ONDECK provide a comprehensive professional training curriculum, covering all aspects of the Offshore and Ocean Yachtmaster courses. We operate all year round and our experienced instructors include Pete "Stokey" Woodall.

Stokey has made 30 Trans-Atlantic crossings and sailed to and from the Azores some 91 times teaching navigation, lifestyles and the psychology of ocean sailing. He has amassed over a quarter of a million sea miles and is a highly respected sailor. Some of his recent students have been Ellen Macarthur, Emma Richards, Barbra Harmer (only female Concorde pilot) to name a few.

His patience, knowledge and enthusiasm for sailing will soon become obvious as well as infectious. These attributes set him aside as an exceptional instructor. For many years he has taught the theory of offshore/ocean sailing and, having experienced the realities of applying his own teaching, knows that things are somewhat different in practice! This has given him the insight necessary to set up a new concept in the teaching of the RYA Ocean Yachtmaster course that now uniquely combines both the theoretical and practical elements which, in turn, should give the aspiring Ocean Yachtmaster a better understanding.

The course is five days in duration and consists of two days and one night shorebased in Cowes and three days and three nights aboard the P&O super-ferry "Pride of Bilbao", embarking on one of their mini cruises from Portsmouth to and from Bilbao , Northern Spain .

While making this voyage you will be leaving and returning via the Solent, passing the North West tip of France and making a double crossing of the Bay of Biscay (the classroom of reality). This gives a unique opportunity to experience different sea, weather and navigational conditions and the chance to understand both the theory and practical elements for the ocean course.