Testimonials

Excellent, thanks Jim. I finally stopped making silly mistakes in my
plotting!

I'm very pleased with the course. It's been very useful to have your
responses to my coursework within a day, and with the full course pack
supplied and good notes on the CD I had everything I needed. Thank you
very much for your help!

Best wishes,
Dave

Thanks Jim, and thanks for all the support during the course - you have been most patient with some of my more silly misunderstandings (damn bretton plotter), and my 10 page pilot plans around the Southern Pen. I have happily recommended you to other folk who are similarly transient in their work and home lives and where distance learning is the best option.

 
15 02 08

Sorry its taken a while to respond, I have been away with work but returning to the lovely Devon now, it’s a good feeling to have the Yachtmaster Theory part completed!
Comments on the course - All-in-all fantastic – allows any student to work at their own pace and even with my nocturnal tendencies you had all coursework responded to by the next day. I guess you are more interested in anything which could make it better so I’ll have go – just three small comments:

·         It’s the first time I have done a correspondence course but it does somewhat rely on learn – do – rework which because of the module sizes can be a bit disheartening when you have something consistently wrong across all which would have been better captured earlier. I have been thinking about this comment and the silver lining (in my case deviation) is that you’ll never forget the thing that was wrong!!! Breaking up the modules could help?

·         IRPCS – I found the navigation lights part quite challenging from the examples on the CD and had to go onto the web to find the hovercraft answer on the coursework. Module 5 is already huge, wonder if this could be broken out into a separate section and extended upon?

·         Format – I don’t know if you remember the first time I responded on scraps of paper with a crappy camera – it made your life rather difficult!! It wasn’t intentional, I just didn’t know what you would prefer. I wonder if you were to provide a Word template similar to the one I put together it would provide a common template to receive students answers? Could make marking quicker.

Small beer. Altogether the best way to learn for me and I would have no hesitation in recommending you to anybody, already am! (see above). Good tutoring, quick responses and determined for me to get the right answer, all wholly appreciated. Whats the next course?! (seriously! Who needs evenings anyway!).  Kind Regards,DL

Dear Jim

Many thanks for all your help and advice throughout the course - I have
found it most stimulating and interesting and the CD-rom will be a useful
reference for good. I think you have a good course here, full of detail and
plenty of information with instruction, salted with good humour! Most
important! I was most impressed with your turnround time which gave quick
feedback when I needed it whilst it was still fresh. I hope I might be able
to join you for some practical sailing in the future. The Certificate
arrived today so many thanks for now. We have a cottage in Sennen Cove so
perhaps we might meet when I am down sometime.

Best wishes

Peter 

Jim, I really feel I've achieved something over the past few months, and I'd
like to thank you for the time you've spent on the phone with me, and for the
thorough marking of my exercises, which has helped me understand the finer points
of the course. I'd have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone wishing
to do this course.
I'm off to Greece next month to put into practice some of the theory I've gained
on a friend's 27 footer. No tides out there though, (what a shame!!)
Thanks again,
Richard 

           
Dear Jim

Just a brief note to accompany my exam papers.

Many thanks for the course – I think it was really well put together, and I appreciated your prompt and careful response to my coursework. I’ve also enjoyed ding it, and feel I’ve learnt a lot – I hope my exam papers will prove this to be the case!

As we discussed, I’ll have a think about the 5-day course, and will contact you again if I decide to go for the February course (but confess that I’m also tempted by the prospect of some warmth in the middle of winter!)

Thanks again, and best wishes Michael Reynolds

Jim,

Comments on the course!

I’ve enjoyed it enormously though I don’t know whether my family feel the same sentiment given the time I’ve been shut in my study.

Firstly the pack and the service. It was incredibly efficient; the pack itself was comprehensive and arrived as promised. The marking was astonishing given that I presented you with the most marking over a weekend. Your comments were also rewarding for me to receive as a learner. The CD was easy to read with good diagrams and illustrations. 

Thank you so much Jim – I cannot comment on the promised telephone backup because I never used it – I’ll put the exam question in the post.

John

Jim
Many thanks for everything... your feedback and support has been
top-notch, A1...
proving that even in a distance learning context you can really 'do the
business' completely, and at your own pace... very nice!!!!!!!!!!!

I will definitely recommend your course to friends and family!!!

All the best, and thanks again; for that S.O.G. footnote just for completeness ...

Dear RYA

I recently undertook some tuition both practical and shore based at one of the approved R.Y.A. sailing schools “Top Cat Cruising School” in Millbrook Plymouth.

I write to commend the high standard of this establishment, and commitment of the instructor and principal Mr Jim Duerden. Although an intensive course, Mr Duerden’s attitude made my period of learning an enjoyable one.

On a recent delivery trip from Portsmouth to Bangor (N.I) the knowledge acquired at “Top Cat” was put to the test in a life-threatening situation. In conclusion I can only say that R.Y.A. approved schools like “Top Cat” and instructors of the calibre of Mr Duerden are invaluable.

Yours sincerely Mr Dee Neill

Hi Jim

Thanks for the fabulous weekend on my Day Skipper Course!

