Cornish Cruising
Cornish Cruising is one of the largest marine schools in the Southwest of England, we sell the full range of STCW 95 courses to our clients as part of a package which when purchased as a whole costs only £980. All of the theoretical courses are based on our premises in Falmouth, and the practical courses are conducted using our local swimming pool and the closest fire training centre, in Plymouth. Besides STCW 95, we have approval for the AEC, are seeking approval for PDSD, PMC & PMF courses, on top of the full yachting syllabus from the RYA. We're based with easy access from Port Pendennis as well as transport links which are as good as they get down in Cornwall, with a regular train and bus service to Truro, and from there direct trains to London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and others. We are also situated around 30 minutes away from the nearest airport, Newquay, and provide a car service from there to our premises.
STCW Training Centres
Cornish Cruising have their training centre located in Falmouth, United Kingdom.
Terms and Conditions
View the training school's Terms and Conditions.
Customer Reviews
Cornish Cruising reviews as published on Google:
Lee Gallagher
I have to agree with Nick, Im only giving this company one star as minus numbers weren't a choice. Nick Jordan has treated me and it would seem many others, with absolute contempt.
Nick Salter
If there was an option for zero stars I would give them that. I booked a course in March which was then cancelled on the Friday (due to start on the Monday) and rescheduled for June. It was then cancelled again on the Friday saying they were no longer a RYA training centre and full refunds would be paid in 30 days. It's now two months later and I have not heard from them. I have tried to contact them many times but they don't respond to emails or phone calls. I have reported this company to Trading Standards. Avoid them.
Update: it is now mid-November and I have still not heard from this company. This is despite opening a case with the small claims court to which they did not reply.Antoine Baron
Came to Cornish Cruising to get my YM Offshore and really happy about it. Decent prices & Quality teaching. Alan and Bob have been great theory instructors who made me improve quickly. Special thanks to Phil and Kevin who were really skilled and dedicated practical instructors who helped me to reach my goals. Sailing environment is great. Would definitely come back.
william makepeace
Absolute shambles has no idea how to run a company he’s just rude and doesn’t care for any of his paying customers aslong as he’s getting his money,all the way from dorset got half way done for it to be re scheduled so had to go all the way back over a £1000 for my course,trains and hotels you ask for a refund or some money and they don’t reply or have ago at you .communication is a absolute joke takes about 10-15 days to reply to a email and gets lairy on the phone.basically do not ever use this company go anywhere but here all they won’t is the money in his pocket then he doesn’t want to know you.Absolutely terrible
jamie ward
Wouldn’t recommend dealing with this company, they take your money easily enough, cancel the course then wont refund your money. Use another company
Josephine Mayr
Waist of time and money!
I did not got informed about the course changing time. I arrived, as asked in the last document i received, at 9 am which was 3h late and I could not participate at the 2 days course anymore! I was shocked how unprofessionally and unhelpfully Nick was dealing with this situation. No solutions were found. I eventually got the refund of the course but no refund of travel cost (from abroad!!) and I have waisted 3 days !Richard Bywater
Earlier this year we booked a family holiday with Cornish Cruising. We were not disappointed. With limited family sailing experience, all enjoyed the professional instruction by Ian and qualifications were gained. The boat (a Bavaria 37') was fully serviceable, fueled and victualed. Looking at the cost per person, it was great value and most importantly it was an enjoyable and rewarding week. Will be booking again, hopefully soon.
Harry Turner
Though we were messed around by the manager, the instructing was flawless. Our instructor, Kevin Brigs, was a great mentor who is a pleasure to be around. Each day brought new challenges and experiences and I loved the course.
Oliver Burdall
PLEASE READ THESE REVIEWS!!!! I didn't read them and BOY I regret it. We chartered Evie Mae, a once lovely 33ft bavaria now completely ruined, for a week for our honeymoon. I was nervous because her section on the website shows a generic picture of a modern, completely different, un-neglected boat but was reassured by the fact that cornish cruising is a very active centre offering a large number of training and the RYA stamp. I was fooled.
