Charley Horton
Charley Horton has helped people sail around the Virgin Islands, seen Italian sunsets whilst bringing boats back from Europe and shown novices how to sail under the stars. He has been running his Dartmouth based boating business – Another Pair of Hands, for 10 years. Steph Woolvin discovered what exactly his hands are needed for…
It’s easy to see why people would want Charley on their boat. His manner is charming, he is softly spoken and I get the impression nothing bothers him too much. He says when on board with a quarrelling couple the worst thing you can do is bawl and shout: “You need to be quietly confident and show your leadership in effective but not obtrusive ways,” he says. His one-man business does exactly what it says on the tin. He helps people who want to get out on the water but don’t want to go alone, whether that be a little jaunt to Blackpool Sands or a two week adventure around the Amalfi coast. “A boat is a big expense so it should be relaxing and stress free - a chance to build memories.” He is very modest about his skills, but as we chat it soon emerges there isn’t much this man doesn’t know about boats and his knowledge of navigational routes is worldwide. “I do enjoy the more intrepid offers that come my way. A couple of times I have been out to America to help an 80-year-old lady sail around the Virgin Islands. She is a great sport.”
Charley, who lives on a boat on the Dart, offers a wide range of services on the water: “I can go out with people who have never sailed before and show them the ropes. I quite often take people on quick refresher courses at the beginning of the season – those who may come down from London for holidays and want a quick run through before they take their family out. I can pick up and deliver boats around the world, or assist someone who wants to sail their boat to a different location for the winter.” As we meet, Charley is just off the phone to a man who wants help getting his boat up to Scotland - something Charley hopes to fit in to his busy summer schedule. “My clients have to be flexible on timings because I never know how long a job will take. A spell of bad weather can easily turn a three day job into a six day one.” But this fluid lifestyle suits laid-back Charley, who, friends say, ‘could sleep standing up!’
He takes a crew with him on long journeys or if he is required to move a big boat from A to B. “I only ever pick people I have sailed with before and I trust, as you can’t make mistakes when you’re on a job for someone with a multi-million pound boat!” I asked him for the secret to keeping a happy crew at sea. He was quick to answer with one word – “Food!” He says he once brought a boat back from the Bay of Biscay on Christmas Day and made the crew a full turkey lunch onboard. “I usually whip up wholesome meals like spaghetti bolognese and cottage pie. I often take the crew shopping before we set off so they can choose what they want.” He only has two rules on board – no smoking and no alcohol and says it’s surprising how many people comment on how good they feel after a week or two teetotal.
Charley works with all sorts of people but says some of the most comical are the married couples. He has witnessed more than one domestic outburst over the years. He says many come to sailing later on in life, perhaps when they retire and they can be set in their ways. “I do wonder sometimes if I am teaching sailing or marriage guidance! I often witness the husband trying to take over and shouting at the wife. The truth is there are no set male/female roles on board and I find women are better at listening and following my instructions. The women often want to know everything in case the husband falls overboard.”
When he’s not travelling on someone else’s boat, you can find Charley racing with the Brixham or Dartmouth Yacht Club. In fact he spends so much of his time on the water I asked if he struggles to get his ‘land legs’ when he comes onto terra firma?! “I do one land based extra curricular activity,” he says with a glint in his eye. “I sometimes go dancing over at Marldon – it’s Ceroc which is modern jive.” He is also ‘Mr Logistics’ at the Food Festival each year. He says he always keeps that week clear in his diary as it’s his job to make sure the marquees and stalls are in place and everything is clean and tidy before and after the festival. He says he just prefers being on the water: ‘There are no traffic lights, no road rage, there’s loads of space and an amazing sense of freedom and relaxation.”
Charley hasn’t always lived and worked on the water. He has been a car salesman, worked in an estate agents and ran a beer accessories shop in Exeter. The thing he misses most are the animals from when he was a farmer. He worked on the family farm in Cullompton for 20 years, breeding South Devon cattle. “I really liked those cows, they were so laid back. I used to love standing in a meadow watching the buzzards riding a thermal.” Now he watches dolphins, seals and pilot whales on his various adventures. He says there is only one thing left on his bucket list – to sail around Alaska and catch a glimpse of wild bears fishing for salmon.
If you would like Charlie’s help on the water call 07775 991639
First published in By The Dart magazine July 2017
