Meet Nina, one of our current Boat Club members. Here, she shares why joining Fairview’s Boat Club is a great way to enjoy unlimited sailing without the hassle of owning your own yacht.
Q) Tell us about yourself
A) My name’s Nina and I am currently a member of the Fairview Boat Club. I was really late to sailing, 2007 I guess. At 32 years old, I did my RYA Level 1 & Level 2 Dinghy sailing at a local sailing club in the Midlands. I’ve always been into anything that involves water, my Dad had speed boats whilst living in Gabon whilst I was a teenager. I’m a keen scuba diver too. After completing my dinghy courses, I crewed Merlin Rockets for a couple of years. Then, in 2012 with the encouragement of my now husband, I joined my works sailing club at Jaguar Land Rover in Gaydon. A great opportunity to learn from experienced sailors on a variety of different charter yachts whether it be Solent sailing, Devon or Scotland. Somewhere along that journey I caught the bug and signed up for my RYA Day Skipper.
I still live in the Midlands. Way too far from the sea and my most treasured
We now have a puppy who’s just 1 year old and we can’t wait to introduce her to sailing. Both my husband and I have our RYA level 2 Powerboat course booked for October through Fairview to help enable getting our puppy on the water.
Q) When did you join the Boat Club?
A)During the second COVID lockdown in August 2020.
Q) What made you look at joining a Boat Club?
A)I’d been in talks with other Boat Clubs, however, I was struggling with the lack of flexibility and number of crafts available. I work full time and have limited options for last minute deals, especially mid week, so their schemes didn’t really fit my lifestyle. I wanted a scheme that gave me the chance to sail the same type of boat every time, remove some of the parameters that could change each charter, and build my confidence.
Q) Why did you choose the Fairview Boat Club?
A)A sailing instructor recommended I look at the Fairview Sailing Boat Club and I was immediately interested in the included close quarters boat handling tuition! I’d had a bad experience with a yellow ladder in Shepard’s Wharf that scared me more than the boat in the end!
I came down to Port Hamble and Prue was wonderful with me, immediately I knew I’d found the right home for me to build my confidence as a skipper. She showed me Femme Fatale and the standard of the yachts was, and still is, far superior to the usual charter boats. Having 16 Oceanis 37s means I can always get a boat when I want it and it’s pretty much the same set up regardless. I signed up almost immediately and paid the upfront annual fee as the extra points awarded for paying up front seemed silly to miss out on.
Nothing is ever too much trouble, even when I decide my head isn’t in the right zone to park in the marina, I park on the fuel berth and someone comes onboard. Charlie has saved my bacon a few times and shows me how to ‘park’!
I have some idiosyncrasies like wanting a large cafetière and a big ball fender on the boat and Prue always makes sure I’m sorted 🙂
Q) What does an average Boat Club year entail for you and your family?
A) I mostly charter Friday-Sunday, although I have done some longer five day mid-week or bank holiday long weekend charters. I guess it’s somewhere between four and five weekends a year.
My husband isn’t an avid sailor so I generally invite friends who sail or even those who are keen to have a go. I’ve a friend/colleague who’s a great skipper too, so we share the responsibility and help one another develop our skills.
Generally we sail in the Solent, a short hop to Cowes on a Friday and then depending on the tides, weather and experience on the boat, we sail into any of the Solent marinas.
I’ve sailed to Portland on Solent Mistress as 1st mate too. But as a skipper I haven’t ventured that far as yet.
I also did a joint charter for the Round the Island Race this year which was fabulous and am looking forward to my RYA Level 2 Power Boat course this October which I’ve booked using some of my points from my Boat Club membership.
Q) In your opinion, what are the Club’s best benefits?
- Friendly, encouraging, supportive team
- Size of the fleet available to choose from
- Awesome boats well maintained and clean!
- 16 of the same boat so I always get like for like, plus use of other boats, dependant on size of party and capabilities
- Location – Hamble is a short drive from me and benefits from 24-hour tidal access to the Solent. It’s also very pretty 🙂
- Flexible – if the weather is a bit too much for me
- Competitive pricing for lovely boats
Q) Where in the world have you sailed?
A) The Solent, Devon, Scotland, France and the Channel Islands
Q) Where is your favourite sailing location?
A)The Solent – you get exposure to everything. The phrase is true – “If you can sail in the Solent, you can sail anywhere”!
Q) What are your top tips for a making the most of the Boat Club?
A)Ask lots of questions, make sure the team know what you are trying to get out of it and they’ll help you achieve it. If you have more flexibility than I usually do, then take advantage of the last minute bookings, especially in mid and low season!
Find out more
If you’d like to join the Fairview Boat Club, or would like to find out more, contact the team today on 02380 457023 or email info@35.178.158.241
