Testimonials

We just wanted to say thanks again for a very informative and useful course. We learnt a lot and look forward to being able to put all that into practice. It has also helped us to understand what we need to know and learn more about. Next step will be purchasing some charts and continuing to practice on our navigation skills.

I just wanted to say a big thank you for running such a good Navigation course over the w/e. I wasn't really looking forward to it as was convinced I wouldn't understand any of it, but its now all so much clearer. The real test was when I got back I picked up a navigation book (how keen is that!) which I'd previously tried to read and given up on as it was double dutch - and suddenly it all made sense! I'm really looking forward to putting it all into practice (though equally slightly dreading being responsible if and when we end up on the mud!). I thought your approach was really methodical ( just what I needed) but you also made it interesting which is why I just about managed to maintain concentration levels until 5.30 yesterday! I'll definitely recommend it to other sailing friends - specially navigation idiots like me who are completely starting from scratch!

I'm sure I'll be back

Firstly thank you so much for the great course...despite all of our initial reservations about attending such a thing :-) we all thoroughly enjoyed it, learnt a lot of useful and vital stuff, and were VERY impressed with your teaching. We shall certainly spread your word. Thanks again

Karen, your style of teaching I consider excellent. Patience and empathy.... rock solid knowledge....confident.... kind..... yup Karen....... really good. Thankyou. If you are vetted by RYA from time to time and they need teaching recipient feedback, tell them to give me a ring.

Thank you Karen, for the recent course I attended with you. I have learned a huge amount and much of the mystery I previously felt around navigation has gone. You have an excellent and patient teaching style and I would certainly look to enrol on your courses in future.

Not all good sailors are good teachers, and not all teachers have a thorough base of knowledge and experience of yachting. Karen at Emsworth is a yachtswoman with a thorough theoretical understanding and a wealth of practical experience that brings the theory to life. The teaching is well structured and clear, and most importantly linked to real world situations, ensuring the right things are focused on, and therefore remembered. I certainly recommend Karen for RYA theory tuition

Thank you for all your patience and hard work getting us all over the line. I was worried that the course would be a bit slow, but the pace was perfect and seemed to work for everyone.

Hi Karen Just a quick note to express my thanks to you for guiding me this through this course successfully last week. I have to confess that having pretty much no experience of sailing and none of chart work led me to approach the course with a good degree of trepidation. However, it was without doubt the combination of your vast knowledge, seemingly endless patience and easy teaching style that got me through. The experience has left me determined to move on to the practical, but only when it warms up ! Many thanks

The day skipper theory course was well taught with lots of variety each day and practice questions . I can thoroughly recommend the Emsworth School of Navigation.

Many thanks for your excellent tuition over the past months. I have thoroughly enjoyed the course, have learnt a tremendous amount and have had a lot of fun in the process

Just wanted to say an enormous thank you for your tremendous teaching, patience & good humour throughout the course. It was a fantastic learning experience and it would have been horrifically hard without your excellent explanations. Anyway, just wanted to say that it was fantastic and that I really enjoyed it.

I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and will miss our trips down to Emsworth on a Tuesday evening. I think the way you structured the course was super, gradually building up each aspect of the chart work and pulling it all together at the end with the Pilotage and Passage Planning. Everything was well presented and very clearly explained. So thank you. Matthew and I are already looking forward to the next course in the Autumn.

Karen, Thank you very much, on behalf of Alex and I, for the training you gave us last week. You made it a pleasure to be there and I do feel that we learned everything we could within the time provided, as well as giving us a insight on what there remains to be learned.

Karen – Hope all is well and thanks for such a great course two weeks ago – very well structured and presented.

Karen, again thank you for your professional and friendly approach in teaching this RYA Day Skipper Theory Course. It was most enjoyable and I’m so pleased I passed it

Hi Karen, I just wanted to write and say thank you for such a well run course. We were both nervous about not having much exoperience of sailing theory, but you started right from the basics and covered the why as well as the what. It was very interesting and suprisingly enjoyable.

Thank you Karen for getting me through my Day Skipper Course. I must have been one of your biggest challenges but with your endless patience and fantastic teaching skills, I made it. I would highly recommend the Emsworth School of Navigation.

After an intensive, full week of Day Skipper training I have to commend Karen Dorontic, an amazing and inspiring tutor! She is extremely patient and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend the Emsworth School of Navigation to those wishing to undertake this course.

Absolutely brilliant teaching on RYA Day Skipper Theory Course by Karen. Thank you for being so patient with us - we're all excited about our next steps.

