Testimonials

We have been lucky enough to have received some great feedback on a couple of our Instructors recently which we’d like to share with you:

Julie Proudfoot – I wanted to feedback on what a great lesson I had with Julie yesterday. I’ve had various instructors from when our boat initially moored on the Thames and then in Poole but I have to say that Julie was without doubt one of the best. She was evidently very experienced and knowledgeable which I would have expected from an instructor. But more than that, she was so patient and encouraging and broke everything down so that it was easier for me to understand the techniques.  LH 12.8.24 (Own Boat Tuition)

Paul McCabe – I was really impressed with paul as an instructor.  he made difficult subjects easy to understand and gave me hints to help me remember.  Definitely my kind of instructor.  TH 13.8.24 (RYA Day Skipper Practical)

Some grat feedback from our client who did a 1:! RYA advanced powerboat course recently:

Easy to book and Vanessa was very responsive and replied quickly to queries

Bex was fantastic, very patient and knowledgeable,  Easy location and great facilities.  the boat wasfantastic.  Extremely well maintained and modern.

We recently provided an RYA course for a Deacons bertholder.  The weather wasn’t brilliant and they did well to pass the course.  They came back for an additional day to consiodate their training and this is what they had to say:

See our latest Google Review

Completed my YM Prep course with Mendez and would wholeheartedly recommend them.

From initial enquiry, to taking the Prep Course and Exam – nothing was too much bother. Julie Proudfoot is a very experienced instructor and challenged us. Mendez supplied snacks, sandwiches and food for the night exercise which was a great touch.

Fenland Dancer their training boat is great and very suited to instruction and all we had to do.

Very refreshing, after experiencing a very poor experience at another RYA school on the south coast last year.

Thank you

I enjoyed (the course) a lot.  the instructor, Peter, set a high bar with his perfect parking (haha)  Good stories! practical and helpful. (AP)

Wonderful, I really enjoyed my time.  Easy, Seamless process. Kind and friendly and welcoming from the moment we arrived.  Our Instructor, (Peter) was wonderful.  Kind, helpful, supportive, informative and encouraging.  I really enjoyed learning with him. (JB)

Very much enjoyed the course.  Very experienced instructor – knowledgeable and good equipment. (DB)

Good boat, good facilities, good clear Instruction (MK)

Excellent training school, boat very fgood standard.  Learnt lots.  Helpful, considerate and knowledgeable coach.  Nice team (SW)

Good Balance between formal instruction / coaching.  Pragmatic advice and enjoyable experience.  Thanks Nick.  (MK)

We recently ran an RYA Sea survival course and World Sailing (in conjunction with Taste the Blue)  specifically for Deaf UK members.  The course was well attended and enjoyed by all who came.  James Davies ran the 2-days of courses and was congratulated for his interactive and inclusive delivery.  Here are some of the comments we received:

• Facility equipment with subtitles!  Amazing job.  Well spoken / clear for lip reading.  Interesting facts
• Surprisingly nice to see subtitled PowerPoint (live) – which made it so much easier to get the right termonology etc that would have been missed out with the BSL interpreter – so with the 2, double the information overload 🙂
• Excellent (course) Subtitles – a real time help.
• I enjoyed the case studies – it brought together theory and experience and made it real.
• The automatic captions on PPP are brilliant.  This should be standard practice to have them on for all courses and meetings – it increases accessibility
• Excellent presentation overall.  Noted improvement on the addition of subtitles to the bottom of the screen.
• Pool session was good in Andark
• Very good overall and recommend to my friends to attend course.

David booked an RYA coastal Skipper practical on Fenland Dancer to improve his knowledge and skills.  Here’s an extract from his feedback form:

Paul’s knowledge is first rate but more importantly is able to communicate both that knowledge and his enthusiasm.

I found the ‘end of course’ debre=ief an integral part of the course and learnt a great deal about myself and the way forward.

I would return in a heartbeat.  The most fun I have had on the water – the only person who could / should have done better was me!

We recently ran an RYA first aid course with Peter Young as the Instructor – here are some of the comments:

• Great stories, scenarios, fun, jokes, very thorough instruction – concise – and patience with the constant questions from us
• Probably the best first aid tutor / instructor.  Instruction really good, knowledgable.  Great scenario based exercises.
• Enjoyable – Peter made it so.  Learnt a lot, refreshed some things, thought about some new techniques

Heres some feedback from some clients about our Instructor Kai.

Kai – really fantastic way of teaching and questioning with a smile!

Excellent course.  i was expecting to learn a lot and I wasn’t disappointed.  Kai was patient and very informative and if I didn’t understand an instruction he explained it in a different way until I did.  kai has the happy and unique knack of instilling confidence.  He has a good manner.  Asking ‘pupils’ questions to check their understanding.
Kai went out of his way to make suggestions / small adaptations/adjustments to our boat to make life easier

I was asked today to confirm numbers of  RYA powerboat Level 2 certificates issued in March 2019.

