You’ll need to be quick if you want to secure your place at the ICA’s Cruising Preparation Seminar in Auckland later this year. Spaces are filling up fast for the two-day event, which takes place on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November 2014 at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS).
This year’s Cruising Preparation Seminar was originally scheduled to take place in mid-December. But the dates have been changed to avoid clashing with the busy Christmas season, and the new dates are already proving popular.
The two-day seminar, run by veteran offshore cruisers John and Lyn Martin, is intended to give you the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to “live the cruising dream”. The seminar will fully explain how to prepare yourself, your boat and your crew for offshore and extended coastal cruising.
These seminars are always a sell-out success, both in New Zealand and more recently in Australia, where they met with rave reviews earlier this year. Dan, a seminar participant from MacKay, said: “This course is amazing – it’s saved me thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours.” While Chris from Fremantle said: “The seminar gave my partner the confidence to go cruising – I owe ICA big time!”
By attending the seminar, you’ll learn everything from how to choose the right cruising boat, to what type of gear to take, and even how to carry out emergency repairs to engines, sails and steering at sea. You’ll be schooled in over 30 topics over the course of a weekend, with the option to take additional intensive sessions after the course, and even personal one-on-one sessions on your own boat.
The full seminar syllabus and dates can be found online at http://www.islandcruising.co.nz/?page_id=1563, where you can also click the link to register and secure your place with a $150 deposit. The full seminar cost is $450 for two people, plus the ICA membership cost of $45 per annum if you’re not already a member.
– Island Cruising Association
