There is, for example, the recently reported story of a man who purchased a motor cruiser online and then decided to take it back by water from the Medway to the Solent. In principle, not a difficult trip but this particular person was relying on only a road map and became confused by the Isle Of Sheppey. Thinking that the North Kent Mainland was indeed France, they started to circumnavigate Sheppey thinking that they were rounding Southeast England and heading back towards the Solent. Plans were poor and they soon ran out of fuel. Upon rescue, it was soon apparent that they were completely under qualified to handle the said vessel and the journey. However, they could not be stopped and rumour has it that the journey was continued later and on account of no further news, we are to assume that it was uneventful.

When on a family holiday some few years ago, we were engaged by a couple whilst waiting in Studland to cross the Channel. Having made it clear that they had not crossed before we agreed to remain in contact for the following day’s crossing. They surprisingly followed our course and remained exactly astern for the whole trip. We had a very quick crossing and suddenly decided to continue beyond Alderney to Guernsey. Once we arrived, they were quick to comment upon how they were already looking forward to sailing down to Guernsey later! Clearly they had followed our course and made no attempt to make their own passage.

There are of course many examples where the opposite applies. Some of our more well known yachting and boating celebrities have travelled far and wide with little or no formal qualifications. However, these are in the minority. If you are lucky enough, experience can be just as useful as formal training but for the vast majority of us, such experiences are not possible.

There are many places which offer a wide variety of training . In the United Kingdom the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the formal body which oversees Sailing and Boating schools and their courses.

With the New Year comes a new idea and in this regard the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) will be launching a new training course. This is an online entry level course called ‘Essential Navigation and Seamanship’. This would be a good course for anybody who is thinking of getting afloat or perhaps somebody who has had a go already and now feels the need to get some proper training.

Anglia Sea Ventures are authorised to distribute and support this course within the local East Anglia region. Roger Gross from Anglia Sea Ventures has said that the course will be very popular to sailors, motor boaters, divers and anglers alike. A fun and interactive way of learning a full range of essential skills to get people started on the water, with an easy and flexible approach enabling learning where and when it suits!

Subject areas covered include-

Charts,publications and terms. Navigation. Anchoring. Electronic navigation. Weather forecasts. Passage planning. Buoyage. Safety. Tides. Rules of the road. Pilotage.

Online support from an instructor will be available.

Indeed perhaps the more experienced amongst us may also benefit from a refresher Sailing School type course. The out of season January start date and online basis may prove to be ideal. With a wide breadth of experience, Anglia Sea Ventures are proud to be supporting this new course and can only relate strongly to the importance of training.

Anglia Sea Ventures are like many of their kind and have been providing these type of training programs for many years.

There is a full range of courses available at this Sailing School. RYA Sail and Powerboat training courses, day sail, gift experiences, yacht charter and yacht racing. Check out the Sailing School website at www.angliaseaventures.com Tel: 01473 210473.

Adventure days include powerboat & sailing days, mini cruise and extended cruises. If you are looking for that slightly unusual gift then Anglia Sea Ventures have a selection of Gift Vouchers to suit. For the eager racers, plans are already in place for the J.P Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race 2011 where you can not only enjoy the race itself but also the inevitable social scene of the event. Details on line.

For the more experienced, in 2011 Anglia Sea Ventures are starting a new course for those that want to use their Cruising Chutes or Gennakers. Helping people unravel the mysteries and skills associated with these sails and endeavouring to give skippers and crew more confidence in their use. How many times have you got these sails out?

Thinking of upgrading to a new boat, something different and larger or perhaps just fancy a change, then may be a charter might help. Anglia Sea Ventures have bareboat, skippered and corporate charter packages.

The East Anglia Coast of England offers brilliant sailing grounds. Above average temperatures and below average rainfall combine well and result in excellent sailing, fantastic scenery and a great company. All this to ensure you will have a fantastic holiday and experience to remember.

For stories, news views and information on saling schools look at Sailing school stories, news views and courses , views and the site News, views views and stories . Also published at Sail Training School.

The boat may be a yacht, a powerful speedboat with outboard motors, or even a human-powered canoe. And even if it is a ferry that you work on, it’s a very enjoyable way to spend your time.

Boat seats are important to have on any on these leisure activities, and even more so if it is your work that’s taking you out onto the water. But it’s not always desirable to pay the whole price for seating as it might turn out to be quite expensive.