I gave her the information and this was her response:

You’re a star . . . Boat people are nice people. And you set us off on a great path of adventure on water.  Thank you

What a lovely testimonial

A newish PBI ran a successful course for us this weekend.  This feedback will ensure we keep him on and hopefully increase his confidence.

Stuart is relaxed and delivers calmly and positively.  Clear instructions and presented with humour although constant reminders of boat and personal safety 😊

I recently completed my Yachtmaster Offshore Power with Mendez Marine. As always Mendez delivered a first class training course and couldn’t have been more adaptable to ensure that everything was delivered around the weather constraints. Clearly they’ve established a great support network as when there was an issue with the training vessel (which is maintained to a very high standard) their engineer met us at a pontoon and sorted the issue there and then. Although a bit nervous for my exam, I had received a great preparation week giving me the best possible starting point.

I highly recommend Mendez Marine, they’re great to work with and have excellent instructors.

We have just completed an RYA Helmsman for a family new to boating.  Unfortunately their boat broke down towards the end of their 2nd day.  This is what they had to say about our new Instructor Tom White:

We recently ran an RYA First Aid course for Deaf Sailing UK, taught by James Davies.  Here are some of the comments from the students:

The visual resources and practical activities were excellent and made it much easier to learn.

I love PowerPoint – Helps a lot

It was really good to see the ‘visual’ course, and to enable us to do practical practise.  I have learnt a lot, especially DR “ABC” procedures.

Can’t fault anything. Everything went smoothly and easy to follow.  Plenty of practical and visual.  Jim made it easy for us.  Having done my first Aid 20 years ago without support – it was hard – this time round its much more fun and easy.

Very useful with (BSL) interpreter.

Very hands on, full o informative slides and interesting stories.

Dear Vanessa,

l want to thank you and Mendez for the quality of the course and the perfect boat

Take a look at the feedback from our last RYA Advanced Powerboat course:

Really enjoyed Rob’s style of tuition.  Super Relaxed but steps in at just the right moment.  Very professional.  thanks Rob

Lovely instructor – great style of teaching and Very professional and knowledgable.  Good facilities.  Good Boat.  good crew!

Vanessa was amazing!  helpful, kind and efficient.

Rob was an excellent instructor.  cool, Calm and knowledgeable.  Lovely manner

Feedback from our 5-day RYA Day skipper theory Course.  5 – students 5 passes:

Wonderful! Rob is probably one of the most patient pragmatic instructors I have ever had.  He is calm, knows his subjects inside out and inspires confidence to achieve the goal for which one is aiming for.

We recently facilitated a rib experience for 2 teenagers, whose mum came along for the ride.  They were kind enough to send the following feedback:I hope you are well.

some great feedback from one of our courses this month:

Before arrival: All made simple thanks to Vanessa – I need a Nessa in our office

Your time with us: The booking process was very smooth and Vanessa very helpful.  Paul was a great instructor and very thorough and made the whole experience enjoyable.  I was please that Paul added som humour into the course which eased the pressure Somewhat.

I wanted to email you to thank you for arranging the practical boat handling course last Tuesday.

I found all of Paul’s tips really really helpful.  I was also very interested in the MOB practice, especially the Williamson turn which I have never ever attempted before and the ferry gliding which was a bit hairy (for me) as the stream increased during the day.  I’m also pleased to report that I able to get most of his navigation question correct too.  So something is sticking from my Day Skipper theory course.

Next steps will probably be to complete the Day Skipper Practical sometime early next year.

I finished my course Friday night I just wanted to say what an exceptional trainer Monty is I have used many training companies over the years for my business he is an massive asset to your company and definitely a guy you need to hold on too

Kind regards,

Steve Phillips

We recently ran an RYA Day Skipper theory course over 5 weekend days.  Here’s what they had to say:

Adam (Tavell) was very clear, he explained things well and was able to re-explain any areas we were confused or unsure about.

Was great – Awesome Instructor – clear, precise and, most of al very patient.

I thought the course set up was good and thought learning over multiple weekends was helpful.

Was handy it being over weekends – would have found 5 consecutive days a bit intense.

I would like to congratulate you on providing a first class service.  The centre provides a great learning environment and the examiner (James Davies) is a credit to your team.  The vessel, ‘Swiss-T’ was in great shape and allowed me to step on-board, even though I was unfamiliar, and locate all the equipment with ease thus reducing the pressure of the exam.

Further to this, I have a couple of friends who are considering sitting the PB2 Course to whom I will recommend your company.

