assist adults and families to learn to sail with out heartache,
embarasment or too much expense. Boats
and Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) are included in course fees. Here
are some of the most common questions we are asked.
Click on the questions
below for information. 
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STARTING OUT |
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Many would be sailors opt for the ‘do it yourself’ method. They buy
magazines, read thoroughly the bits that are interesting and/or are comprehendible
and skip the rest. They go on to reading, ‘how to sail’ books, rejoice
as words are recognised and the theory that now seems to be within their grasp.
They announce their intention to buy a boat. Talk the family around. Buy the boat.
Take the boat to the water and spend a long time rigging it. Launch the boat and
get underway.
Then every thing is happening at once. The family/crew,
who have not neccessarily read anything about sailing, do not seem to intuit what
is required of them. Tentative and possibly obscure instructions are given, using
half-understood terminology the meaning of which the hapless crew have no idea
how to interpret. Instructions are repeated louder but without adequate response.
Then again, even louder still, with just a touch of hysteria, which is seen by
the crew as anger. The crew, though confused, experience their first understanding
of a nautical term - mutiny.
Even if no physical damage is done to the
boat or any of the crew, often the sailing dream takes a heavy beating. There
is another approach. Let Backwater Sailing School help you to find what your after.
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BACKWATER
SAILING SCHOOL |
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The Backwater Sailing School grew from my seeing variations of the above
scenario being repeated every year. I was one of the people who did not have sailing
in their blood but I did have a few sage friends who helped me through the ‘do
it yourself’ stage.
Over the past twenty years I have gained a level
of sailing skill and boating knowledge that is to some extent supported by a cabinet
of racing trophies, a few damaged boats and many incidents that contribute to
experience and local knowledge, and I now have AYF Instructor's Qualifications.
At the School we can introduce you and your family to sailing and safe boat
handling. We can open the way to the enjoyment of the Lower Murray Waterways,
Adelaide’s closest cruising area, and provide you with the knowledge to get
the most out of this fresh water boating area all year round.
We are
able to provide a unique form of sailing education that features:
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Introductory and Casual Tuition. | |
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Weekend and Mid week ‘Competent Sailing’ Courses | |
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Individual and family or small group instruction tailored to
your needs. | | |
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Qualified and experienced instructor/s. | |
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Safe & Sheltered (shark free) sailing waters in the Lower
Murray. | | |
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Sailing tuition in Dinghies, Catamarans and Trailer Sailers. | |
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Courses with small student numbers. (maximum 4 students) | |
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boats available for student practice* at student hire rate. | |
| Accommodation
packages with Clayton Bay Wetlands Caravan Park and Clayton Bay Holiday Escapes. | |
| | *Not
trailer sailor or GP14 | |
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THE SAILING SCHOOL
FLEET. |
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All the sailing boats in the Backwater Boats hire fleet are
used in sail training.
‘TWYNNS’ 1, 2 & 3 are 12’ Windrush
surfcats.
‘SIDEWINDER’ is a 14’ Windrush catamaran.
‘WYNDI’
1 & 2 are Father & Son cat rigged dinghies. These boats are supplemented by the teaching vessels,
‘KYMANU’
a GP14 sailing dinghy and
‘WYNDREL’, an 18’ trailer sailer.
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INTRODUCTORY
SESSIONS AND CASUAL LESSONS: |
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Sailing Season for teaching October 1st to May 30th.
INTRODUCTORY
SESSIONS AND CASUAL LESSONS
Introductory
sessions (I) are 2 hours long, hands on and practical.
One instructor
and one or two students are taken sailing on 'Kymanu' or 'Lynx' to get the feeling
of sailing. After a few instructions the students take over the controls and sail
the boat with the instructor watchfully at their elbow. You get a basic idea of
what's involved in sailing to enable you to decide if sailing might be 'your thing'
and if you want to take up a sail training course with us. 2 Hours
One adult student is $90.
Two adults are $60 each.
Under
10 year olds with an adult student $30
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Instant Catamaran Sailing (ICS)
sessions are two hours long, practical, wet and sometimes wild.
