In winter the yachts are being maintained by the crew at a local shipyard and undergo repairs. The crew also take part in several workshops, such as an English language course and a sailing course and they get instructed about safety on board as well. Most of the crewmembers have a good working knowledge of English, but they do have a different cultural and linguistic background and are therefore not advanced speakers of English. They will try and serve you, however, the best they can.