You'll join GMC mid to late afternoon and once aboard you'll be shown to your bunks and given some time to unpack and settle in. You will then be gathered together and introduced to the sea staff. Depending on joining time, the rest of the day will usually consist of safety briefs, heads (toilets) and galley (kitchen) introductions, fitting of life jackets and oilskins, a deck walk,rig brief and an overview of the week to come.

You can get an idea of what a trip is like by reading these comments from a group that sailed on GMC.

We are always grateful for accounts of voyages, and photographs. Please email or post them to the Operations Manager at the OYTNW office.

It is rare to set sail on the first night, you will usually depart the following morning after a night getting used to your bunk and its surroundings.

Throughout the week, you will learn about hoisting and trimming sails, steering the boat, filling in the hourly logbook (which is a legal document), navigating and nautical terminology. You will also be given the opportunity to learn about flares, knots, points of sail, weather and sailing etiquette. As a member of the team, you can contribute to the decision making process on, for example, voyage planning and the objectives for the day.

However, it's not all work and no play. You will have time to relax , either on the boat or ashore!

At the end of the week, there will be the celebratory last night dinner and the following morning after cleaning and tidying the vessel, you will receive any certificates you have gained and there will be the traditional photo-call on the doghouse roof (it's the only place where the whole crew will fit!). After that, it's time to disembark and head for home.