Family Sailing | Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

Time spent with family is worth every second . . .

Sometimes the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives can erode the time we spend together as a family, so we’re excited to offer a new sailing opportunity so you can be intentional about planning some family time into your week.

You’ll be making great memories for you and your children and likely relieving stress in the process!

It can be a once-off session or make it a weekly habit . . .

Just wait for your kids to start asking, “can we do that again?”

Details & Book Online

Frequently Asked Questions

Details & Book Online

Join us as a family group for a two-hour sailing experience which provides that opportunity to get out on the water and spend time together doing something fun!

Our experienced sailing instructors will guide you in learning basic sailing skills, terminology, and boat handling manoeuvres. The teamwork involved in making a boat sail correctly makes it great for family bonding!

Conducted on Friday afternoons during daylight savings times from 5:30pm to 7:30pm

$200 per boat, which can carry up to four family members plus our instructor (see FAQs)

Suitable for children from 7 years of age onwards and at least one adult must be onboard.

We require a minimum of two participants, plus our instructor to sail the boat safely (pending weather conditions)

You’ll also receive a gift voucher to enjoy a free share bowl of chips back in the clubhouse afterwards while you share your ‘sailing stories’ . . .

Choose your 'family time' date today!

“Just what we wanted with lots of hands on experience and guidance. Should have done it years ago.”

“The instructor was excellent and the boat was ideal for learning.”

“It was a fantastic experience that everyone should do one day.”

Private Lessons

PRIVATE LESSONS

If a Friday afternoon does not suit, you could consider booking a specific day and time to suit you.

Our private lessons cater to all ages and experience levels, and are perfect for those wanting to learn, re-learn or further develop their sailing skills.

The lessons can be organised at times that suit you and are charged on a ‘per boat’ basis. You can organise up to three friends or family to join you for the same price as one person! We do require a minimum of two guests plus our instructor to sail the boats safely. Minimum age is 7 years if accompanied by an adult.

We will provide one of our Sailing Academy small inshore keelboats and all of the required safety equipment, plus a lifejacket or PFD for each participant.

Prices differ from weekdays to Saturdays or Sundays, and are calculated based on the number of hours per session.

For more information, please contact our Sailing Academy staff – [email protected]

Our Instructors

INSTRUCTORS

Our wonderful team of Instructors are all skilled and experienced sailors, many of whom actively sail themselves every weekend.

All hold specific keelboat qualifications with Australian Sailing (AS) as well as additional & complimentary certifications.

AS Keelboat Instructor certificate
Instructor General Principles
First Aid certificate
Working with Children Check
Powerboat Handling certificate and General Boat Licence

The Boats we Sail

FORCE 24s

Our family sailing courses are conducted on the Club’s fleet of ‘Force 24’ keelboats, which are 24 feet (7.31m) long and carry an Instructor and up to four course participants.

We will sail with a headsail or jib (small sail at the front) and a mainsail (large sail on the tall mast). All sailing boats lean to the side with the wind but these boats were specifically designed for teaching beginning sailors and are very stable. They have a large lead keel for ballast that prevents the boat from tipping over.

As a course participant you will be actively involved in sailing the boats, pulling ropes, moving around the boat and most importantly ducking under the boom to swap sides as you tack or gybe to change directions. Your instructor will lead you through all of these sailing terms and will explain (and support your through) each of these actions.

We will be sailing inshore on the mainly flat waters of Newcastle Harbour, we do not go out onto the ocean.

What to Wear

WHAT TO WEAR

All you need to wear are some comfortable, warm clothes that are suitable for outdoor activity and allow you freedom of movement, with a pair of enclosed shoes to protect your feet.

Active wear is suitable or shorts/trousers & t-shirt/polo shirt. A wind/spray jacket is a good idea for cooler days.

Joggers/sandshoes or any non-marking rubber soled shoes that provide support would be suitable.

For sun protection we recommend a hat with a chin strap or one that is firm fitting so as not to blow off in the wind. Don’t forget suncream! Sunglasses should be secured with a flexible strap if possible.

We will supply you with a correctly fitting self inflating life-jacket or personal flotation device (PFD). We have a full range of sizes to suit children through to adults.

Your ‘sailing gear’ may get slightly wet from occasional splashes.

Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We are a family of five. Can we still participate? Yes, possibly. Our keelboats are most suited to 5 people on board (4 adult students plus one instructor), however if we have say two adults and three children, this may be an option. Please contact our Sailing Office to discuss your family’s configuration and we’ll do our best to work out an option.

Do you have suitable lifejackets for us all, including the children? Yes we do. We have a wide size range of personal floatation devices (PFDs) as well as self-inflating lifejackets. We will ensure you are correctly fitted based on each individual’s size.

What if it’s really windy, do we still sail? Given we may have young children onboard we are particularly vigilent about the weather and the sailing conditions. We want to make sure everyone feels safe and has a fun time on-water. If we cannot sail on a particular afternoon due to strong winds, we will offer the opportunity to reschedule to another date.