Welcome toSara

Sara lives at Pin Mill and is keen onboth sailing and travelling. She hasclocked up literally thousands of milesup and down the Wallet, over toOstende and across the Atlantic. Since obtaining her YachtmasterInstructor Certificate in 1983 Sara hasgone on to become an Examiner andbeen appointed as the RYA NationalFirst Aid Advisor. First Aid is one of Sara’s particular interestsand she has taught First Aid at Work and AED courses for oneof the Voluntary Aid Societies since 1988. Sara also runs SRCradio instructor courses for the RYA.

Sara Hopkinson is the co-author of the first edition of the RYA Book of Navigation Exercises and writes the exercises used in the RYA Day Skipper courses. Sara also wrote Fernhurst VHF Afloat, VHF Companion and Navigation a NewcomersGuide. She is an experienced sailor, a Yachtmaster Instructorand Examiner, a Shorebased instructor, and Coastguard RescueOfficer with HM Coastguard. She is uniquely qualified to givestudents an accurate but sympathetic introduction to thewonderful art of Navigation.

www.pinmillcruising.co.uk

Sara HopkinsonStream Cottage, Pin Mill Lane,

Chelmondiston, Nr Ipswich IP9 1JH01473 780510

sara@pinmillcruising.co.uk

www.pinmillcruising.co.ukwww.pinmillcruising.co.uk

Pin Mill CruisingSailing

On sunny days I teach afloat. From a day to a week, have the tuitionthat you need to make your sailing safer and more enjoyable.

General First Aid Courses

Pin Mill Cruising also offers general first aid courses, including:

• AED

• Emergency First Aid at Work

• First Aid at Work

• Re-qualifying and updating courses

Pin Mill Cruising offers a variety

of shore based courses which are fun,

informal and informative. Whether you

are a novice or more experienced sailor

Pin Mill Cruising can offer the right course

for you. Most of the courses are taught by

Sara, who has a wealth of experience in

both sailing and teaching.

Essential Navigation and Seamanship

This course is a basic introduction for anyone going afloat for the first time and is usually run over two days. The RYAcourse pack is included in the cost of the course and provideseverything that you will need.

Course topics include:• Charts and publications• Safety• Engine checks• Buoyage• Tidal awareness• Pilotage• Rules of the road• Anchoring• Weather forecasts• Passage planning

Day Skipper

This course is a comprehensive introduction to navigation and seamanship, and great fun as well. The ideal way to learn isan evening course over the winter, when there is plenty of timeto practice and discuss at a relaxed and friendly pace. Pin Mill is a wonderful location with the lights on navigation buoysflashing outside the windows and ships passing by.

Alternatively the course can be done over 6 days or weekends. The course fee includes the RYA pack of charts and exercises,and course book.

Course topics include:• Choosing safety equipment for a cruising boat• The basics of seamanship• The essentials of coastal navigation and pilotage• Chartwork• Electronic charts• Position fixing• Plotting a course to steer• Weather forecasting and meteorology• Tides• Collision regulations

Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster

This is an advanced course for those with more experience. It is the natural follow on from the Day Skipper course and is good revision, especially for skippers planning longer passages.The course covers the theory knowledge up to the levelrequired to take a Yachtmaster exam. An evening course overthe winter is an excellent way of achieving the high standard required as it allows time for revision and practice. At Pin Mill it is possible to practice light recognition by simplylooking out of the window!

If attending a winter evening course is impossible, 6 day orweek-end courses are also available. The course fee includes the full RYA pack of charts, exercises, and course book.

Course topics include:• Position fixing• Course shaping and plotting• Tidal knowledge• Use of almanacs and admiralty publications• Electronic position finding equipment• Taking and interpreting weather forecast• Weather predictions using a barometer and by observation• Collision regulations• Customs and excise regulations for cruising abroad

Radar

This one day course is designed as an introduction to the useof radar as an aid to navigation and collision avoidance. Radar is a valuable tool if you understand how it works and how tointerpret the picture. Included in the course fee is the RYA book and certificate pack.

Course topics include:• How the radar set works• How it’s adjustments and features affect the way it works• Target definition• Radar reflectors• Types of radar display• Radar plotting• The use of radar in navigation and collision avoidance

www.pinmillcruising.co.uk www.pinmillcruising.co.uk www.pinmillcruising.co.uk

Marine Radio (SRC)

The course for the Short Range Certificate is recommendedfor anyone who uses a VHF radio and it is a legal requirementto have someone with an SRC on the boat, if it fitted with a VHF/DSC radio. The radio is a vital piece of safety equipmentand it is important that everyone onboard is competent andconfident in it’s use.

The course fee includes the RYA VHF Handbook and notesfrom the latest edition of Sara’s book.

Course topics include:• The basics of radio operation• The correct channels to be used• Distress, emergency and medical assistance procedures• Digital Selective Calling (DSC) using simulators• Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems (GMDSS)• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB)• Search and Rescue (SART)

Do your radio course with Sara... she has written several books on the subject and runs courses for other instructors wanting tobecome SRC assessors.

First Aid

The one day RYA First Aid course covers all the usual subjectsbut from a boating perspective and is suitable for anyone who goes afloat, including professional skippers. The course fee includes the First Aid Manual and the RYA Certificate.

The syllabus is based on the recommendations of the HSE and MCA.

The subjects specific to boating include:• The recovery position in a confined space• CPR, including the drowning protocol• Cold shock and hypothermia from immersion

and/or exposure• Seasickness and dehydration• Medical assistance advice by VHF• Helicopter rescue

Do your first aid course with Sara... she is the RYA National First AidAdvisor and organises all the RYA First Aid Instructor courses.