Firstly a big thank you for arranging this course. This is what I have been trying to master for years in a haze of well meaning advice and reading without really understanding what I was doing. Andy was an excellent teacher and the syllabus was pitch perfect for me. My objective was to feel confident in tackling small electrical tasks and I now do. Terrific.

Karen, thank you very much for your excellent teaching of the Day Skipper Theory Course. I really enjoyed participating and enjoying the subject. Thank you

Both courses were very well run in a professional yet relaxed atmosphere. I hadn’t been in a classroom for a while and was a little apprehensive but Karen’s friendly approach immediately put me at ease. She made learning fun and effective. I would happily recommend Emsworth School of Navigation to anyone looking for a shore based course

The courses have greatly improved my confidence and I am thinking of doing the Day Skipper Practical next. I loved the courses and hopefully will do another one soon.

I did the 5-day day skipper theory course over 3 weekends - Karen was very accommodating and an excellent teacher. I'll be back for more.

Can I just say how much I have enjoyed doing the course with you, I was a bit sceptical of the zoom aspect at the outset but your were able to make it interesting and varied throughout and it really did work very well. You were always patient and encouraging and we all appreciated that. I feel like I have made the most of those dark lockdown evenings.

Thank you very much for looking after me last week and most of all for being so patient and good humoured. I think that your Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Theory Course is absolutely excellent and I very much appreciated your relaxed but professional teaching style, it was just what I needed. I have learned a huge amount this week and my enthusiasm for this new endeavour has been redoubled.

Hi Karen, Just wanted to drop you a quick email to thank you for course I did with you last week. I really enjoyed the course, I found your subject knowledge and style of teaching great. I will be recommending you to anyone wanting to do any of the navigation type courses.

Once again thank you.

Just a short e mail to thank you very much of your patience and understanding over the last 5 days.The course was great, pitched at the right level, well paced and superbly presented. And most importantly of all, I enjoyed it.

Just a note to say thanks for a great week – I thoroughly enjoyed the training in this (often overlooked) aspect of being on the water. Your approach to sharing knowledge and skills was second to none and I certainly benefited from the individual tuition provided as an integral part of the weeks course. Best wishes and thanks again – continued success for you and the school...!

Thank you for your excellent instruction and patience last week. I was impressed with how you recognised our weaknesses in order to set a personalised homework each day and with your calm pacing of the course in order to cover everything we needed to know during the week in order to achieve the required standard to succeed in the exams. I now look forward to more tidal sailing miles with greater confidence and when the time comes to do additional classroom courses before the next practical exam you will be the first port of call!

I just wanted to say a big thank you for the course. I thought it well structured and extremely well conducted. I like your style ! You make all the topics interesting and the personal anecdotes add significantly.

Just to let you know I really enjoyed the diesel engine course and Les was such a good teacher that the day flew past.

Just to thank you for the recent Coastal Skipper course. I think you judged it just right and found the course both instructive and fun. You quickly made me remember all the Day Skipper stuff I'd forgotten and managed to do in a few days what I had failed to achieve in months on the correspondence course (and at the same price). Emsworth is a pretty little town and the whole experience was very pleasant. I would recommend you to anyone.

Dear Karen. Just a short note to say many thanks for a very enjoyable course. It was well paced and you have a lovely clear teaching style.

I thought it was perfect. Explanations were extremely clear and this enabled me to apply what was being taught to the variety of questions and exercises posed. Your course definitely made me feel that a subject which can inspire concern or worry can in fact (with practice) inspire confidence. It was excellent, thank you.

Both courses were fantastically run. Very engaging and taken at the perfect pace. Tea and coffee with a plentiful supply of biscuits added to what was already guaranteed to be a great few days! A highly recommended school for anyone to go to.

Simply the Best. I have spent the last five years working my way though the RYA Yachtmaster scheme and Karen Dorontic of Emsworth School of Navigation has been a huge source of support and inspiration throughout. Karen is an expert and fun teacher, has a background full of "on the water" sailing instruction and professional service experience and has given a huge amount of thought and effort into establishing an absolutely first-class training centre. To give an example, the "RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster theory course" which Karen provides is so good I did it twice. There is a goldmine there waiting for you! (My favourite moment the last time I attended was when one candidate turned up 30 minutes late on the first day when we were well into the first topic. When Karen asked him to explain himself he said "I'm afraid I got lost". She said "That's the worst excuse ever for being late for a navigation course"). If you're even thinking of going to sea in charge of anything bigger than a dinghy I urge you get along to Emsworth. It will be a revelation and will help to keep you (all) safe. Good luck! Hamish - RYA Yachtmaster Ocean, RYA Cruising Instructor.

