Crewing opportunity in the Algarve

Amazing!!!

I helped dave fixing up Questina in february. Dave is an hilarious person with a lot of humor. We didn't get to sail much but there was always something to do, and Dave was always appreciative with the help i could offer. He is a very good teacher, he makes you feel confident and he gives a very realistic view of what sailing really is. He has super cool stories to tell, about his past and about sailing, so forget awkward silences! also, 5 stars for the food.

10th Feb 2025

Interesting journey

I joined Dave in Tenerife, Spain and sailed to Madeira and then Madeira to Rabat, Morocco. Dave is a colorful and affable man with a funny Yorkshire sense of humor. Both passages were in rough seas and strong winds [12-15' seas and 40-knot winds.] I am a novice sailor and learned a lot from Dave. It's often that your greatest learning happens when things go not as planed or expected and that was the case on both passages. He is a very knowledgable skipper and shares his sailing experiences readily. Questina is an older boat and was having several significant issues requiring repairs at both ports which limited our sailing time, but allowed for myself and 2-other crew to explore Madeira and Morocco. I think she needs quite a bit of work for blue water sailing in the future, but perhaps coastal hoping is more appropriate at this time. I would choose another boat until many needed repairs are made.

4th Oct 2024

Amazing trip Lagos - Santa Cruz de La Palma

I sailed alongside Dave during the first 3 weeks of his 2024 summer trip. This was my first time sailing off-shore for more than 1 consecutive day. One can tell straight away that Dave has a lot of experience and was always ready to explain things to us, the crew. When we had to do anything on the bow or the stern and during night-shifts safety was always the first priority. I had a great time during these 3 weeks and wouldn't hesitate to join Dave in another 3 week trip. Very recommended!

18th Jul 2024

Great trip from Lagos to Madeira

Joined Dave for the first leg of his summer trip around Madeira and the Canary Islands, my first time offshore for a multi-day passage. Second day and night we had some "interesting" weather during which the boat took a bit of damage, Dave's experience and knowledge was invaluable as we had a relatively novice crew, who were not feeling too well some of the time. I personally learned a lot along the way, Dave is a very patient teacher, who takes pride and pleasure in passing on his knowledge and skills. He also took great care of the crew, making sure we were fed and watered, even when we were not too keen on spending time below to prepare food. When you add in Dave's great Yorkshire sense of humour, and the banter between the crew, it all added up to a really good trip, and I would not hesitate to sail with Dave again, or to recommend him to others.

1st Jul 2024

Learned so much

Dave has a lot of knowledge and will teach you all you want to learn and more. I spent a week with him and he was quite patient while showing me the ropes. Had a great time and would love to go back again

16th May 2024

Great day

Thank you we had a great day and we felt very welcome. We are looking forward to the next trip and we hope to have a bit more time All the best Ole, Gesa and Lily

7th May 2024

Learned a lot

We were with Dave on Questina for a week over Easter wanting to improve our skills. It was a full on week.- intense weather wise and we learned a lot. Dave was a good teacher and easy company with a great sense of humour. On the last day he let us integrate our learning by attempting to do everything we'd learned and skipper the boat ourselves without help which was a great way to test ourselves and get it all to sink in. Thanks for a great week Dave.

18th Apr 2024

Great week aboard Questina II

My wife and I spent a fantastic week with Dave onboard Questina II. The weather wasn't too good for sailing (almost no wind some days and over 40 knots one day) but Dave still managed to teach us a huge amount and we got to participate in a regatta as well! His teaching is laid back and patient and overall it was a really fun week with plenty of variety. Lagos is also a great place to be based with a lot on offer to explore in the evenings. Thanks Dave!

28th Mar 2024

Gaining experience

My partner and I had four days onboard the Questina II with Dave. We really did learn so much. He is a dedicated teacher with plenty of patience from the start. Thanks Dave.

21st Mar 2024

Real experience from practice

There were two of us on Dave's Questina II for a week and we really enjoyed it. I wanted to get miles and more experience. I had a few miles under my belt, but Dave really gave me some real tips on sailing, navigation and anchoring. We also had a very windy day where his experience on the water was invaluable. Life on board was very straightforward and I would recommend it to anyone.