We
take a cat to the water and capsize it. The first thing you learn is to get the
cat upright. It's actually quite simple once you see how it's done. The instructor
shows students how to get on board, off again safely, to gybe, tack, heave-to
and luff stop Then students are shown how to combine these manoeuvres into sailing
an oval or figure eight course. Once accomplished students can then sail themselves
about and begin to explore the possibilities.
You don't become a sailor in
two hours but you learn a lot and have a lot of fun! 2 Hours
One adult student is $90.
Two adults are $60 each.
Under
10 year olds with an adult student $30
____________________________________________________________________________ CRUISE
& LEARN TOURS
In addition to our short courses we do
day, and half day, Cruise and Learn Tours
This teaching approach shows you around some of our wetlands and waterways as
you learn to sail. For the half day Cruise
and Learn Tour we explore the local waters in our GP 14 sailing dinghy
Kymanu, a classic 1949 design for general purpose use. Simple rig and simple
controls, she is a joy to sail. Her roller reefing system works beautifully so
sail area can be readily reduced with out loss of sailing ability. ½
Day 3 Hours
One adult student is $150.
Two adults are $90
each.
Under 10 year olds with an adult student $50
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the day long Cruise and Learn Tour
we choose a suitable destination, every one brings a picnic lunch and students
learn to sail and motor Wyndrel our 18'trailer sailer. Wyndrel is a cold
moulded plywood version of a Hartley 18. Built in 1978 she is in superb condition
and is 'a real head turner' were ever she goes. Her trophy cabinet is well stocked
from years of racing in and around the Alexandrina Wetlands & Waterways and
over the past 22 years she has cruised to every part of the Lake system and well
up the Murray River as well. 1 Day [6 Hours]
One adult student
is $250.
Two adults are $175 each.
Under 10 year olds with
an adult student $75
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PLAIN SAILOR
COURSES: |
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Plain Sailing Courses aim to take students from being absolute beginners,
to a state of competence that allows them to rig one of our hire boats and be
able to confidently go sailing on their own or with a friend. You do not become
an 'expert sailor' but a 'safe sailor', capable of handling these craft and knowing
when and when not to sail.
We cater to individuals, couples, friends and
families to a maximum of eight students on a course.
There are two
course options 2 Weekends [4 x 6
hour sessions]
One adult student is $650.
Two to four adult
students are $450 each.
Child under 10 year olds with at least one
adult student $250
Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm. Completed
in a four week period
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3 Days mid week
One adult student
is $550.
Two to four adult students are $350 each.
Child
under 10 year olds with at least one adult student $175
Tuesday
to Thursday 10 am to 4 pm. Student numbers are restricted by the
choice of boats used. - Catamarans - Windrush 12 & 14, Twynns
- Max. 8 students.
- Sailing dinghies - F&S, Wyndi - Max. 4 students
- Classic
Trailer Sailer - TS18, Wyndrel - Max. 4 students
- Classic Sailing
Dinghy - GP 14, Kymanu - Max 2 students
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SAILING
COURSE CONTENTS |
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Basic Sailing 1
Safety, Boat orientation, Rigging the sails, Sail orientation, leaving and returning
to shore, Capsize recovery drill, Sail a beam reach, Boat speed controls, Sail
a marked course, Basic give way rules, Sailing a triangle course.
Basic
Sailing 2
Rigging the boat, Sailing to windward, Sailing downwind, Points
of sail, More rules,
Crew recovery, Coming alongside, Beaching the boat, Care
& maintenance Basic Sailing 3
Wind awareness, More sailing Technique, Wind & weather, Basic navigation marks,
Injury prevention, Handling stronger winds, Anchoring & mooring, Local waters,
Short cruise. |
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When SAILING
COURSES are held. |
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Sailing courses are conducted by arrangement
on an "on demand" basis so that they can be flexibly arranged to suit
your needs.
Backwater Boats Sailing School runs training courses for
individuals, families and groups during the sailing season from October to May
each year.
Your training enquiries are
welcome.
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| Row Boat
Canoe
Kayak
Catamaran
Sailing Dinghy |
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Holiday House
Bookings
Sailing Tuition
Mooring Monitor
Launch and Retrieve |
| Telephone: 8537 0372 |
Rob Hylton | Mobile:
0411 450 411 | |
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