Below is a list of frequently asked Questions and their answers. If you have any queries that are not covered here please contact us to discuss them.

What do I need to bring?

How do I make a booking?

How do I confirm my booking?

What does the school provide?

What is the maximum number for any course?

What time do the courses start?

Were do I join the boat?

How are the courses run in Practical Terms?

What sort of meals are there onboard?

What about insurance?

I have a medical condition, does this prevent me from doing a practical sailing course?

Can my friends and family contact us once we are underway?

What about an emergency?

Who are the Instructors?

What qualifications does the Chief Instructor hold?

Under what regulation does the school operate?

Which boat is used by the school?

Under what survey does the school boat operate?

What if I have a complaint or would like to give you some feedback?

How do I choose the right course for me?

I have completed CBES Boat master and Coastal Skipper and I've done quite a bit of sailing, how do I now get a 'Coastal Skipper' or 'Yacht master' Certificate of Competence?

What are the costs for Coastguard examinations?

What are the contact details of the Coastguard Examiner?

What do I need to bring?
Comfortable warm clothes, plus summer clothes were applicable, soft shoes, a wooly hat, sun hat, and for the 5 day course a pair of sea boots, available from any marine chandler, contact us if you have a problem as we have some spare gear onboard.

How do I make a booking?
You can fill in the booking form and send it to us by email or post, or you can ring us directly to discuss your requirements.

How do I confirm my booking?
A deposit of 30 % of the course fee is payable on booking (This deposit is not refundable).
No bookings will be final until the deposit has been received.
The balance is due 30 days before the commencement date for the course.

What does the school provide?
Excellent full time instruction on a sea worthy, well fitted out boat with good wet weather gear for all onboard, sheets and blankets, the occasional bad jokes and all meals.

What is the Maximum number for any course?
5 people.

What time do the courses start?
We normally start the courses at 0900 hours and the last day of the course finishes at 1600 hours.

Were do I join the boat?
It depends which course you join us for, we will send you detailed joining instructions for the coastal and ocean courses.

How are the courses run in Practical Terms?
The first day is getting to know the boat, some boat handling under power and sail, man overboard drills and we work through the RYA syllabus from there, depending on the people onboard and the weather. Everybody pitches in with the domestic side of running the yacht and sharing the cooking duties.

What sort of meals are there onboard?
We mainly run a vegetarian menu (not to worry carnavourians, in 7 years we have had not one complaint yet about the meals!) We cater for special diets when required, please let us know.

What about insurance?
The school carries third party liability insurance. But personal insurance against injury, accident or loss whilst at the school is the responsibility of the client and the school accepts no responsibility of any such injury, accident, damage or loss to a client’s property or person however caused.

I have a medical condition, does this prevent me from doing a practical sailing course?
No, not necessarily. We can make arrangements. Please discuss this with us and advise us if you are on medication, and make sure that you bring enough medication with you, including some spare in case of delays.

Can my friends and family contact us once we are underway?
Yes, we have a inmarsat Mini-M telephone onboard providing a voice and date link if you need it. Calls from the boat NZ$5 per minute, calls from the shore to the boat approximately NZ$15 per minute depending on your phone company (The charges go against your own telephone account).

What about an emergency?
All emergency contact details will be held by our office our office staff is in regular contact with the vessel, and your family and friends can contact our staff directly at any time.

Who are the Instructors?
The Chief Instructor is Henk Haazen. Henk has been sailing a large variety of boats around the globe for the last 20 years, he Launched his own boat, Tiama, in 1997. Since that time he has been running a successful chartering business with Tiama, the sailing school is a relatively new venture to get a chance to share some of the experience and knowledge with other people. He is a friendly sort and enjoys having people onboard.

Sometimes we use other fully qualified Coastguard/RYA instructors, in that case we will let you know before the course starts who will be the instructor.

What qualifications does the Chief instructor hold?

• NZ Coastguard/RYA Yacht Master Instructor


• NZ Coastguard/RYA Astro Navigation Certificate


• NZ Offshore Master with STCW endorsement
• Commercial Launchmaster Certificate
• Ship's Captain Medical Certificate
• Marine Engineer Class 6.

Which boat is used by the school?
The main school boat is S/V TIAMA, she is a 49 Foot Mummery, and professionally build in NZ by Waterline yachts. Launched in 1997, Tiama is a proven sea boat with 50.000 miles under her keel, most of them in the southern ocean. For more info, including a complete equipment list, go to www.tiama.com

Under what survey does the school boat operate?
Tiama operates under the NZ MSA Safe Ship Management System; she is surveyed to operate in an unlimited area (Worldwide) and licensed to carry 6 passengers.

What if I have a complaint or would like to give you some feedback?
We have a feedback form that we encourage people to use. We take complaints seriously and will deal with them as soon as possible.

How do I choose the right course for me?
Study the course descriptions on this page. For detailed information on all courses, obtain a 'Sail Cruising and Yacht master Scheme Syllabus and Logbook' (G15 04), $18.95 available from Trans Pacific Marine (0800 422 427 or www.transpacific.co.nz).

Or contact us to discuss your plans...

I have completed CBES Boat master and Coastal Skipper and I've done quite a bit of sailing. How do I get a 'Coastal Skipper' or 'Yacht master' Certificate of Competence?
For detailed information obtain a 'Sail Cruising and Yacht master Scheme Syllabus and Logbook' (G15 04), $18.95 available from Trans Pacific Marine (0800 422 427 or www.transpacific.co.nz).

Or contact us to discuss your plans. Exams can be arranged through us or direct through CBES.

What are the costs for Coastguard examinations?
Practical exam fees payable directly to Coastguard Education service.

• Coastal Skipper $375
• Yacht master offshore $430
• Yacht master Ocean $320
• Power/Sail Conversions $220

What are the contact details of the Coastguard Examiner?
For information regarding any CBES/RYA examination contact:
Neil Murray
Coastguard Boating Education Service
0800 40 80 90 Ext. 208
neil@cbes.org.nz
http://www.rya.org.uk