Despite atrocious weather we had a great time learnt loads got merry on a few bottles of wine (sorry abut the quality of the Pinotage) and enjoyed the company of you and Greg and Steve. I do hope Greg eventually gets his YM ticket but I do not think his failure was anything to do with your tuition, rather that in no way was he properly prepared in that he had not done any pre-course revision or practice of communication skills that would have underlined his obvious abilities sufficient to convince a Naval Officer/Examiner operating in the Navy’s’ backyard. I did tell him that on Friday night in the bar and he agreed!

I think your course was brilliant and your teaching approach superb. No matter how frustrating our stupid mistakes in very difficult conditions you always were in complete control and never showed any annoyance or anger – a true Pro! Thanks very much. I look forward to my coastal skipper course! In the meantime our bareboat in the BVI awaits and I can’t!

With the best wishes of a successful year, Neil Burman

Dear Jim

I felt I must write if for no other reason to wish you all the best with your new venture. I would like you to know that when I came on my first sailing course with you as a complete novice I did not know quite what to expect. I can only say that the week was the most enjoyable and instructive I could have possibly expected.

I would not hesitate to return to you personally for any future courses/cruises I am lucky enough to undertake.

I am present trying to persuade my wife, Judy, that she would enjoy a week/weekend ‘on board’. If successful I will phone you soon. Please feel free to use my recommendation/comments in any way that you feel will help.

Once again all the best wishes for the future

Yours sincerely Richard J Ward.

Dear Jim

Just a line to let you know that I really enjoyed the Day Skipper Course. Your instructor was very experienced and a damn fine cook.

Everything you advertised was provided. The superb scenery of the Cornish coast, the challenge of entering picturesque harbours by day and night and of course a full range of weather and tides made your location ideal for serious training.

I would recommend the Top Cat Cruising School to anyone who was serious about learning to sail safely.

Thanks again,
R. Rice

Dear Jim

Difficult to put our experience last week into words. Suffice to say we loved and respected Pete, my kids – very hesitant at first and “do we really want to do it” – were completely won over and hooked on sailing (they were also much quicker on the uptake than Rosie and I were – fresh intelligence versus crumbling brains!), and it was FUN (if a bit scary when the wind blew 6/7). Top Cat Cruising School will be endorsed/ recommended by us to all and sundry as worth every half penny.

Back to reality: attached is the last part of Module 5 from a crumbling brain.

Best regards and thanks
David Gist

Thanks Jim

I will also attach a good American website download which I enjoyed playing with for collision regs, the buoys are of course the wrong way round. I will do the Coastal Skipper course after I have some sailing experience – though I’ll continue to read and dream in the meantime. I also hope to find the time to get down to Cornwall for some sailing – after all of this theory I feel I want to see the place in the flesh from the sea! 

Dear Jim,

Further to our telephone conversation, please find enclosed a couple of prints from photos taken on our recent course.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for an excellent course from both the skills learnt and the pure enjoyment of sailing on Southway Twins under your control. As you may recall, I was slightly apprehensive when I first made contact with you due to problems with a form of rheumatic arthritis. However I can confirm that the car journey from Bristol to Plymouth gave me more problems than anything I have undertaken onboard.

I look forward to receiving the Day Skipper Practical Completion certificate and hopefully gaining more experience in the near future.

Again, many thanks and best wishes Paul Thompson.

Hi Jim,

This is to send you a quick thanks for a fantastic 5 days last week. I learnt a tremendous amount not least respect for the elements. I hope this will keep me from making mistakes with serious consequences.

You were asking for feedback and there is a little I can say other than please keep up the good work. Maybe, in retrospect, you, Susan and Andy might have benefited from the sail trim session at the beginning rather than at the end of the week. But then again we needed to make way west and other skills were on the agenda…

All in all, this was some of the most enjoyable sailing I have done and if you need to move the boat or want to take part in a race and need crew – let me know.

Best wishes, Stefan

Ps: maybe you can make instructing a little easier for you with enclosed throat pastilles.

Dear Jim, Many thanks for your excellent course. We both learnt a great deal and enjoyed ourselves. You were an excellent host and tutor. I have sent you my logbook for you to complete.

Once again many thanks Chris and Hannah

Dear Jim

Just a line to say how much we all enjoyed our recent holiday aboard Southway Twins. It was a shame we had so little wind, but how could we complain with all the warmth and sunshine! We thoroughly appreciated having Dave with us – he taught each of us at our own level of experience, was particularly good with the children and fitted easily into the family situation. We would recommend him to any other family wishing to broaden their experience of sailing.

Thank you for a great holiday!

Best wishes, Mike and Joy Irvine

Dear Jim,

Just a note to say thanks for such an enjoyable three days on “Blue Moon”. We had a great time and learned a lot. We appreciated the time you spend talking to us about the pros and cons of the different makes and models. My mother has not been well since we got back so I’ve been caring for her Gloucester. Andrew crewed on a monohull to Steepholm and back yesterday – he’d wished it had been a cat!

With all good wishes Elizabeth and Andrew Smith.

Dear Jim,

Great boat
Great company
Great instruction
Unforgettable holiday

Many thanks Reg and Sheila Chapman
Ps – Reg says great porridge also!!

Hello Jim

Thank you for sending our certificates and the booklet. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and are definitely hooked on catamarans.

Mark worked very hard; he is a very good instructor with plenty of patience and good humour. We wish him good luck on his next trip.

Our only regret is we did not take up sailing 30/40 years ago. Our very best wishes Mary and Reg.