Affordable Membership Sailing with SailTime Ipswich
Affordable Fractional Sailing with SailTime Ipswich
Enjoy a well specified, fully maintained yacht without the hassle of yacht charter or shared yacht ownership - at a fraction of the cost and at a fixed monthly price.
If you are a novice, we can help you achieve the required competence and qualifications to skipper with family and friends.
Less Hassle Than Shared Yacht Ownership
As a SailTime Member, you are guaranteed a minimum of 6 weeks sailing each year. You make your reservations on-line, you can book up to 12 months in advance, re-arrange your bookings with no penalties and have unlimited free bookings within 24 hours.
SailTime fractional sailing membership removes all the worry about depreciation, running costs and maintenance. You just book online, turn up and sail!
Better Value Than Yacht Charter
Monthly membership on ‘Respiro’, a Beneteau Oceanis 343, is £612 and is inclusive of all costs such as marina fees, insurance, maintenance, and even the fuel you will use.
Each yacht is shared by a maximum of eight members, who are all guaranteed exclusive use during their reservation. This limited number of users helps keep the yacht in first class condition.
Based On The East Coast
SailTime Ipswich is based at Woolverstone Marina on the River Orwell in Suffolk. Browse the Places to Go tab above for an idea of what the Essex rivers and the East Coast have to offer, aside from the best yachting in the UK!
Contact us to discuss membership or to arrange a meeting aboard Respiro. Follow us on Facebook:
Public and Member Events 2010
Waldringfield Harbour
Harwich Harbour
Introduction To Sailing
Experience life onboard a sailing yacht for a day.
Students will experience steering a yacht and sail handling and be given basic instruction on the points of sailing and rules of the road. It is a day to see whether the student would enjoy sailing and would want to take their training further by enrolling on an RYA course such as Competent Crew or Day Skipper.
Click on the event to learn more, enquire and book.
| Location | Course | Duration | Cost |
| Chatham | Introduction To Sailing | 1 day | £120 |
| Chatham | Introduction To Sailing | 1 day | £120 |
| Chatham | Introduction To Sailing | 1 day | £120 |
Open Days
The next Open Day is on Saturday 6th March. Contact Us to book an appointment before 2pm. There will be a short sail in the afternoon for those who pre-book.
Members receive discounted prices and priority booking on the following events but others are welcome. Click on the event to learn more, enquire and book.
Master Classes
This one day class provides practical instruction afloat to meet each student’s individual needs. Examples from past courses include berthing under power and sail, man-over-board techniques, sail trimming, cruising spinnaker handling, and picking up buoys under sail. Students are asked for an indication of the skills they want to focus on and we arrange agendas to suit.
| Date | Days | Price |
| 29 May | 1 | £120 |
| 4 July | 1 | £120 |
| 18 September | 1 | £120 |
SailTime Weekend Cruises
Leisurely 3 day cruises in the company of an expert Yachtmaster Instructor, building knowledge and experience in a relaxed environment where enjoyment and education are the key aims.
| Departure | Event | Date | Days | Price |
| Chatham | Cruising the Crouch and Blackwater rivers and visiting Burnham and Brightlingsea | 26-28 July | 3 | £399 |
| Ipswich | Cruising to Southwold and visiting the rivers and towns along the way | 2-4 August | 3 | £399 |
Mile Builder Passages
Three day passages aimed particularly at those planning to take the Yachtmaster practical exam since they each provide some important pre-qualifying experience.
They will clock up 2 passages of over 60 miles, 2 passages at night and potentially 1 as skipper. They will also be of interest to anyone wanting to extend their sailing experience with some intensive passage making. The passages will usually take less than the 3 days scheduled but allowance has been made for adverse weather.
| Departure | Destination | Date | Days | Price |
| Ipswich | Ostend | 24 May | 3 | £399 |
| Chatham | Calais | 21 June | 3 | £399 |
Yacht Club Rallies
Ipswich Haven Yacht Club has invited members to join their Rally Programme. Members who are interested book Respiro for the relevant dates and inform Ipswich Haven Yacht Club they will be joining that particular Rally.
Building Skills and Experience
If you become a member at SailTime Ipswich, you can enjoy own boat training, skipper your own yacht, and build your experience for a lot less than you might imagine.
Required Experience
To become a Sailtime member we require you to have reached the RYA Day Skipper Tidal qualification, or can demonstrate a competence at or above this level. We strongly believe that this standard is the minimum that will enable you to feel confident in handling your yacht and to enjoy your sailing with family and friends.
Initial Membership Induction
All new members, of whatever standard, also benefit from a two-day induction programme to ensure that they are familiar with their boat and the local waters before heading off on their own.
Continuing Skills Development
SailTime Ipswich members benefit from a schedule of events designed to extend their sailing experiences. These range from regular master classes, extended passage making and cruising with other members to compare notes and develop best practices. Browse the Events tab above to learn more.
RYA Practical and Shorebased Courses
We provide a range of training to members and non-members alike through our Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Approved Training Centre. Learn more about our approach to RYA Sail training.
If you are a complete novice and want to achieve Competent Crew, or if you want to advance to Day Skipper, invetigate our courses below.
Browse here for details of Respiro, the SailTime yacht you would train on, and the base at Wolverstone Marina.
Progress To SailTime Membership
Once you have seen our boats and your local SailTime base, you may want to progress to SailTime membership. If you don't already have a yacht or power boat there is no easier or cost effective way to get afloat.