9th Mar 2024

Fantastic sailing experience aboard Questina II

This week I joined Dave aboard Questina II in Lagos. I tried sailing for the very first time quite a few years ago but never got back to it till now. Dave is a real sound guy and could not be more helpful. I felt like i was starting from scratch and he gove me so much encouragement. He is a friendly amd positive guy and an excellent instructor. You will learn so much crewing for Dave and he'll soon be a very good mate.

2nd Feb 2024

Dave

Had a week with Dave, starting from complete beginner. He answered all the questions I came up with while learning to sail (&motor). He allowed me to helm while keeping watch remotely, helping me to feel independent. He remained calm and composed through mishaps as well as lack of cooking knowledge. He is a dedicated teacher with plenty of patience from the start. Thanks Dave

25th Jan 2024

Gaining experience

My partner and I had a week on board the questine with Dave.We really did learn so much, we both have had small amount of sailing under our belts and are competent crew, but we learnt so much more than we thought possible. The boat is a great boat and has a very big personality , as for Dave he is a man of so much knowledge and very patient, and makes a great teacher.Would recommend you give him a go. We are going back later in the year to build more miles and gain more experience, also to see Dave as we class him as a friend now.

25th Jan 2024

Logging miles and gaining knowledge

For a week, I was aboard the Questina with Dave. We were able to go out to sea every day except one, when the marina was closed due to swells. He and I still took advantage of that time to go over theory. In all, I now have more than 24 hours of experience as well as 47 nautical miles. Not only did Dave go over sailing terms with me, I was able to work on points of sail, knots, working the helm, and how to prepare the boat for departure and arrival in the marina. When we weren't sailing or revising the competent crew curriculum, he introduced me to many people in the sailing community. It was great to meet other people and socialize with them. We even got to enter a regatta and had some of those friends join. While we didn't win, it was a beautiful day and most importantly, fun! Questina and Dave are tidy and clean. I have learned and been able to apply knowledge I gained in the past week. I hope to join again and recommend you give it a try! Thanks y'all!

17th Jan 2024

Amazing learning experience - pre day skipper

I highly recommend sailing with Dave to build up your skills or just enjoy some beautiful sailing! I am very lucky to have spent 6 days with Dave on Questina this November. Dave is knowledgeable, patient, accommodating and a lot of fun! I had recently taken my day skipper theory and was looking to build more practical experience and confidence. Dave made me feel very comfortable and safe. With his encouragement and knowledge, I have walked away feeling inspired and capable. We went through many of the practical skills needed for day skipper. Dave has so much knowledge and he delivers it in a way that is easily understood, plus Questina is a beautiful, homely boat. On days where there wasn't enough wind to sail, Dave patiently taught me how to use the outboard on the dinghy. I was NOT a natural but he gave very concise, calm instruction. We then went on to explore the caves around Lagos which was excellent! I hope to sail with Dave again, preferably for a longer period of time. Joining Dave and Questina is a great experience!

3rd Dec 2023

Wonderful Time on Questina

I had a wonderful week with Dave on Questina... I learned a lot about sailing this week. Dave is a really expert sailer and was explaining and showing a lot to me... and I want to continue learning how to sail, heading towards canaty islands and across tje atlantic ocean. Thank you Dave for this really special experience... Indira

30th Nov 2023

Sailing in South Portugal

I have spent 7 days on Questina II. We did not always have the best wind but we still left the port a few days (4 to be exact, on the other days I did a bit of sightseeing and I really liked Lagos, nice town). We had both light winds, both ideal sailing weather and also one time somewhat stronger wind (up to 20 knots). Dave is an excellent teacher and very knowledgeable. He is also really patient and is a nice guy in general. We practiced turning in one circle, anchoring, reefing, heave-to, went through the basic knots and also went through safety measures. One day we practiced with the dinghy (we also went to the caves and cliffs with it). I got to know the navigations systems and other instruments too. Overall this week was great and I also feel like I've learned a lot, it was quite useful. And even though I've had earlier sailing experience I can absolutely recommend him for basically anyone, may she/he be a very beginner or a really experienced sailor.

