RYA Training Centre Since January 2000
The most striking reason has to be that you can rely upon Allabroad Sailing Academy, we've been an RYA Training Centre since January 2000 and over the last seventeen years seen many clients returning to us repeatedly and most importantly recommend us to friends and family.
Five Brand New Sailing Yachts
Allabroad Sailing Academy has invested in five brand new 2016 model Jeanneau 389s's, which at the time of writing this in February 2017 are still not even one year old. Why? Well you don't hire an old car so why learn to sail on a training yacht that's over ten years old (common industry standard).
Family run and close team of Instructors
We are family run which keeps it personal and we take great pride in our team of dedicated instructors; which makes Allabroad Sailing Academy an extended family. Many of our instructors remain with us year after year and thus you are benefiting from their breadth and depth of experience. We have more senior (long serving and knowledgable) than junior (newly qualified yet highly enthusiastic) instructors.
Quality Standards
We have standards. Given we are an MCA Accredited Training provider we had to write and abide by a whole new set of training quality standards and preform regular instructor audits. This cascades into everything we do and we have standards for exactly how the beds are made, the brands and quality of the food we put onboard, standards for how our chart tables are organised and how all the safety equipment onboard is standardised in the same locations across the fleet. This gives you the end customer a high quality experience that is the same as the friend that recommended you to us and the same the friends you recommend will receive too in the future. It's all in the detail.
Reception, Crew Lounge and two Training Rooms
You may not think this is important in a sailing course since indeed you hope to spend all your time on a yacht sunning yourself in the 300 days of sunshine we receive here whilst learning to sail. However it is convenient for luggage storage between travel plans, a place to cool off, change clothing, check email, have a sit down, study, use the restrooms and generally have a sense of place the moment you arrive, throughout your course and until your departure. No worrying about what to do with luggage for a day, or exactly which restaurant, bush, car park, pontoon you're supposed to meet at and no wondering if the company is going to exist when you pitch up.
Pay by Debit & Credit Card
This does give you extra piece of mind and in many cases a bit more protection too. Setting up credit card payments does require a stage of security and company checks. If there is a way to look back over the company’s history you'll discover we've been accepting card payments since at least 2002, probably longer. Many pop up one man bands don't have this facility and often banking details are for personal rather than business accounts.
Gibraltar is a UK Overseas Territory
It's rather convenient that Gibraltar is abroad yet still part of the UK. It gives a happy adventuring safety net of familiarity to all our British travellers. Not only is it conveniently got it's own airport with direct flights to London, Manchester, Bristol and Birmingham but we also have Sterling as our currency. For the Brits who have pounds this means that you can book and enjoy your Med sailing holiday and spend mostly pounds. For the Europeans that join us you've got a great exchange price to make the course and holiday a good deal given accommodation, training, some meals and a guided tour is all included in the price.
Gibraltar is Tidal and yes it's Still Important!
The RYA have taken away the distinction between a tidal and non tidal courses and therefore opened up being able to do your Day Skipper anywhere. So does that mean you should choose the easy, warm non-tidal location? We think not, we still think this level of course should be done in the right conditions to give the best all round experience for you to take with you for all your future sailing adventures. All too often now charter companies are refusing Bareboat Charters based not meeting the required standard on hand over training We've spoken to many charterer's who were completely embarrassed by this and frustrated at the extra expense of being forced to take a skipper onboard. And in these cases really wished they trained at a reputable organisation where quality of course delivery does not impede on course enjoyment and fun. Many came to us for the first time last year to re-do their Day Skipper again on the Advance / Refresher Day Skipper Practical and thus have greater confidence for their future charters.
Gibraltar is a great place to sail
Gibraltar has it's uniqueness and really is a great place to sail. We have tides, some of the busiest TSS shipping lanes in and out of the Med, strong tidal streams, the shelter of The Bay of Gibraltar in strong weather and the reliability of good winds particularly at the narrowest point on the Straits of Gibraltar. We have dolphins, quite often pods of whales and basking sharks, birds of prey, migrating birds, flocks of pink flamingos (you'll think you've got sunstroke when you see these, I did) and history, oodles of maritime history. It's warm, it's fun, it's memorable, it's pretty and it's got it's challenges.