THE BOAT:
The engine flooded 3 times a day and the bilge (electric and hand) didn't work/weren't effective so we had to bail the galley, quaterbirth and engine bay several times a day with a water bottle cut in half with an ear slitting squealling sound so loud it was like the alarm was inside our heads; the fuel gauge doesn't work at all; the tender had holes in; there was no repair kit; the forepeak hatch leaked in the rain to the point of having to put a bucket on the floor to catch the constant drips; the battery didn't hold charge to the point of having to run the engine constantly to keep the fridge going (including time in the evenings) otherwise the starter battery drained; the bunk and galley cushions are so stained as to appear like a scene from trainspotting does yaching; the boat is incredibly beaten up (it is now essentially a bumper car of a boat); the mainsheet is inexplicably tangled and so old that the knots won't break apart; the rudder and hull are supporting such a rich volume of marine life that it feels like she is towing a significant part of the great barrier reef behind her; the instruments will only switch on with a very specific gentle press/squeeze knack which often takes a few attempts and no one could possibly know with out being told, which we weren't by any one except someone who happened to be staying on one of the other boats.
NICK (owner):
If this wasn't enough reason to avoid chartering we were met with intense, want-to-throw-a-brick-at-it, rudeness from the very first second we walked into cornish cruising. We strolled optimistically into the office an hour before our charter time (considerable experience has taught me to be there early to get the paperwork done) and said who we were. Nick then looked at us, looked at the clock, looked back at us and just said "And?" Then obviously feeling he should expand added "It's not 4 o'clock, the boat isn't ready." I explained my previous experienced based ambitions and he just said "No, come back later, we are still getting the boat ready". So we sat on the balcony of the adjacent bar excitedly looking out over the marina, directly at Evie Mae, where absolutely no one was getting the boat ready at all. Nothing changed except Nick's mood over the next hour.
We called to say the tender was leaking and where told "No it's not". Moving on from that I asked were the repair kit was? "How would I know this is a charter boat, stuff gets moved around." I explained that as the charter company their job would be to find that stuff and put it back for this exact reason. This was met with an awkward silence and the call ended.
We called to say the engine, galley and quaterbirth were flooding due to the bilges not working and had set off an ear splitting alarm. "The bilges work fine". "Then why is the boat filling up?". "Boats always have a little bit of water in the bilges". "Not enough to come up to the bottom of the cooker and set the engine alarm off." "......................". "How can we fix this?" "Bail it out." "BAIL!??". "Yes, get a large buckets and a smaller container and then...". "I know how to bail out a boat, I'm just surprised that I should need to, that you aren't worried about this and that you don't seem to want to know why this is happening. Also feels like a temporary solution." "..................." Call ended.
All the aspersions on the reviews to the state of the boats, Nick's attitude towards customers and issues with communications are true. Please take heed.Dave
Top class marina complex with everything you could need and much more! Professionally recognized training delivered by experts!
Highly recommended.
Thanks for a great day.Josh Salt
I travelled 512 miles to take the competent crew course due to start on a Sunday. I drove down on the Saturday and booked accommodation for that night. I received an email Saturday evening to say the course was cancelled due to an engine problem on the vessel. I did receive a full refund for the course, but wasted fuel, time, and a week’s holiday.
Rosie
Had booked and paid for a sailing course due to take place in November. Was encouraged to pay in full and not deposit, but as it was close to the date I didn't mind and thought nothing of it. As we went into lockdown I assumed the course wasn't on but heard nothing from Cornish Cruising. I emailed and phoned many times trying to reschedule but didn't hear back. Decided to give the benefit of the doubt for a couple of weeks due to the current circumstances, and assumed that they could be furloughed or not open etc. Once lockdown eased I tried to get into contact again to reschedule but again heard nothing. It wasn't until after Christmas that I finally managed to get hold of Nick, at which point I asked for a refund due to the complete lack of communication, he then proceeded to get very angry and shout at me down the phone, refused me any form of refund saying he couldn't afford it and hung up on me. Safe to say I wouldn't want to do a sailing course with this company after that even if it did miraculously go ahead, and I get what I paid for! I still haven't received a refund and sadly it looks like other people have had similar experiences with Nick.