I completed my Yachtmaster theory with Karen at Emsworth Navigation. It was a 6 day course from Sunday to Friday. Karen has a real passion for the subject and those little pearls of wisdom made it so much easier. Highly recommended

I recently did the RYA Yachtmaster Theory and Diesel Engine courses with ESN and was extremely impressed. Karen was very responsive and informative with the admin, and during the yachtmaster course she met the diverse learning needs of the group with great skill, patience and humour. The Diesel course with Les Cox was similar in leaving me feeling I had taken a significant step up in my knowledge and confidence. Highly recommended!

Karen is clearly a highly experienced and credible sailor, and an excellent instructor, and this makes for a superb learning experience. She managed to achieve a perfect balance of task-tension (to cover the extensive YM Coastal Theory content in the allotted time) and caring, collegial coaching support (to stop us freaking out when it all got a bit tense) with the outcome that we all made the grade at the first attempt. Thank you Karen - I'll be back soon for my First Aid course!

Karen is absolutely the best teacher on the planet! I cannot praise the business highly enough, the patience shown by Karen and the team in teaching me knew no limits!

Jules was excellent. Everything was clear and well explained. A very enjoyable week.

Julian was an excellent instructor, teaching a very tricky and complex subject. He put the information over highly effectively, kept us all motivated despite the complex and challenging course content. He kept the course fun with exercises using the sextants and made the theoretical topics applicable and usable in the "real world" i.e., on board the yacht. My overall impression of the school is that it is very professional, in a wonderful waterfront marina environment, great facilities on site, excellent teaching rooms and training aids, friendly staff and very professional and effective instructors. Thank you very much.

Hi Karen, Just a quick email to say thanks. Thoroughly enjoyed the course and appreciated the high standard of training and assessment. Thanks again

Thank you for organising a great Short Range Radio Certificate Course. Mike was great to learn from and it was a great approach to the assessment.

Just a quick email to say thanks. Thoroughly enjoyed the course and appreciated the high standard of training and assessment.

Hi Karen, Just wanted to thank you for the course on Friday it was very thorough and really enjoyable.

Thank you for yesterdays course , Mike was beyond excellent , not only did he "know his stuff" he was patient and able to put it over in a understandable way , I learnt far more than I anticipated and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience , please pass on my thanks to him and to you for hosting the event and providing all the excellent equipment etc

Thank you also for a most informative and enjoyable day yesterday. Not only did I learn a lot but it was fun. The next challenge is to remember it all! To this end, the notes will be useful refresher material over the coming months before next season when practical use of VHF will be possible again.

Once again thank you.

Karen came to Hillingdon to run the VHF Radio Course 'in-house' which is a brilliant service. It was professionally run, in a friendly atmosphere, with good visual aids and equipment. Our group was small which creates a great learning situation and it was a productive and enjoyable day. We will definitely be using Emsworth School of Navigation for future courses for our staff.

Thank you for the VHF course. It was very enjoyable, and with only five students in the class and a real working radio each, I learned a lot in a short time.

Just a short note to thank you very much for yesterdays training for the VHF/DSC operator's licence. The course was run in a highly efficient and professional manner yet an informal atmosphere prevailed throughout the day. I was delighted to pass the exam - obviously! But one is never certain about the outcome of these things. You prepared us well. I have no hesitation in recommending your school.

Just a quick email to thank you for the course yesterday - it was very enjoyable as well as being instructive and I had a really good day.

Just wanted to say thank you for running such an efficient and enjoyable and instructive course yesterday. We all enjoyed it and it was incredible how much you got through in the time and how you made something we all thought was rather terrifying so much fun. I do not think it could be done better. I shall feel so much more confident now and have you to thank for that. Many thanks and good sailing.

Just wanted to say thanks again for the VHF Course today. I thought the instruction was excellent, and I really enjoyed the course.

Thank you for an interesting course last week, it certainly taught me a lot regarding the VHF sets themselves, Very enjoyable indeed and once again many thanks

Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say a huge thank you for an enjoyable VHF Radio course last Sat. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't keep up, as I had been unable to read up before hand due to a tight work schedule. But due to your relaxed and comprehensive teaching, I was able to achieve my goal. I'm looking forward to our sailing holiday in Greece even more now! Thank you again and I hope to do another course soon and will definitely come to ESN.

