Day 15 to Go

admin Date , April 1, 2026 Sailing

16 Days to Go – I’m Going to Croatia to Learn to Sail Properly

After years of pottering about on the River Thames—convincing myself that I more or less know what I’m doing—it’s time to face the truth. In just 16 days, I’ll be heading to Croatia to take on the Royal Yachting Association Competent Crew course. Yes… at the grand age of 68, I’m finally going to learn to sail properly.

The Plan

We’ll be based at Marina Agana, just outside the beautiful historic town of Trogir. This isn’t just any sailing location—it’s one of those places that seems almost unfairly perfect:
Short, manageable hops between islands
Clear line-of-sight navigation (even I might manage that!)
Stunning anchorages and quiet bays
National parks and hidden coves
And over 2,000 years of history to explore when we step ashore
In other words… not quite the Thames.

The Crew

This adventure isn’t a solo mission (thank goodness):
Me (Philip, 68) – enthusiastic, occasionally competent
My wife Rosamund – far more sensible
John – fellow prize winner
Emi (28) – redoing her Day Skipper (so she’ll know what she’s doing… unlike me)
A sailing Instructor from Sunsail to guide and teach us.

The Setup

The Setup This is where it gets really interesting. We’ll be sailing with Sunsail, who seem to think this is a good idea.
Two boats: A monohull yacht (where I’ll be learning not to tie knots in myself)
A catamaran (being sailed by others learning the dark art of not tipping over sideways)

Each boat will have its own instructor
We’ll sail together as a small flotilla
And—slightly terrifyingly—this is all being filmed by
Dr Judy Arlett and Steve for a new series on Getting into Yachting. So not only do I have to learn…
I have to learn on camera.

Lights, Camera…

Lights, Camera… Mild Panic The plan is:
I film the catamaran
Steve films us on the yacht
Everyone pretends this is all perfectly normal
What could possibly go wrong?

Reality Check

Let’s be honest. I’ve: Sailed a dinghy on a river
Occasionally gone in roughly the right direction
Sometimes even stopped where I intended
But now: Bigger boat
Sea (not river!)
Tides, charts, proper navigation
And people watching (with cameras!)

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

I call a rope the wrong thing (again)
I pull the wrong line at exactly the wrong moment
I discover that “port” and “starboard” swap sides under pressure
I fall in… on camera
Or… just possibly…
I might actually learn how to do this properly.

The Countdown Begins

Over the next 16 days, I’ll be: Finalising kit (still wondering about salopettes…)
Testing apps and cameras
Packing, repacking, and forgetting something important
And preparing—mentally—for life on a yacht

Follow the Journey

I’ll be documenting everything: The learning
The mistakes (there will be many)
The successes (hopefully at least one)
And what it’s really like to learn to sail at 65+
📍 Follow along at: https://pmrsailing.uk
🎥 And on YouTube as the adventure unfolds