Simon Willis
Avoid for yacht charter . I was nervous of dealing with this company after reading the reviews; and they were absolutely right. Communication is intermittent ( dont reply to website enquiry or [phone back when they promise), they pushed very hard for 100% up front payment before seeing any contract or details offering a discount that they subsequently withdrew, I asked about paying a deposit with payment before we chartered in accordance with their website, and they inflated the deposit by a factor of 4 , when i asked why i was told that they had changed their mind and they didn't want to charter the vessel to us anymore. This experience was with Nick , the owner who i found to be rude and aggressive. If this is how they behave when we are trying to give them business , I am glad that we didnt get stuck with a technical issue as other reviewers have described.
Toby Mansell
I completed a YM Offshore Prepweek with Cornish Cruising in December 2020, the exam was planned for friday/saturday at the end of the week, due to inclement weather it was cancelled. We were unable to reschedule the exam and I requested a refund for the examination fee on the 23rd of December. I was told this was no issue and that it would be refunded shortly. A week later I phoned as I had still not recieved a refund and I was told it would happen the following day. It is now the 11th of January and I have still not recieved any of the money back. The instructors are informative and helpful, however the organization of the office and the quality of communications are horriffic, including sending me joining instructions that had contact numbers for an insurance company, which were (according to the insurance company) 10 years out of date. I will not be using Corning Cruising again in the future and would reccomend others to steer clear.
Greg Miall
Yacht in very poor condition despite being only 4 years old (2016 model). Lots of major issues found on check-in, luckily we were diligent
- dinghy and pump were incompatible (so no dinghy for the whole week)
- outboard was stuck onto yacht rail, no way to remove without specialist tools (no so outboard for a week)
- cooker only worked on one ring (so very hard to cook)
- eventually first two were fixed, but the outboard was super badly maintained, cut out often with little power. So we had no way off the yacht except in marinas and the cooker barely worked. Complete nightmare.
- owner did not bother to come for the check out and when we called him was at home with his kids and would not come back to help
Avoid bareboat hire from here under all circumstances.lee white
The guy answering the phone was in a bad mood , and seemed very aggressive this morning when i asked some simple questions, they obviously don't want any trade at all, decided not to book the course and try another company
Ovine Awful
Had an awful experience doing a yacht master fast track here. One of the instructors verbally abused me until I cried because I didn't understand passage planning, another instructor repeatedly belittled me, another one blew an air horn in my face while I was sleeping, another one left 2 of us on deck during a night crossing of the english channel that nearly ended in a collision with a military vessel while the instructor slept, and to top it off I never received any qualifications. All sounds quite funny looking back on it but was terrible service and a scam.
Alex Owen
VERY RUDE (unless you are instantly spending money with them) - Wouldn't bother, there are much better & more friendly charters around Cornwall.
Reuben Carter
I did the competent Crew course with Cornish Crusing and had an excellent experience. Mike the instructor was extremely good.
Gerben Soepenberg
Just completed a Milebuilder course to the Isles of Scilly. The instructor was friendly, but the boat desperately needed some maintenance. For instance, the outboard engine did not start, the gas detector was not working, the carbon monoxide detector was not working, the heads were leaking into the bilge, engine was leaking oil, the door to the heads did not close properly (so we had to tie the door to prevent it from clapping during sailing), the light for the chart table was broken, one of the water tanks was contaminated and could not be used.
The course was supposed to start at 4 o'clock on Saturday, and the website said that the intention is to go sailing the same day. We did however not leave port till Sunday 2 o'clock because two students would only arrive Sunday around lunch time.
I give two stars, because of the instructor, otherwise it would have been one star. I will not sail again with them.simon walsh
I did my comp crew with my son in January 2019 and later my day skipper both courses with Mike Allen who was a consummate professional, for the price of the course it was like a mini break basic food however, a few tips on cooking and its surprising what you can knock up with a bit of imagination... hard work on day skipper we were tested constantly questioned and challenged to preform , some times under pressure .. please do not shout man overboard as I developed a twitch :) but mike dealt with it all in a calm manner. I originally met Nick at the Southampton boat show of all the stands and I spoke to them all he was happy to talk even though his lunch went cold, he was clear on details and answered all the questions, I will be back for more with Cornish cruising January 2020
Jon Burtenshaw
Just finished Day Skipper Theory course with Simon, he was an awesome instructor, I’ve learnt loads! Highly recommend
Tom M
Thanks to all at Cornish Cruising who helped me pass my Yachtmaster Offshore during my development program. Great team, great sailing area, great people to sail with. Thoroughly recommend Cornish Cruising if you want to learn to sail.