For the boat enthusiast that does not want to waste any money, there are many ways to acquire boat seats without paying the full price. This includes buying second hand seats of course, but it is also possible to buy new seats at less than their retail price.

Used boat seats are one of the most immediate answers to this problem. Look at the classifieds of trade papers, or at the club in your local harbor. Ask any friends that you have who enjoy the same pastime if they have any boat seats to sell, or if they know anyone. While used boat seats may require some repairs, they will be a great bargain.

If you have a lot of acquaintances who are into boating, you could approach a retailer for a bulk discount. Even if the boat seats you are looking for are not of the same type, you can get a hefty reduction even if you are buying different models.

Even if you are buying new by yourself, ask the shop if they have any special offers on boat seats. Often these are not advertised prominently, so you will need to ask. Sometimes discounts will materialize just because you asked for it, so never neglect this step!

Buying boat seats aftermarket is another possibility – there are dozens of retailers specializing in aftermarket and end-of-the-line boat seats and other accessories. Scout them out and you may just find a deal that is right for you.

Check the Internet too. Online retailers are often amongst the cheapest new boat seat sources, and the possibility to compare process from your living room will give you a good idea of what’s available even before you buy.

Auctions are another great source of cheap boat seats, whether on-line such as on sites like eBay, or offline in public sale houses.

For newbie sailor and experienced mariner alike, no site but BestBoatSeats.com gives you all the tips and info on boat seats. Old seaman or young cabin boy? Make sure that you sit comfortably on the world’s best boat seats by following the links above.

Also, by managing to get a good amount of interested buyers thanks to good boat marketing, you will be able to avoid having to sell the boat via a dealer, therefore avoiding to waste money on hefty commission payments on your vessel.

First of all, make sure that you advertise the boat in a way to put it into the best light and so to attract lots of potential buyers. Internet listings are an obvious choice – some of them are paid for but several listings are free to the seller. Do a web search to find out about possible sites where to advertise your boat.

It’s good to take lots of quality digital pictures of the boat, not only of the whole boat from the outside but also of details and of the interior. Good pictures from a past trip may do the trick, but don’t just rely on travel photographs and make sure that you have the best possible photos, as this could make or break your search for prospects.

Do also make up your mind upon what kind of online advert you would like. If it is a paid advert, you also need to make your mind up as to and what duration you wish to opt for. Two months is a good recommended timeframe.

Use the Internet classified ad as a basis for another ad that you are going to put up in yacht marinas and boating clubs in your area. If you can find local potential buyers for your boat, it will make the sales process much easier.

Focus on designing an ad that emphasizes the boat’s main good points, possibly introducing them with a little personal story about a trip on the vessel. Also during negotiations, you should focus on what makes your boat special.

Once a serious potential buyer has been found, you will need to be ready to answer lots of questions, so be ready with all the specifications, history, extra pictures, and other info that you need. It’s often good to go through a question and answer process before actually visiting the boat, as this will save you time during the visit.

As for the negotiation of the actual sale, be aware that most buyers will try to negotiate the price down. The best counter-strategy is to anticipate their objections and have answers ready. Still, you would always assume that you will have to concede a discount of 10% or so over the price you originally listed.

Keep price negotiation friendly and professional, and gently remind the buyer of the boat’s positive points if the asked rebate is too big. Be consistent, gracious but firm, and you will close the boat sale deal in a way that will be satisfactory to you.

BoatValueWorld.com covers all your boat evaluation needs, with tips and information. Whether you want to sell a boat or buy a yacht, go to the site to find out.

Lounge seats are your basic kind of seating for all kinds of boats that are intended to carry a lot of passengers, whether it’s a group of friends out on a fishing trip on a pontoon, an open sea-going boat for some off-shore swimming, or even a ferry. These boat seats are usually fixed, and can be found both in an uncovered deck location as well as inside.

They come in many different sizes depending on the boat layout and plan, and are usually fixedly mounted into the boat. If they are intended for outside use and are not inside a cabin, they are usually UV treated to provide for mildew resistance.

On bigger boats, lounge seats are often attached together by twos on the backrests. This arrangement is known as a back-to-back seat, and can concern two single seats or whole rows of seating for large decks. These are often alternated with tables, as this provides for a space-saving arrangement for ten passengers or more.

The simplest type of seat for people-carrying boats is a basic bench seat, usually fitted with cushions for comfort. These can be fitted on dinghies or pontoons, either in the middle or as an all-round seating solution.

