RYA Day Skipper

Course overview

An introduction to navigation, boat handling and skippering skills, leading to the ability to skipper a small yacht on short daylight passages in fair weather. This course can be used to obtain an International Certificate of Competence and satisfies the minimum experience requirement for bare boat charter.

The course concentrates on pilotage, navigation and boat handling under both sail and power. It will also improve your sail setting and deck work, as well as developing your knowledge and understanding of seamanship and safety issues. During the course you will be able to take charge of the yacht on short tidal passages, under the guidance of the instructor.

This course can be combined with the RYA Day Skipper shorebased course over 10 days.

As well as the consecutive 5 day RYA Day Skipper course, we also offer the option of taking this course over three weekends by attending three RYA Starting Yachting courses. Each weekend includes one night on-board and food.

If you decide to take the RYA Day Skipper course over three weekends, we recommend that you complete all three training weekends within a period of six months.

Pre-requisite experience:

5 days aboard a yacht, including 100 miles sailed and 4 night hours.
Day Skipper theory is strongly recommended.

Duration:

5 days

Qualifications:

RYA Day skipper Practical Certification

What’s included:

Includes all food and accommodation on-board

Syllabus

The programmes follows the following format:

Preparation for sea

  • Ability to prepare a yacht for sea, including engine checks, selection of sails, securing and stowage of all gear on deck and below

Deck work

  • A reef, shake out reef and change sails to suit prevailing conditions
  • Can prepare and anchor, mooring warps and take charge on deck when mooring alongside, coming to a buoy, anchoring, weighing anchor and slipping from a buoy or an alongside berth

Navigation

  • Taking and plotting visual fixes
  • Use of electronic navigation equipment for position fixing
  • Use of waypoints
  • Working up DR and EP
  • Estimating tidal heights and tidal streams
  • Working out course to steer to allow for tidal stream, leeway and drift
  • Knowledge of IALA buoyage
  • Maintenance of navigational records
  • Use of echo sounder and lead line

Pilotage

  • Can prepare and execute a pilotage plan for entry into, or departure from harbour
  • Understand the use of leading and clearing lines
  • Use of transits and soundings as aids to pilotage

Meteorology

  • Know sources of forecast information
  • Can interpret shipping forecast and use a barometer as a forecasting aid

Rules of the road

  • Working knowledge of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

Maintenance and repair work

  • Ability to understand and carry out maintenance tasks
  • Understand the properties and uses of common synthetic fibre ropes

Engines

  • Understand how to change fuel and water filters, pump impeller and to bleed the fuel system

Victualling

  • Understand how to victual a yacht

Emergency situations

  • Ability to take correct action as a skipper for recovery of man overboard
  • Understand distress flares and how to use a liferaft
  • Can operate a radiotelephone in an emergency and send a distress message
  • Understand how to secure a tow
  • Understand rescue procedures including helicopter rescue

Yacht handling under power

  • Can bring a boat safely to and from an alongside berth, mooring buoy and anchor under various conditions of wind and tide

Yacht handling under sail

  • Can bring a boat safely to and from a mooring buoy and anchor under sail in various conditions of wind and tide
  • Can steer and trim sails effectively on all points of sailing

Passage making

  • Can plan and make a coastal passage, taking account of relevant navigational hazards and limitations imposed by the type of boat and the strength of the crew
Register interest