Just wanted to drop you a line to say thanks for an enjoyable course on 2nd October, despite it being one of the best boating days available this year! Overall I found the course well paced and informative and will be recommending you to friends who need SRC

Both courses were very well run in a professional yet relaxed atmosphere. I hadn’t been in a classroom for a while and was a little apprehensive but Karen’s friendly approach immediately put me at ease. She made learning fun and effective. I would happily recommend Emsworth School of Navigation to anyone looking for a shore based course

Both courses were fantastically run. Very engaging and taken at the perfect pace. Tea and coffee with a plentiful supply of biscuits added to what was already guaranteed to be a great few days! A highly recommended school for anyone to go to.

I recently completed the RYA VHF course and was very impressed. The instruction was clear and concise, simplifying complex topics effectively. The course content was comprehensive and informative, covering all necessary aspects of VHF operation thoroughly. I finished the course feeling confident in my VHF communication skills. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve their VHF radio skills.

The VHF course I did today was very well done, with a lot more interest than expected. Good quality teaching.

I did (and passed) my one day VHF course and exam at Emsworth School of Navigation. The teaching was at just the right level for our group, focussing not just on the required elements, but useful real world tips as well (with plenty of opportunities to ask questions). Would highly recommend.

VHF SRC radio. Great course! Instructor highly experienced, knowledgeable and helpful. Good venue for learning and clear arrangements beforehand by Emsworth School of Navigation. Nice cafe nearby. Will recommend.

Malcolm and Rosemary are very good indeed.

I thoroughly enjoyed the RYA First Aid Course yesterday and found it very helpful and instructive

Just wanted to say I really enjoyed the First Aid course last Friday. It was nice to have a course based on the requirements not on the tutors gory experiences. A very well run course. Many thanks

Today's First Aid course was excellent one of the best I have had in all the years that I have had to do such courses. Sue is a very good instructor and covered the course in a very effective and pragmatic manner.

Good presentation, talk and powerpoint split up nicely with practical work. Interst kept up throughout the day. Very happy with the course.

Les and Tim really know their stuff and pass on super useful information in an easy to understand way - Brilliant!

Really enjoyed the course & Les was excellent & full of helpful personalised tips. Thank you

I completely loved the Diesel Course today - Les is a really top teacher and I learnt so much!!! I'll definitely be back for more training!

We wanted to let you know how excellent we thought the diesel engine maintenance course was on 23rd June. Les was a first rate teacher and taylored the course to suit our engines which was so helpful. He also gave us lots of useful tips related to the engine and some which were indirectly related. My cousin, David, said the course was much, much better than he was anticipating - 'Brilliant' was the adjective he used. My son, Tom thought it was extremely interesting - high praise from an 18yr old! Please could you relay our thanks and appreciation to Les. We have booked our ferry to go and sort out the engine sooner than planned and we are so glad we came on the course!

I am sorry not to have sent a message straight away to let you know that I thought that the Diesel Engine Course was excellent. Les was very good, and patient with us. I learnt a lot, and now feel more confident. I have found the engine manual which was hiding on board my boat with a pile of other stuff, and in fact I have now found a box with most of the spares for the Volvo 55 that I might need. I will get all the other things, and then hopefully will have no problems on the sail round to the mediterranean in August.

Thank you for an excellent course on Saturday - Les was a superb instructor and I really learned a lot. I wish the course had lasted longer - there is so much to learn! Les was a fount of knowledge.

Quick note to say many Thanks for an excellent course on Monday. I now can't wait to get my hands on my diesel engine and pull it apart....safe in the knowledge that I can put it back together again. Les was excellent, please send him my best wishes.

Just to let you know I really enjoyed the diesel engine course and Les was such a good teacher that the day flew past.

The diesel course was absolutely fantastic, what a great instructor. I learnt so much about my engine.

Just to say thank you for providing such a great Diesel Engine Course on Saturday. Les was fantastic, and made what at first seemed very daunting into a day of relaxed learning (the best kind). I think that it has prompted Felicity and I into thinking about doing some more RYA courses

Another great training session today with Andy Johnson on boat electrics, following yesterdays equally superb day on Diesel Engine Maintenance presented by Les Cox.

I learnt so much and it certainly has given me the confidence to tackle any issue with my engine, especially if at sea.

