ISSA Keelboat Mate – 4 days – Outdoor Education in Asia

This intermediate keelboat course is aimed at school groups that have at least 4 days to learn to sail a keelboat to 'Mate standard'. This course is designed for students who are beginners.

The Mate on a keelboat is the number 2 to a Skipper, and can be relied on to take over at the helm where required and also be capable of mentoring other crew members. The students who participate in this course will learn about Basic Chartwork and a range of nautical theory subjects such as Tides, Weather, Basic Rules of the Road and how to anchor a yacht in safe waters.

The Mate is a valuable keeper of the watch and can be relied upon to make helpful observations on the water. There are further details of the subjects you will study in theory and skills and techniques you will practice, in the box below (and in further detail in our ISSA Mate Handbook, which all students receive before course starts).

Although there is a significant theoretical component that doesn’t mean just sitting in a classroom. The Keelboat Mate's course is very much a hands-on course that teaches your students by getting out there on the water, practicing what they have just learned, under careful supervision. Our experienced instructors will guide your students through the course ensuring they all have a rewarding and enjoyable experience as they learn.

Students will get further experience on Day 3 learning to come up to a mooring and learning to pick up a man overboard. This is the first level at which students gain some command skills and where we get serious with the theory required to safely and competently sail a small yacht - so it’s a big step in developing sailing competence.

The course will qualify students to skipper a keelboat in a flotilla. The fleet sails under the guidance of a lead boat with instructors and an engineer on board. Some schools may plan for future courses, which may require students to plan and to organise voyages to obtain the higher level Gold Award in the International Award (DoE). Check out this next step if you are planning further Outdoor Education with your students.

Our new 4 day Keelboat Mate course offers your students the chance to get out on Phuket's beautiful clear tropical waters and learn to sail a keelboat to a 'Mate Standard'.

The course is aimed at 4 days of practical sailing with very little shore time in a classroom. Students learn through practical experience and the theory is mostly learned and taught on the water. Check out our sailing area in South East Phuket and you'll see why this course is perfect for this island location.

Information about the ISSA Keelboat Mate Course is available in a handbook that is provided for each student. This is a 90% practical experiential learning course for beginners, with an instructor in attendance, on every boat. The instructor usually leaves the boat on Day 4 to enable the crew to manage the boat by themselves. This is of course contingent on factors such as weather and student aptitude. High quality coaching is the key to learning quickly and our programme is highly regarded.

Non-swimmers will be able to participate in all our courses as PFD's are mandatory for all students.

Check out the course curriculum, in the table below, to review what will be taught and what is involved in bringing your students to an Outdoor Education in Asia Keelboat Mate Course.