18th Nov 2023

Excellent week beginner level

I stayed with Dave from 14th till 21st October 2023, on Questina II. I feel that I learnt a lot in a week, covering all points of sailing, through to navigation and log keeping, out of the six days we were there we managed to get 4 days sailing in, one of the days there was no wind, so we went out dingy bashing through the caves along the coast which was fantastic. And the other was too windy due to a storm in the Atlantic and 5 to 6m swells. so that turned into a site seeing tour around the beautiful town of Lagos. ( a few cheeky drinks) Dave is a very knowledgeable Sailor/ Instructor who welcomes anyone of any level, he has a good sense of humour and is a pleasure to be around,If you have never sailed before it is a good place to start to see if you would like it. I’d like to thank Dave for a wonderful week and hopefully see you again soon in the near future ??

28th Oct 2023

Sailing (Beginners) Experience

Having spent a week with Dave on Questina ll. I feel I have learnt a lot about all aspects of sailing encountering many different types of weather conditions ( Dave may think differently) I found Dave to be a very competent instructor truly a subject matter expert with a vast depth of knowledge. Dave was always willing to answer all my questions and provided me with in-depth answer’s until I understood fully. It was a pleasure to share Questina II with Dave who was great fun to be around with an amazing sense of humour. I’ll definitely be returning to learn more.

22nd Oct 2023

Best teacher you can imagine

Me and a friend of mine spent 6 days on the boat with Dave. We had 3 amazing sailing days where we learned a lot. Dave can explain very good, he is patient and encouraging. He answered all the questions we had and always had simple methods to explain the context of everything. We learned how to put up the sails, how to reef, how to use the anchor, everything about safety measurements, how to use the dingy and a lot more. I can totally recommend a stay if you are eager to learn and get into sailing. Also the landscape at the Algarve coast in Portugal is amazing and totally recommendable for a sailing trip.

18th Sep 2023

Knowledgeable and Patient Instructor

During my stay there was unfortunately not enough wind to sail 6 out of the 7 days, however, the day we did get out I found David to have a great way of explaining things in an ‘easy to understand’ manner and the patience to go with it if I got things wrong. We spent another day on dinghy practise which was really useful. With the lack of sailing David also took me on a scenic route up to Monchique one day to make up for it a bit. A good driver too, although I did 'hold tight' a couple of times ha ha.

13th Sep 2023

Great instructor and great time

I spent 8 days on Questina with Dave and throughly enjoyed it. Dave worked as an instructor for a career and it clearly shows in his ability to teach. Questina is located in the heart of the marina and there is plenty to do in the area. He is very easy to get along with and full of chat and hope to return some day. I'd highly recommend those who are looking to get sailing or those who are looking for some mileage to look no further! Fair winds mate

3rd Sep 2023

Perfect Experience

Dave not only provides to convey his knowledge and experience but also gives a easygoing friendship. I've sailed with him almost a week and he always gave the very precious informations and showed great patience to my mistakes. We've managed to set "perfect trim" many times. Hope to do it again.

18th Aug 2023

Great instructor and a great time

Dave is highly experienced and takes to explain technicalities in a clear encouraging way. He is kind and thoughtful and a pleasure to sail with. Questina is a super boat and i enjoyed my 10 days on board immens

26th Jul 2023

Just spent a great 10 days with Dave on Questina 2.

Just spent a great 10 days with Dave on Questina 2. I have sailed before but not for a long time and Dave took me through everything I needed to refresh my skills. He is very knowledgeable, patient and explains things very well. We also had a good laugh each day. This trip has really set me up for some other sailing adventures later this year. If you are just a beginner or looking to gain more experience then I'm sure Dave can certainly help you. Also, Lagos is a great base in the Algarve and you can wander into town to sample the many restaurants.

3rd May 2023