sailingmartin

Martinique-Antigua 3 weeks

“Martin truly lives the philosophy of mutual help and support” is absolutely my experience of engaging as crew on Topaz Rival. Great boat, great skipper and Buzz is a magical icing on the cake!

22nd Feb 2024

Martinique - Dominica for 1 week

We stayed on Martin’s boat in Martinique and slowly sailed around the coast until Dominica picking up more crew members on the way. The communication with Martin was easy and straightforward. He warmly welcomed us and we enjoyed our breakfast ritual with going on land and getting croissants in the mornings and good conversations and music on the boat in the evenings. Martin went out of his way to accommodate us and other travellers who wanted to join him on the boat and truly lives the philosophy of mutual help and support. We’d gladly come on board with you again Martin!

7th Feb 2024

Cartagena - Almerimar, Peaceful sailing

I only shared 2 days of sailing, very quiet and pleasant. Although we had very little wind it was an enriching experience, Martin is a great teacher. And buzz is an amazing dog, a very nice sailing companion.

10th Jul 2023

Portugal Sail with Martin and Buzz

Just came back from a week's long sail with Martin and the Buzzy boy (his sweet dog) It was a wonderful experience. Martin is a very nice man, very patient with this novice sailor, and with a deep deep knowledge of sailing and the sea that gives him quiet confidence. He seems unflappable. It was a great week, looking forward to sailing with him again. I just read everyone else's reviews and I concur with all of them.

21st Aug 2022

Excellent, knowledgeable skipper, pleasure to sail with

Our first experience crewing and we enjoyed every second. We are novice sailors, Martin explained everything he wanted clearly and guided us through decision making along the way so we understood the whole process. Martin is calm, patient and safety conscious and extremely good company, easy to chat to and a super sense of humour. But it has to be said Buzz is the true gem aboard Topaz Rival…. Endless doggie cuddles really made my weekend. All in all an experience I would repeat in a heartbeat. I hope we are lucky enough to sail with Martin & Buzz again….

3rd May 2022

Excellent experience

Had a great time with Martin, buzz and the other crew on Topaz rival. Martin’s a highly experienced captain with a lot of knowledge. We took the boat out for the first trip of the season, it’s really well equipped and we covered a lot. I’m looking forward to sailing with Martin again!

23rd Apr 2022

Eventful

Never a boring moment with Martin, Buzz, and Topaz Rival. Had a few issues, such as a propeller blade falling off while underway, but Martin showed how to sort that issue out well. He is an excellent skipper and I learned much about the intricacies, and some perils, of boat ownership. He has a good philosophy of sailing life, and you'll learn a lot. I joined in Dartmouth and made our way over to Lymington, with a few fun stopovers on the way. Nice and relaxed on board as I felt like we were sharing the boat and the passage rather than me working for him! Overall, highly recommended and would love to sail with Martin again, and of course the dog, Buzz, is absolutely lovely.

22nd Oct 2021

A Fantastic Experience

I sailed with Martin and Buzz the dog from A Coruna, NW Spain, to Cork, Ireland, and across to Falmouth, UK, a total of 760 nautical miles. It was a fantatsic trip and I found Martin to be a competent, safe, easy going and congenial skipper and shipmate. He is generous with his time and words, has a dry sense of humour and is neither arrogant nor overbearing. Topaz Rival is a well kept and seakindly boat, with good safety equipment and technical nav aids, and I felt completely at ease onboard her at all times, even when things got lumpy 200 miles off the nearest land. I would happily sail with Martin again, and I recommned that you do too.

30th Sep 2021

A Coruna to Cork across Biscay bay (5 day sail)

I spent seven days on board Topaz Rival sailing to Cork, from A Coruna. I am a Yachtmaster that wants to get more experience on different boats and meet good people. I got both! There is a lot to learn from Martin, he is chilled and shares his knowledge and sailing decision making process all the time. Risk averse and a techy as well :) The Guinness we had in Cork upon arrival, is one I will remember. I look forward to meeting Martin again in the future for some more great sailing.

25th Aug 2021

Iberian Travels

We spent a month with Martin and Buzz (the dog) travelling from Lagos to A Coruna. We had a fantastic trip, Martin is great company and made us feel very welcome. We slept in the double berth which was very comfortable. Martin was flexible with where we stopped and how long we spent in each location. We are new to sailing and Martin was happy to show us the ropes. Some nights we dined together on and off the boat and had lovely conversations. There was a good mix of marinas and anchorages. It was nice to be able to use the dinghy when we wanted to get to shore. As a female and new to sailing I felt very safe at all times. We look forward to catching up with Martin and Buzz in the future.

21st Aug 2021

Great skipper

I sailed for nine days with Martin and enjoyed it very much. Topaz Rival is a great boat to sail and Martin is a relaxed and easy going guy. And a good cook! He 's got an eye for safety too, mind you. Only minor point was the fact that his dog Buzz and I didn't seem to match very much. I'm a cat-man and not really a dog lover, and maybe Buzz sensed that. Apart from that we had a great time sailing off the Portugese south coast.

26th Jul 2021

Great guy

Didnt actually get to sail with Martin due to covid restrictions but did stay in the marina with him for a few weekends and helped with a few jobs. Martin is a interesting guy and there are some great conversations to be had. Enjoyed his food and Buzz the welsh colley is a great companion. I look forward to the day when we meet again and actually do some sailing.

29th Apr 2021

Sea Dog

You will enjoy a cruise with Martin. He is experienced and has a penchant for technology and practicality. We spent some time rigging his new folding boat and electric outboard. Martin knows the South West and has some great ideas for cruising. Buzz the dog is great. All in all, a good guy to be sailing with. Look forward to post refit sail.

22nd Jun 2019