Making dreams a reality, this amazing group of offshore sailors take on the SAS Day Skippers Course with positive energy, excitement and total commitment! during the February 2021. intake.

​Filled with fun, excitement, adventure and living life to the full, Rory Grobler, Werner Scheepers, Justus van der Hoven and Erin Rupert soaked up a week of exhilarating offshore sailing, learning, fishing and building friendships whilst in Knysna with Southern Yachting Academy. 

Mostly achieving scores of 90%+ for the Short Range Certificate and the SA Sailing Day Skipper examinations, these fine students all departed on the same high as when they arrived..   ​Well done and congratulations Day Skippers !!!

Exactly two years after Aaron Kruse and Brittany Hancocks decided to celebrate Valentine's Day on a Start Sailing Adventure with Southern Yachting Academy in Knysna, they're back in South Africa for more, but this time, someone was in for a BIG surprise!   

On 29 January 2020, during their offshore sailing course, they returned though the Knysna Heads, anchored in the beautiful Featherbed Bay and were tendered ashore for a `lunch refreshment' which turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of Aaron and Brittany's life!   

Thank you to Elle Photography who captured it all on camera, to The Featherbed Company for the tender, venue and champagne, to the local team who made up the striking proposal banner, and to our professional skippers for perfectly executing this romantic proposal.

So if you are thinking about popping that question fellas, may your dreams also come true in Knysna!     www.southernyachting.co.za

Passionate artist Hugh Lugg (son of influential and renowned South African artist Jack Lugg with strong roots in Knysna) paid tribute to his late father by returning to Knysna with his family whilst on vacation in South Africa this month, to immerse themselves in this ​special place of paradise.

Half a day offshore sailing with Mark Orpen of Southern Yachting Academy proved to be a very special celebration of both (father) Jack & (son) Hugh's love for Knysna and the sea and the thrill of navigating the famous Knysna Heads with his family by his side.

Whilst tying knots, reading the sailing instruments, raising the sails, steering the yacht, tacking and gybing, the Luggs' were smiles all round until the motion of the ocean lured a crew member to the poop deck to `rest a while'.

 "It was a mixture of enjoyment and giddiness for some of us! 'Calm' conditions on the Indian Ocean are obviously not the same as the Baltic, which can be like a 'Feather Bed' at times! We will see if the girls develop sea legs!' chided Hugh with a smile after they all received their completion certificates and a cold refreshment at the Knysna Yacht Club after the activity. 

We know that Hugh will be back to explore the boundaries of this fabulous past time of messing around in yachts; and if it is not offshore from Knysna it may well be out on Lake Constance, back home in Switzerland...

Brittany Hancocks and Aaron Kruse  visited Southern Yachting Academy in Knysna, South Africa this week for two days of active introduction to offshore sailing.
​Enjoying great sailing weather as Knysna is so well know for... Brittany & Aaron had the Academy's 34ft van der Stadt yacht `Serendipity', careening through the Knysna lagoon at over 7kts in up to 20kts of wind. 
Sailors in the making... we look forward to having them back on a Day Skippers' course soon.  ​Fair winds folks and bon voyage back home to DongCheng District in Beijing City, China next week.

Sail out to sea from the Knysna Heads and head east at 5kts for 6 hours to the Beacon Isle, Plettenberg Bay and then back to the calm anchorage `up against' the world heritage site `Robberg Nature Reserve'  (currently a national monument steeped in history showcasing prehistoric rock formations and stone age artefacts).  Super tasty Bratwurst, potato salad, petit pois and salad from the ships galley with a sundowner to end a fabulous day. 
From night watch shifts to rocking asleep the 34ft yacht Serendipity, the overnight adventure in Plett was enjoyed by skipper Mark Orpen and crew Francois van der Linde, Melinda & Maxine Werth. 
​The morning swim and kayak paddle to visit the 1000's of resident seals on the Robberg was followed by setting sails in a 15kt-20kt easterly breeze back to Knysna; a somewhat challenging downwind coastal passage with a fine entry through the Knysna Heads to our safe haven mooring at the Knysna Yacht Club.  Do come join us!

With greenery everywhere on land and spring in the air, five enthusiastic sailors head out to offshore waters to complete their SAS Day Skippers Licence (SAMSA Cat C: Sail & Power)  through Southern Yachting Academy in Knysna.
Congratulations to Sally-Ann Morris, St John Salisbury, Andrew Orpen, James Hutchison and Wendy Lochhead who all successfully completed the gruelling weeks theory and practical training and examinations. 
Now these guys have some stories to tell.... create your own story and register today with www.southernyachting.co.za!

Deckhand and deck officer jobs in the super and mega yacht industries across Europe, USA and Australasia, have attracted young South Africans for many years.  Southern Yachting Academy in Knysna, South Africa has become the ideal place to obtain a Short Range Certificate (VHF Radio License) and SAS Day Skipper (Sail/Power) License as the foundational 11 day training before then completing a RYA PB2 License and STCW Courses in Cape Town (+12 days).
Our seasoned Superyacht Captains will welcome you aboard for an experience of a lifetime and a positive step up into this exciting industry. 
​Call: +27 44 3823400    www.southernyachting.co.za