To make it easier, we offer students who successfully complete a practical course at Day Skipper or higher, a refund of their course fees if they decide to join SailTime.
RYA Training Schedules
- Click on the chosen course to learn more about its syllabus and availability.
- Groups of 3+ people wanting to book a course, contact us to discuss dates to suit your schedule.
- If you subsequently become a SailTime member, your Dayskipper course fee will be refunded.
| Course | Date 2010 | Duration | Price |
| Day Skipper Practical | 9 Apr | 5 days | £615 |
| Competent Crew | 9 Apr | 5 days | £615 |
| Day Skipper Practical | 7 Jun | 5 days | £615 |
| Competent Crew | 7 Jun | 5 days | £615 |
| Day Skipper Practical | 6 Sep | 5 days | £615 |
| Competent Crew | 6 Sep | 5 days | £615 |
| Day Skipper Practical | 1 Oct | 5 days | £615 |
| Competent Crew | 1 Oct | 5 days | £615 |
| Day Skipper Practical | 6-8 Nov + 13-14 Nov | 5 days | £615 |
| Competent Crew | 6-8 Nov + 13-14 Nov | 5 days | £615 |
RYA theory courses are also available at Walton Training based in Bedford.
Yachting On The East Coast
Day Sails in Suffolk
Mistley, River Stour - 13 miles. The River Stour has a marked channel which leads up to the town quay of Mistley some 8.5 miles inland. You can moor here at high tide, but going ashore from here has been prevented by the construction of a fence by the developer of the quayside properties.
Titchmarsh Marina, Walton Backwaters - 12 miles. Heading South from Harwich the Hamford River and Walton Backwaters were the setting for Arthur Ransome’s book ‘Secret Water’ and provide many navigable creeks to explore and perhaps anchor overnight. Titchmarsh Marina provides visitors berths and by arrangement Walton Yacht Basin can accommodate visitors. Walton on the Naze and the Naze Tower can be explored from here.
Woodbridge, River Deben - 19, 12 miles. Heading North from Harwich will bring you to the River Deben. The shingle banks at the entrance need to be navigated carefully at the right state of tide and weather. The entrance is worth the trouble and you enter an enchanting river that provides varied sailing all the way to the old Suffolk town of Woodbridge with its coffee shops, art galleries and restaurants.
Weekend Sails In Suffolk And Essex
River Blackwater - 25 miles. At the entrance to the Blackwater you can choose to sail as far as Maldon to visit the old Thames Barges in front of the 'Jolly Sailor' pub and shop in the town a short walk from the quay, or branch out to Brightlingsea and berth in the river marina with a ferry service to the town.
Burnham on Crouch - 30 miles. A few miles further South you can sail up the River Crouch to the world famous sailing town of Burnham on Crouch with its annual sailing festival Burnham Week. A walk along the waterfront will bring you past the doors of yacht clubs and hostelries.
Aldeburgh, River Ore - 23, 16 miles. A little further up the coast from Harwich are the Rivers Alde and Ore, which need careful navigation over the bar. The river takes you past Havergate Island and Orfordness up to the old town of Orford with its historic castle, where you may pick up a visitors buoy or go alongside the town quay. Further up the river is Aldbeburgh where the yacht club has some moorings and an all states slipway for dinghy access.
Southwold - 35 miles. Continuing North along the coast, Southwold is a charming seaside town and the home of Adnam’s brewery. Southwold harbour is to the South-West of the town, visitors moorings available on the quay by The Harbour Inn.
Longer Passages Around The East Coast
Ramsgate - 49 miles, together with Dover a little way further south, are both on the doorstep of the continent making the coasts of Northern France, Belgium and Holland all within easy reach in relatively simple legs.
A North Sea crossing of some 20 hours will get you to the Dutch and Belgian coast and enabling you to visit places like Amsterdam, Schevingen, Flushing, and Ostend. For those who wish to make longer passages, the sharing of outward and return crossings with fellow members can make this a practical possibility even with limited sailing time.
With a SailTime fleet in Holland members can use SailTime PLUS and yacht charter relatively inexpensive SailTime yachts to explore the delightful Dutch canals and extensive waterways.
Passages From Other Ports
SailTime PLUS allows fractional sailing members to yacht charter at any of SailTime's bases worldwide as long as there is a spare membership available on that boat.
Shared yacht ownership was never this flexible!
Members living on the East Coast in Essex or Suffolk can sail out of Chatham on Respiro's sister yacht through an even easier system; they are given a 'viewing only' log-in to the Medway Scheduler and then reserve a vacant slot by email. This extends the membership yachting area and makes it practical to spend the weekend exploring the extensive waters of the Medway. So what are the attractions of the Medway? Browse the Places to Go tab on the Medway page to find out more.
Member Testimonials
I had pretty high expectations and they've been met. The scheduler, maintenance and access to the boat, have all been excellent - Paul Goddard
I have greatly enjoyed the opportunities for learning though masterclasses and other 'extra curricula' SailTime activity - Cliff Bean
You have gone out of your way to make us welcome, accommodate our concerns and generally been very enthusiastic. So thank you - Jon Manning
The positives are too many to list. I just think its great value for money. You pay your fee and then that’s it. No hassles. I understand the nightmares that boats can present and the time wasted on keeping them in the water working properly - Mat Forbes
As far as I am concerned it’s brilliant. Especially being able to book the boat at short notice without using any of our allowance - Darien Williams
I love the feeling of ownership rather than just a tenant of the boat - Helen Manning
FAQ