I just wanted to pass on my thanks to Les for the way he delivered yesterdays Diesel Engine Course. It was hugely informative and very hands on. He also included a host of additional practical tips which will be invaluable when I purchase my own yacht.

The RYA Diesel Course run by Emsworth School of Navigation was an amazingly packed day. Our tutor Les Cox ran through the systems he would be covering and I wondered if this would be too technical for me but he went through every part of the specification in a methodical way and we were able to handle and study the smaller engine parts. Les soon had us changing filters, checking the impeller, checking and fitting the drive belt, bleeding the fuel system, battery management, replacing a temporary head gasket and discussing fuel management. Having a ratio of 1 tutor to 5 students meant we had some personal tuition and were able to share our experiences. I really enjoyed this course and think it was great value for money.

Just to thank your school for an excellent RYA Diesel Engine Course. Facilities were good, and more importantly, the instruction by Les Cox was outstanding. Knowledgeable, professional and full of helpful tips.

No improvement for me. I really enjoyed the course and as a beginner I came away with a great deal of useful information. Andy's instruction was first class.

Fantastic course, lots of excellent content. Martyn was very knowledgeable and interesting. I feel that I have a good base knowledge of Diesel Marine Engineering systems and hope to do my AEC 2 one day soon.

Martyn ran a great course. You have a good setup and I thought the whole thing from booking to completion, the premises and facilities were really good.

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to say a huge thanks for the course I took with you guys back in September - the tutor was fantastic

Excellent!! Great course!

Very well run, fun course, really great value training

Great instructor who had a great way of communicating the subject. Good mix of theory and practical.

Thank you for organizing the course, it was really great.

Just a thank you for a course well run. I thoroughly enjoyed it and Martyn was a brilliant instructor.

The guys really enjoyed the course last week so thank you for arranging it and to the course tutors.

Thank you very much indeed for a fantastic course!. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I learnt a great deal. I presume you have had a great deal of feedback about Martyn, he really made the course for me. I would not allow a bad word to be said about him, very professional and a wealth of experience that he passed on to us all. For me this is what turns a good course into a great one. Many thanks and all the best for the future.

Very enjoyable course. Martyn kept the course very light and practical

Thoroughly enjoyed the course. It had an easy mix of theory and 'hands on'. Would definitely recommend to others. Well laid out and well taught.

The course was delivered at an appropriate pace for all levels of knowledge. Topics were covered in depth with a valuable use of teaching aids to emphasise key points. The instructor support and enthusiasm during the practical elements was greatly welcomed and provided a fun and professional learning environment.

Great course, extremely friendly and helpful instructor. Even managed to service my own outboard engine.

Really interesting course - would recommend it to anyone.

Thank you for all your help, I will be recommending you for further training.

Excellent course overall. Well equipped school and location. Brilliant instructor, open style, interesting, gets learning points across effectively, really enjoyed everything

Very good course. Instructor used good level of practical and lecture materials.

Done a few courses these last few months and this was by far the most informative and enjoyable.

I just wanted to say how good the course was last week Martyn was a brilliant tutor and such an interesting man, the course has given me the confidence to go ahead with my plan to start working for myself as a marine engine and electrics technician.

I would like to thank yourself and Martyn for looking after me ;-) I/we had a great time, I sort turned up thinking I would know most of the things Martyn was going to talk about (but guess I didn't lol) I was really really impressed with the course Martyn really does know his stuff thanks mate.

Excellent instructor. Very clear, concise, friendly & approachable.

Great course, very informative, really enjoyed it

Excellent course and instructor who was very knowledgeable , experienced and engaging

Recently did my AEC 1 & 2 here, highly recommend, very knowledgeable instructor

My AEC 1 and AEC 2 courses were excellently delivered by a great instructor. Learnt alot and lots of practical of back up the theory. Very useful and wise investment.

Great guy, very supportive, incredibly patient. Top marks

Excellent instructor, very knowledgeable and able to answer all queries

Recently did my AEC 1 & 2 here, highly recommend, very knowledgeable instructor

I've got more experiences with Emsworth School of Navigation courses. Very professional and friendly. Thanks for everything.

My AEC 1 and AEC 2 courses were excellently delivered by a great instructor. Learnt alot and lots of practical of back up the theory. Very useful and wise investment.

Thoroughly enjoyed this course (AEC Level 2), a good stepping stone for furthering a career in the marine engineering industry. The instructor we had was very professional and made the course enjoyable as well as informative. The admin was good and the training aids were good for the course. I will look forward to training with them in the future.

‎I'm sure I will be back!