It's your choice...

...it's your course, your venue, and your instructor.

At North, we like to give you as much choice as we can about your learning. You choose your course but you can also choose the venue and date. Further to this, we aim to offer more information about our instructors than any other school. So you know what to expect when you arrive.

If the courses shown on our training page don't suit you, tell us and we'll match your needs with the right course, the right venue and the right instructor for you.

We're working with colleges in Lancashire & Cumbria to provide you with courses more than 50% less than other RYA sea schools. We combine experience from teaching, lifeboat, sailing and merchant sea to bring you the best knowledge and methods of learning. We'll record your progress for future employers or simply to advise you of the best route to making you and your crew or family safer at sea.

Join a North course, and we’ll provide you with a Training Plan and Sea C.V.. We’re working to offer you reasonably priced courses to improve your seamanship skills. We’re also working to encourage you to join our courses, especially if you believe your ability, gender or financial status might hold you back.

Our instructors

Because we're working in your area, we can put the instructor of your choice to the subject you need to learn. With this in mind, we intend to increase the following list and information on our instructors and their specialisations, along with their photo*

Jamie

Jamie is our First Aid specialist but, more reassuringly, he’s a doctor and a true Boy-scout. He's been involved with the Scouts for over 25 years. We think First Aid is a difficult subject to make fun and interesting to learn but Jamie is both funny and interesting. So, if you need a new RYA FA qualification or your old one needs renewing, have a look at the timetable – if the date doesn’t suit you, contact us to go on the waiting list – he’s worth waiting for - honest.

John J

John J. has years of Boatmasters experience with Windermere steam ferries and offshore commercial work. His gentle manner and quiet confidence reek of maritime tradition. John specialises in Power Vessels.

Sue

Sue is BSL Interpreter for students accessing North’s courses who use British Sign Language or Sign Supported English. Sue is the daughter of deaf parents and has been signing all her life. She heads the entire BSL curriculum for Lancaster Adult College and is pleasure to watch signing the subject of sailing and navigation. She’s also quite good at sailing.

John

John has a strong history aboard merchant vessels but prefers to keep it small these days. He sails on Coniston in his own boat. With a keen curiosity and acres of seamanship knowledge, John chooses to concentrate his teaching on Diesel Engine Maintenance.

Di

Di has been sailing since she was 9. She survived 6 storms in one trans-Atlantic crossing, but she says her recent delivery of 37 workshops, teaching over 700 children Key Stage 2 Celestial Navigation, as part of Lancaster Maritime Museum's Science Week, was also a little challenging. Di teaches the practical and shorebased courses including VHF for North and the community colleges in the area. She also teaches land-based navigation for Mental Health and Personal Development and organises all the programmes for the Fylde and Lancashire coast.

If you are an RYA instructor and would like to work for North, please get in touch with us through the link on the contact us page.

The credentials and experience of all instructors, including references and teaching feedback, is thoroughly explored before and during employment through North. Instructors are listed here once their credentials have been verified*