Harness the tide Mendez Marine is widely respected and known to be a specialist Motor and Powerboat school. We know what we are good at and we work hard to ensure that we do that well. Boat handling under power doesn't mean that we only use engines and disregard two of the great forces of nature, the wind and tide. Quite the opposite we teach…
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Gaining Experience A significant issue faced by RYA Yachtmaster (Power) candidates is gaining the required sea miles and skippering experience prior to attending an RYA Yachtmaster Prep course and exam. Unless you are lucky enough to own or have access to a suitable motor vessel how do you gain the sea miles and navigational experience! Whereas many people are both confident and competent in all…
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Have you heard the saying 'Use it or lose it'? Skill fade is an unfortunate reality. COVID has restricted boating activity over the last couple of years so we should accept that maybe our theory and practical skills may not be quite as good as they used to be. If you have been boating for many years skill fade might not be that evident due…
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We speak to many people on our travels round the marinas who don't use RADAR even though they have it fitted to their boat. "I turned the RADAR on when I first bought the boat and was confused by what I saw so I turned it off and haven't used it since." That is quite a common statement and understandable, the RADAR screen can be quite…
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The autumn and winter months will soon be upon us. For some, the boating season is nearly over. Why not use this time to refresh old skills and learn new ones. Mendez Marine are running a series of refresher courses and upskilling courses throughout the off season. These are in addition to our schedule of RYA classroom courses: navigation, VHF, First Aid etc. Rope &…
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Some months ago we published a set of Speed Quizzes aimed at helping reduce the tedium of the first Covid Lockdown. We were overwhelmed by the number of people who registered to take part in the quizzes, identifying to us that there is a need for us to continue creating such quizzes. In response to the many messages of support for this initiative we have…
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Did you know Most chart plotters and electronic aids to navigation, just like your car SatNav, carry a warning when you first turn it on and you usually need to 'Accept' in order to progress to the main screen. Electronic charts are made for the leisure market and although all possible effort and care is taken to display the most up-to-date and accurate information, they are…
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Lets all go boating It's been a long wait but many boaters are now able to get back out on the water. Whilst we all want to get straight out and enjoy this great weather it is important to remember that before heading out we should be making sure everything is ship shape and ready to go. The last thing we want is to…
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Making the most of these troubling times Whether in self-isolation or unable to go to work for the next few weeks; now could be a good time to crack on and do those online courses that you have been promising yourself to do. For many, 'Time' is a rare commodity, work and family pressures can easily consume our daily lives and somethings just never get…
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Mendez Marine are committed to educating boaters to make boating both safe and fun. Every now and then we find something worth sharing... Associated British Ports (ABP) have produced a very useful guide for leisure boaters navigating in the Southampton area. As the port of Southampton and its adjacent waters get busier with commercial traffic it is important that we, as leisure boaters, understand…
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