Katie

Now that Spring is upon us and we have more hours of daylight, we wanted to update you with information about Devon Sailing Experiences and the yachts you can charter through us.

Our Yachts

We have a number of new additions that can be chartered through Devon Sailing Experiences. All of the yachts (as at April 2016) are listed here.

Jeanneau 409 (Bewitched): Ideal for families or larger groups, this spacious 41’ yacht offers 3 cabins, 2 heads, heating and entertainment systems. See http://www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk/luxury-charter-boats/

Jeanneau 36i (Spellbound): A high performance hull, a powerful sail plan, and a deck designed for safety. This yacht offers a generous cockpit with oversized, leather-wrapped steering wheel. Our version has 3 double cabins. See http://www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk/standard-charter-boats/ for details.

Dehler 34 (Troppo Bella): Moored on the River Dart, this performance cruiser is an excellent option for couples or a small group of friends. For more information, see http://www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk/dehler-34-yacht-charter/

Stefini rpd66 (Disco Volante): This Italian 65′ fully crewed charter yacht has a huge cockpit for entertaining, a licensed bar and superb sail credentials. Down below there is a fantastic state room and accommodation for 8. Details: http://www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk/20-metre-italian-charter-yacht/

Welcome to our newest Team Member

We are pleased to announce a new skipper on the DSE team – Gail Wright. Gail has been sailing for 15 years and is a Commercial Yachtmaster (offshore). She qualified in 2012 following a circum-navigation of the UK.  Since then, Gail has spent her time delivering yachts around the UK and Mediterranean. In 2015 she sailed from Barcelona to Mauritius, a journey of 10,000 miles which took 3 months with brief stops in Gibraltar, Las Palmas, Cape Verde and Cape Town. She is looking forward to running some of our skippered charter experience weekends.

Twitter and Facebook Accounts

We would love to see photos and video footage from your experiences with us, so please keep us updated with anything you would be happy for us to share via our blog posts (http://www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk/category/devon-sailing-info/), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/devonsailingexperiences/) or Twitter account (@devonsailingexp). Follow us to keep up to date with our news and special offers.

Sailing Schedule

Don’t forget that our schedule for day sails and weekend sailing experiences is updated on a regular basis. Details can be found here: http://www.devonsailingexperiences.co.uk/devon-sailing-schedule/

Returning Customer Discount Scheme

Don’t forget – we offer a 5% discount to customers who re-book charters with us.

We hope to hear from you soon for your summer charter. Wishing you an exciting sailing season!

Nick and Katie Rich

At Devon Sailing Experiences, we are keen personal supporters of “Plymouth Gin” (www.plymouthgin.com), a super premium gin from Pernod Ricard UK (the parent company) distilled here in Plymouth at the Black Friars Distillery. So it is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to help promote a competition that they are currently running that gives people the chance  to win a fantastic prize that captures the spirit of the drink.
The lucky winners will enjoy a weekend of sailing on our modern yachts here in Plymouth with ‘victuals’ and transport provided. Following a successful day sailing, the lucky winners will have the opportunity to ‘debrief’ in the company of a few G&Ts on deck.
We will then whisk them off to be wined and dined in the company of one of our yacht masters – no doubt some tall tales of high seas and great deeds will be provided by the skipper.
Details can be found on promotional bottles or you can enter here:   www.winwithplymouth.co.uk
We pride ourselves on supplying high quality yachting experiences to corporates and individuals alike.  If you have a corporate sailing or individual requirement, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Please Enjoy Plymouth Gin Responsibly.

Sailing in Devon draws to a close for the end of the season as our Jeanneau 36i, Spellbound, is lifted out of the water. Giving her time to dry out and receive routine maintenance ensures that she is in tip-top condition for yacht charters in Devon from March 2016.

To ensure our guests receive the best, high quality experience whilst sailing in Devon, we ensure that all of our yachts receive thorough inspections, maintenance and cleaning. The yachts normally get lifted out of the water around the end of October (as this helps us make the most of any good weather the early Autumn months can offer us to allow our guests to sail as late into the year as safely possible). We often get requests to charter yachts from Plymouth in November, but unfortunately, as boat lifts need to be booked well in advance, we are unable to provide this service at the moment. However, if sailing in the later months become more popular, perhaps Devon Sailing Experiences need to rethink this issue…watch this space.