Some bench design seats are collapsible, allowing for the passengers to move around no the boat more easily while not seated.

A leaning post is also considered a boat seat – most have a little round bench to sit on it, but their main use is to offer standing passengers something to hang on to when needed.

The most common kinds of emplacements for leaning posts are either to keep one’s balance, and only secondarily to sit, or as fishing rod holders on boats intended for line fishing. In the latter case, besides the bench you will often find rod holders on the post.

When choosing any of the above seats you should begin with the end in mind and make sure that they are well-suited to the purpose of having them on your boat, and then consider the quality of the manufacturing and their expected durability, especially in view of the conditions that they will be subject to by the sun and the sea.

Also, once you have found the boat seat model that you want, make sure to compare several merchants on price to make sure that you get the most bang for your buck.

BestBoatSeats.com is the premier resource for boat seats on the Net, with information on topics such as how to repair boat seats, as well as on how to customize, choose, and install them – click the links above to find out more!

Whatever the kind of boat you own or are looking to buy, whether you are a professional mariner or a hobbyist, you cannot do without the right seating for your boat.

Especially on older or second-hand boats (but sometimes even on new watercraft), the owner may want to change existing seats with new ones. Sometimes this may just apply to a couple of seats, but sometimes it has to be done for the whole boat.

Besides the comfort factor, many leisure captains will also want to consider that seating is an easy-to-exchange part of the boat that does convey the owner’s personality. New boat seats can give the vessel your own imprint.

Seating is a very prominent and visible part of any boat and its quality and looks will not only determine how the boat is perceived in relation to the personality of the owner, but also its apparent value, witch would be an important consideration if you are trying to sell a boat.

And if you are selling the boat, new seats will be just as effective as a new paint job to increase the vessel’s market value, for a fraction of the cost.

If you are looking to buy a new seat (or more) for your boat, you will find that there is no want of choice. There are most assuredly dozens and dozens of types and variations of boat seats available at boating supply stores near you, and also through Internet boat suppliers, online catalogs and specialist retailers.

The wide choice of retailers is an advantage to the buyer of new boat seats as it allows for more choice and some very good deals, provided that one has the time to look and shop around.

Besides the choice issue, make sure to take safety into special consideration. You want seats that are comfortable to avoid tiring out crew and passengers, and if they are detachable you don’t want them to sink.

Especially for boats routinely crewed by untrained passengers or by people who seldom go out onto a lake or at sea, safety is paramount and should also be considered when shopping for new boat seats.

Boating is a fantastic hobby for friends, families, work colleagues, sportspeople and even individuals to take part in together. There’s just something about going out to the open sea, or to a lake, at the end of a long week that makes the worries of the daily routine and of the world melt away.

Whether it’s a sailing boat, a pontoon for a placid picnic on a lake, or for a fishing tour on a specially equipped boat, it’s a great way to spend your time.

Boat seats are a fundamental part of any of these vessels, and you will find that any trip will turn onto a nightmare if the seating isn’t comfortable. And this isn’t just a passing inconvenience, but a serious issue of crew fatigue and safety.

For the money-wise mariner, there are plenty of alternatives to buying boat seats at full price, whether it’s buying used or just finding a cost-effective solution to buy new.

Buying used boat seats is one of the most obvious solutions – you may be able to get very good prices by looking at the local classifieds, or at sale notices posted at your local marina. And if you have any friends that share your passion for boating, you may be able to buy seats from them if they are about to get new ones. Granted, used boat seats may need a bit of repair, but it will be worth it in the long term

If you have a lot of acquaintances who are into boating, you could approach a retailer for a bulk discount. Even if the boat seats you are looking for are not of the same type, you can get a hefty reduction even if you are buying different models.

Another thing to do is to ask dealers for any special offers they may have on boat seats at the moment, Even if it isn’t advertised, just asking could get you an unexpected and maybe even hefty discount. And it doesn’t cost anything to ask.

Buying boat seats aftermarket is another possibility – there are dozens of retailers specializing in aftermarket and end-of-the-line boat seats and other accessories. Scout them out and you may just find a deal that is right for you.

Another great option is buying boat seats online, through the Internet. Online shops have lower overheads and are therefore able to pass on reductions to the customer. Plus, if you buy a seat that you don’t like the retailer must give you a guaranteed full refund.

Another very cheap source of boat seats are auctions, whether online on sites such as eBay or off-line. Check the local and trade papers to fund out if any auctions are being held in the local area.