Welcome to our latest newsletter, where we review the 2022 sailing season for Devon Sailing Experiences and fill you in on our plans for 2023.
A look back at our busy 2022 Sailing Season
We started the year with our one-off 9-day RYA Day Skipper (Combined) course. This was closely followed by a couple of group sailing experiences to the Channel Islands and the Scillies for some of our more experienced sailors. Our Day Sails and Weekend Sails continued to be our most popular sailing experience, with our skippered charter yacht being booked out every single weekend from April until October.
We saw a big increase in the number of families joining us for exclusive skippered charters (single and multi-day) during the school holidays in May, July and August. These months are particularly popular, so we would recommend early bookings if you would like to join us during these months in future.
We welcomed some new skippers and instructors to our rapidly growing team – one of them was involved with a real life rescue during the RYA training course that he was running for Devon Sailing Experiences. You can read about it in our blog post here.
Looking for a Christmas gift?
Gift vouchers for sailing experiences are available to buy from our website. Valid for 12 months from the date of purchase, they make ideal presents for Christmas and special occasions.
If you are currently in the possession of a gift voucher, we recommend booking a date as soon as possible to avoid disappointment as our day and weekend sails get booked up quickly, particularly during the summer months.
What is scheduled for 2023?
We have now started adding day sails, weekend sails and RYA courses to our 2023 sailing schedule. If you are in possession of a sailing voucher, now would be the time to visit our website and get your day or weekend sail booked in for 2023. You can read a little more about our sailing opportunities below and by following the links to our website.
Weekend and Day Sails (various dates)
Weekend sails and day sails are our most popular sailing experiences that are suitable for all levels of sailors. Whilst they offer a good introduction to sailing, they are also useful to help build miles and develop skills. Due to the beauty of the southwest coast, our weekend sails are often used as mini-breaks to allow guests to explore fabulous close-by locations such as Salcombe, Fowey and Noss Mayo. Please visit our website to book yourself aboard.
RYA Competent Crew and Day Skipper (various dates)
Take a look at our sailing schedule and book yourself aboard. Throughout the year, we will continue to schedule RYA courses for our past guests on-demand, so if you can’t see a suitable date on our sailing schedule, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to organise a date for you (subject to availability).
Our standard RYA courses are suitable for those aged 18 and above. If you are looking to book as a family with under 18s, please refer to our RYA Training for the Family and get in touch to schedule a date that works for you.
What else can we do in 2023?
Many of our events and sailing opportunities are scheduled on-demand, so if you can’t see something that works for you on our sailing schedule, it is always worth getting in touch – we will always do our very best to help. Here are some ideas about what exciting options you could book for next year:
Channel Islands Cruise (Group Sailing Experience)
7-day sailing experience to the Channel Islands is a group sailing experience which is ideal for people who have sailed before but don’t necessarily have the experience (or a willing crew) to skipper the trip. This sailing experience is scheduled on demand and will run with a minimum of 3 guests. Guests have their own double cabin aboard our 42’ Jeanneau (no cabin-sharing unless you book with a partner) with bedding provided. Breakfast and lunch taken aboard the yacht are included. Your overnight destinations will allow you to eat out in the evenings whilst you take your time to explore the Channel Islands at your leisure. If you would like to find out more or book your place with a 20% deposit, follow the link above.
Isles of Scilly Cruise (Group Sailing Experience)
A similar format to the Channel Islands Cruise, The Isles of Scilly Sailing Experience is scheduled on demand and will run with a minimum of 3 guests. Guests have their own double cabin aboard our 42’ Jeanneau (no cabin-sharing unless you book with a partner) with bedding provided. Breakfast and lunch taken aboard the yacht are included. Your overnight destinations will allow you to eat out in the evenings whilst you take your time to explore the Scillies at your leisure. If you would like to find out more or book your place with a 20% deposit, follow the link above.
Exclusive Sailing (Scheduled on demand)
Our exclusive sailing experiences offer a wonderful way to introduce your family to the water. They are also ideal for special occasions such as birthdays, marriage proposals (yes – that has happened – you can read about it here) or meeting up with friends that you haven’t seen for some time. We offer single-day and multi-day exclusive charters. You can read more about it by following the link (above) to our website.
Thinking about a bareboat charter for 2023?
We are now taking bookings for bareboat charters in 2023. A 20% deposit will secure your date with the balance due 4 weeks before you sail. Follow this link to our Bareboat Charter page and then get in touch to confirm availability.
Was your booking postponed in 2022?
We sail in all weather EXCEPT when high winds make it dangerous. We do our very best to run your sailing experience as scheduled, but sometimes we need to postpone your booking to keep you and our boats safe. If your booking was postponed in 2022, please make sure you give yourself plenty of time to re-book your date this year. We can only offer you 12 months to rebook a cancelled booking.
Terms and Conditions
By booking with Devon Sailing Experiences, you are accepting our terms and conditions. Please ensure you have read these before booking. We politely draw your attention to the paragraph regarding cancellation and rescheduling and recommend you take out insurance in case of cancellation outside our terms and conditions. Please ensure you have adequate insurance cover in the case of YOUR cancellation due to YOUR personal circumstances (for example, illness or hospital appointments).
If you are unsure about any aspect, please feel free to ask before you book.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Keep up to date with last-minute availability and stories from our skippers and guests by following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to tag us in any of your own posts; we love to hear about your sailing adventures so if you have any photos you would like to share (or stories to tell) do get in touch.
We look forward to welcoming you to Devon soon.