Experience is affected by the weather so be prepared for sun, rain, wind (too much & too little) and the occasional snow.
Will be going back.John Wells
Donna Louise - June 2017
It is nearly nine months since we chartered from Cornish Cruising. I write this review in corroberation of the review from Graham, where I was mate on the vessel. We are a very experienced crew of six and have chartered throughout the UK and the Baltic for many years. We are therefore experienced charterers. I agree with all item listed in Graham's comprehensive snagging list. This was possibly the worst condition charter yacht we have ever taken over, which was a pity because with a bit of TLC she could be an excellent sail. It serves to emphasise a major problems affecting most charter organisations: they all run on a shoestring budget and do not allow nearly enough time for maintenance between charters. As a tight knit crew we pride ourselves on bringing a yacht back in a better condition than when it was taken over.Graham Payne
Donna Louise Snag List 14-20th June 2017
•VHF aerial failed. Loose on bracket and no signal. Deployed emergency aerial. We were told over the telephone that 'It tested OK in port' Testing it with a receiving station a couple of hundred metres away is not a test.
•No proper selection of cutlery. One knife missing
•No glasses
•No small plates
•Misc mugs (5 only)
•Only one USB outlet. We were advised 5 on board by Michelle
•Microwave oven does not function
•Missing lamps in saloon, one cabin, navigator's table
•Bow thruster not working. Battery registers 1 volt. no instructions on charging
•Few instruction manuals on board
•No ship's papers
•One fender flat. Needs pumping up or replacing
•Outboard kill switch lead missing. Replacement purchased but not refunded
•One outboard securing clamp missing
•Outboard will not start. Carburettor needs servicing
•Saloon table loose (and was reported in log in January! S/b table flap support fell off but was repaired by crew
•Missing pin In halyard snap hook
•No signal halyard
•No courtesy flags
•First aid kit on Spanish
Very Inadequate tool kit
Small Frying pan falling apart
•No cleaning materials on board
•No fixtures for Cook's belt
•Oven front falling apart
•240 volt outlets all Euro and we were not advised to bring adaptors to U.K. 13A
•No water hose supplied
•No spare light line
•Dinghy side rope failed
All above were reported in writing to Nick on arrival back to port who then became abusive. I will never use this company again and I would advise other charterers to go over their chartered boat extremely thoroughly before leaving harbour. Especially safety items such as the radio.Jim Dylan
Just completed day skipper theory & pratical ! Would recommend to anyone . Theory was with Simon , brilliant teaching, so knowledgeable & just all round nice guy! Practical was George & again brilliant teaching skills & great fun & goes well beyond expectations! Cool, calm & a really nice guy , getting everybody involved & the other instructors from there yachts always really helpful, great to chat too & full of great tips & information!! I have enjoyed my last two weeks so much & the thought of going back to work on Monday is real arse but hey “we’re all in the same boat”
David Bullen
Thank you Cornish Cruising and Nick for a brilliant day skipper theory week. The instructor was very good, who was able to get across the information so that all us students understood the subject being taught. Considering that there was a large age and ability in the course. The instructor was able to bring our skill levels together and help each other after the days instruction.
I look forward to my practical week in a few weeks time. Thank you Nick.
Courses
- STCW Basic Safety Training (New Entrants)
- STCW 95 Basic Training (MCA Approved)
- Personal Survival Techniques
- Personal Social Responsibilities
- Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting
- Elementary First Aid
- STCW Refresher
- STCW 95 Refresher Training
- Firefighting
- Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting
- Medical
- Elementary First Aid
- Security
- Proficiency In Security Awareness