Thank you. A good course given by James (Davies). He shows the gulf between my level and his..:)  certainly created a lot of thinking. Hopefully I’ll have the time and opportunity to put it all to practice. I’ll keep an eye out for other courses as the school and location is very pleasant. Ian

Very good course friendly from booking right through. Tim

More relaxed and fun than anticipated.  Very practical and up to date instructor.  Great Venue.  Ray

Fantastic course. Really informative – feel confident to boat.  Neil was fantastic.  I started thinking I wouldn’t be able to drive a boat, now I can’t wait to get out again.  so much fun!! Thank You.  Amy

Equipment was ideal for learning, facilities catered for all our requirements, Neil was an excellent instructor taking time to explain and show, really put my wife at ease with his approach and teaching style.  Paul

I had a Day Skipper (practical + theory) and Helmsman courses as a bespoke package at Mendez Marine. By the end I felt confident enough to skipper a passage safely. The instructors were very supportive and encouraging, and they all had a clear way of transferring information. The school boat, Fenland Dancer, was a phenomenal training platform which helped me gain confidence in my boat handling skills. Overall, I have learnt a lot and would highly recommend Mendez Marine to anyone looking to follow the RYA Motor Cruising scheme. Thanks a lot.

Please pass on my thanks to Paul for all his patience, advice and guidance yesterday. The experience has really boosted my confidence and has given me much food for thought. The practical exercises really honed my existing skills and gave me some new ways of thinking about how to approach boat handling.  I now look forward to transferring them across to my own boat.

I just wanted to touch base to provide some feedback from Saturday.

George was absolutely lovely. He was friendly, approachable and patient with a professional attitude. He is clearly a competent skipper, but also an excellent instructor and ambassador for Mendez Marine. It was an incredibly positive experience which has left me feeling confident and relaxed in the vessel. I would have no hesitation in recommending George, either as a skipper or instructor.

Thanks again for sorting at short notice.

Monty has been a terrific instructor.  This was our first day on a new boat, first day with twin engines and he boosted our confidence enormously.   Great blend of demonstration and guidance with really helpful advice.  Made it extremely useful and a truly enjoyable day.

Adam was very knowledgeable, informative and patient.  Very good content.  ‘Improved’ confidence. MF

Adam was calm and encouraging.  Everything well explained.  Classroom facilities very good.  SH

Adam was excellent. Very patient encouraging and knowledgable. MH

Vanessa was very helpful with the booking as had to be changed a number of occasions.

Another brilliant day with Julie.  Great at Building confidence and had me doing things I never dreamed I could do! JC

Had a great day with Julie.  She has the knack of teaching, but making the whole day fun, fun,fun! DC

Great Support from Vanessa regarding my Theory Refresher and adjudicated exam. RB

Food was excellent ! PM

Excellent Instruction. Clear and understandable.  Boat comfortable and responsive to drive.  Packed lunches tase and filling and trip to Cowes, night passage and fish and chips the highlight! SV

Hi Vanessa,

I hope all is well. Just a quick note to say what a great day we had yesterday on the rough weather handling course. It was great to be able to experience that sort of weather and get some practical experience of rough weather boating. I’m not sure I’ll be rushing back to go out in a force 6 again but it was fantastic to do, and a massive boost to my confidence. Can you thank Adam for his excellent tuition, confidence and patience.

All the best and looking forward to seeing you soon.

First of all I just wanted to say thank you again to the team at Mendez Marine. The course was great, the kit and organisation behind was well orchestrated making it a smooth operation. Further more as I mentioned to Paul and Julie it was really nice to spend 4 days with Instructor/Trainers who shared the same passion for training.

Zoom worked well, but not as good as classroom.  Hugh was Fab tutor, very patient, explained well in a way able to understand.  Would recommend.

You guys are all great, excellent course, no complaints, very pleased . . .but my head hurts.  Rebecca

Classroom is better but the online was really good.  Operated really well.  Hugh was brilliant, always helpful and supportive. Andy

I hope you are well and thanks for your email.

May I take this opportunity to thank you both once again for what turned out to be a fantastic week. It was definitely varied, exciting and fun – lots of thinking on our feet, adapting, compromising and on my part, lots of renewed learning. All of you were a real pleasure to work with and it heightened the sense of achievement to pass. Even the sandwiches were delicious and Tom and I were laughing that the three of us (including Monty) were a very simple catering trio ….. ‘all exactly the same please ! … even the tea !!’

And so onto Monty ….. Could you please pass my sincere thanks and appreciation to Monty. He was such a pleasure to spend time with and to learn from – he made things look (sometimes frustratingly ! :)) simple, explained things really well and focussed us on what did turn out to be the exactly the right points – it is Monty I have to thank above everyone for my pass.

Although we jumped between centres, the learning and experience really did feel seemless and had this been the normal plan for this course and exam I would not have felt it was out of the ordinary. In a way, it added to the enjoyment by being able to experience two boats, two marinas and two different harbours.

Can I also make it clear that Steve too was excellent – he was at great pains to promote Mendez Marine (due to the circumstances) and did not in any way get close to trying to poach business – he was completely professional.

In conclusion, thanks again to you all. I’m obviously really happy to have passed and am looking forward to the future. Thanks also for organising the Welsh Governmet paperwork so effectively.

We made it !!!!

Many Regards

Jonathan K