Some twenty four boats from across the South Coast and even as far afield as Swale Marina on the East Coast, gathered at Cowes Yacht Haven, Isle of Wight to embark on a busy weekend schedule of both on water and shore based activities.

The whipping and splicing master class proved as popular as ever with participants getting the opportunity give it a go for themselves under the expert eye of rigging expert Dave from Aladdin’s Cave. Whilst representatives from the RNLI and Ocean Safety, ran an interactive ‘Abandoning Ship’ session with the use of some willing volunteers demonstrating the use of lifejackets and life rafts.

Experts from ICOM, Sea Start, The Green Blue and Raymarine were also on hand throughout the weekend providing bespoke advice and guidance on board individual boats, helping provide answers to all the muster go’ers questions.

Out on the water the ‘Try Sail’ and ‘Try Power’ sessions provided attendees with the opportunity to get some boat handling tips for the experts from Sealine Sea School and Hamble School of Yachting or even just a taste of how the other half do it.

For many it was their first experience of the muster, but there were many old faces amongst the attendees too.Tim Green, crew on board ‘Swift’, a Gibson 33 a first timer who attended with his son said: “This event has been great. It’s an ideal opportunity for everyone to get hands on experience and improve their skills under the watchful eyes of the experts. It’s a great chance to try both power boating and sailing and build your confidence; there is always someone around to help. It doesn’t matter if you are a complete novice or have been out on the water all your life, there is always something you can learn, no matter what your age. I can’t wait for the next one.”

As for the seasoned muster goer there was still something new to try. Wendy and Peter Furby, on board Kitaro II (Sunseeker), have been attending the musters for the past three years and, in the fine weather, Wendy finally took the plunge and tried her hand for the first time at the helm of a sailing yacht. Wendy said: “Going on the ‘Try a Sail’ was excellent, credit to Tom our skipper for almost converting a dedicated power boater. “It’s such a brilliant weekend. It is nice to catch up with old friends and meet new ones; an excellent event to come to and learn from the experts, as well as socialise.”

On the Saturday evening the Alpine Electronics Drinks reception, buffet and disco at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club provided attendees with the ideal time for some socialising, along with the opportunity to win some fabulous kit in the prize draw, thanks to the generous donations of the sponsors.