Louis, Katie and their two teenage sons have a plan; they want to sail around the UK.
You have made the start of our sailing and boat ownership journey more enjoyable and productive than we could have ever achieved."
Katie, Argenta
They bought a boat that was ready for the task, a Hanse 418. That was the easy part, they then had to get themselves ready. They realised early on, getting some training was all part of the journey and they are now two seasons in and enjoying every minute as they edge closer to their goal.
"If I could change one thing, I would have known you before we bought the boat. It's clear to me there is so much first time buyers do not know."
Louis, Argenta
When clients who are new to sailing buy a boat, the learning curve is steep. Not only do they need to start mastering sailing skills, they must also start to understand the valuable asset they have just invested in. White Dot Sailing advised on some initial upgrades of safety gear and some minor snagging during the commissioning phase. This enabled the family to get their yacht ready for a season cruising locally around The Solent.
A number of tuition days were scheduled to start getting the family familiar with their new yacht, before undertaking their Day Skipper practical. A huge benefit of ownership is that you can train in a comfortable and familiar environment.
With Day Skipper passed, season two focused on coaching the family towards longer distance with some trips to Poole scheduled in. The next step will be a cross-channel to either France of the Channel Islands. Below we asked Louis & Katie what they thought of their adventure so far...
White Dot Sailing: " How did you find out about us?"
Louis: "We were given your details by Inspiration Marine, the Hanse dealership in the UK."
WDS: "Were you actively looking for training when you purchased your new boat?"
Louis: "Absolutely, we always intended to buy a boat and qualify on it."
WDS: "When you purchased your boat, what were your long-term goals?"
Louis: "It was a retirement plan, we wanted to become competent skippers in 5-7 years, so we could sail around the UK and further."
WDS: "In what area has White Dot Sailing helped you the most?"
Louis: "It's all about confidence and enjoyment, you have totally de-stressed the whole learning experience; brought us all forward together, made it safe and fun. That's quite an achievement!"
Katie: "I have particularly valued your ability to adapt your teaching to our individual needs and confidence levels."
WDS: "What, in your opinion, do people underestimate the most prior to boat ownership?"
Louis: "How scary it is taking such a valuable thing out with no idea what to do. But how fast we learnt with you, we achieved so much in a short time and we felt we actually knew what we were doing, not just rushing to gain a certificate."
WDS: "Will you use White Dot Sailing in the future? If so, in what way?"
Louis: "It's a long term relationship for us. We plan to use White Dot Sailing to do our first channel crossing next year and then our Coastal Skipper, finally Yachtmaster. As we take each step we see you being part of the journey; teaching, coaching, keeping us safe, whilst challenging us to achieve more each year."
We look forward to working and sailing with the "Argenta" crew next season!