Next year, Spellbound will be sailing in Devon and Cornwall waters from King Point Marina, Plymouth. Yacht charters from Plymouth were the most popular option that we offered our customers last year, which is why we have chosen to relocate our yachts for the 2016 sailing season.

Our Plymouth-based yachts will be back in the water late February 2016, all serviced, fresh and ready for the next season. It is around February that we will start scheduling day sails around the pre-booked charters. Keep checking our sailing schedule page on our website and Facebook page for the latest information.

Creating differentiation for the Nicholas James Group by sailing in Devon.

Devon Sailing Experiences recently met up with friends from the Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa (part of the Nicholas James Group Ltd) to give them the opportunity to take in the views of their stunning hotel from the water, and to enable them to create video and photography assets for the hotel. As part of the partnership, we have teamed-up with the hotel to enable them to create sailing packages add-ons to their product portfolio. Giving their guests the chance to sail in Devon is a unique and rewarding experience for their customers.

Utilising one of our new yachts, ‘Bewitched’ (our luxury 41’ sailing yacht), is perfect for a group of friends marking a special occasion, a romantic trip or an educational adventure. Sailing in Devon is a fantastic experience for anyone, but combining it with a luxury hotel break takes it to another level. Setting off down the estuary, with the wind in your sails, your skipper will effortlessly guide the vessel past the hotel and the stunning backdrops.

Salcombe Harbour Hotel and Spa suggest making a few days of it (see http://www.salcombe-harbour-hotel.co.uk/news/devon-sailing-experiences/ ) where Devon Sailing Experiences will collect you from Plymouth, sailing you over to Salcombe Harbour Hotel & Spa for an overnight stay and use of its luxury facilities. You may choose to book a sail back to Plymouth, or be taken back to Plymouth by Range Rover in time to catch your train home.

We are looking forward to offering this exhilarating and breath-taking experience to other hotel groups in the area. With the dramatic scenery and fresh sea air, you can understand why people fall so in love with sailing in Devon.

A fine spell of weather in October coincided with our first Hen Party Sailing Weekend – and what an experience that was!

Wearing a blindfold (which we were told she had worn since leaving her home 2 hours prior to her arrival at King Point Marina in Plymouth), our hen was led along the pontoon to our 40’ yacht, Bewitched. After removing her blindfold and shoes (sorry, ladies – no heels on board!), she helped the rest of her crew load up the yacht with Prosecco and…. well, not much else, really! What else do you need on a hen party sailing weekend?

After setting sail under the guidance of their experienced skipper (brave man!), a few rounds of games (Cards Against Humanity – look it up, by all means, but please don’t hold us responsible if it causes offence), gangsta rap boat songs and the obligatory photo shoot at the helm, the party dropped the anchor for lunch. October can sometimes be a little cold for sailing, but the sun shone and the ladies were well prepared with their layers of clothing. Besides, the freshly prepared home made chilli-con-carne with rice and sour cream washed down with more Prosecco helped warm everyone up.

Upon returning to land, the sailing hen party hit the first-class shower facilities that can be found at King Point Marina, then they were ready for their evening at The Dock, the fabulous restaurant that overlooks the marina. They didn’t have far to stagger home – staying onboard a cosy, heated yacht 6-berth yacht that they could see from the restaurant window just finished off their celebrations perfectly.

Spellbound, our Jeanneau 36i, hosted the Meet me on the Boat project, which took place 13^th – 16^th September in the sheltered waters of Torbay.

Encounters Arts arranged to charter a yacht and skipper from Brixham for a few days (and an evening) and invited a number of artists along to sing sea-shanties, tell stories, and create artefacts. The outcomes of this exciting and unusual project will be exhibited at Living Coasts, Torquay on Saturday 26^th September.

The work demonstrated by the artists whilst underway goes a long way to show that sailing in September can offer a wonderful experience. You can see that their photographs show clear blue skies, and as the nights begin to draw in early, you can see how it is possible to sit back and watch the small coastal towns light up beautifully.

We have had requests to charter a yacht and skipper for birthdays. We have had requests to charter a yacht and skipper for anniversaries. We have had requests to charter a yacht and skipper for stag or hen parties. Never before have we had a request to charter a yacht for a group of working artists.

Would we take part in such an exciting project again? Oh, yes. Definitely!