RYA Day Skipper Practical Course
SKU RYACC-1
£699
In Stock
Develop your sailing skills with our RYA Day Skipper course. Learn to navigate, handle yachts, and gain leadership experience, ready to charter a yacht. Some sailing experience required.
Purchase
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Duration:
5 days (Mon - Fri) or two weekends
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Experience:
5 days aboard, 100 miles logged and 4 night hours. Basic sailing ability to RYA Competent Crew level and a knowledge of navigation to the level of the RYA Day Skipper Theory.
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Location:
Solent / Isle of Wight
Overview
The RYA Day Skipper practical course is a 5 day training program designed for aspiring skippers with some prior sailing experience. It equips participants with the essential skills and knowledge needed to safely and confidently skipper a small yacht in familiar waters during daylight and will allow you to charter a yacht in most locations. Covering key areas such as navigation, pilotage, seamanship, and yacht handling under sail and power, the course emphasizes practical, hands-on learning.
Key Points
- Allows you to charter yachts in many locations.
- Fun course, with RYA certification at the end.
- Visit different harbours and anchorages.
- Expert tuition to give you good skills.
What's Included
- All meals and snacks onboard
- Oilskins
- Life jackets
- All mooring fees
What's Not Included
- Sleeping bag
- Waterproof boots
- Personal sailing insurance
- Two evening meals ashore
Course Syllabus
The RYA Day Skipper practical course teaches pilotage, navigation, seamanship and boat handling up to the required standard to skipper a small cruising yacht safely by day in tidal waters with which the student is familiar.
1. Preparation for sea
Is able to prepare a yacht for sea, including engine checks, selection of sails, securing and stowage of all gear on deck and below.
2. Deck Work
Can reef, shake out reefs and change sails to suit prevailing conditions.
Can prepare an anchor, mooring warps and take charge on deck when mooring alongside, coming to a buoy, anchoring, weighing anchor and slipping from a buoy or alongside berth.
3. Navigation
Is proficient in chartwork and routine navigational duties on passage including: Taking and plotting visual fixes, use of electronic navigation equipment for position fixing, use of waypoints, working up to 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.
4. Pilotage
Can prepare and execute a pilotage plan for entry into, or departure from, harbour. Understands the use of leading and clearing lines, use of transits and surroundings as aids to pilotage.
5. Meteorology
Knows sources of forecast information. Can interpret shipping forecasts, the Beaufort Scale and use a barometer as a forecasting aid.
6. Rule of the road
Has a working knowledge of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
7. Maintenance and repair work
Understands and is able to carry out maintenance tasks. Knows the properties and uses of common synthetic fibre ropes.
8. Engines
Knows how to change fuel and water filters, pump impeller, and to bleed the fuel system.
9. Victualling
Understands how to victual a yacht.
10. Emergency situations
Is able to take correct action as skipper for recovery of man overboard. Understands distress flares and how to use a liferaft. Can operate a VHF in an emergency and send a distress message. Understands how to secure a tow. Understands rescue procedures including helicopter rescue.
11. 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. Can steer and trim sails effectively on all points of sailing.
12. 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.
13. Night cruising
Has experienced sail cruising at night, including leaving and entering the harbour. Understands the special considerations for pilotage plans, keeping a lookout and identifying marks by night.
14. Seasickness
Working efficiency is unaffected/partially affected/severely affected by seasickness.
15. Helmsmanship and sailing
Understands the basic principles of sailing and can steer and trim sails on all points of sailing. Can steer a compass course, under sail and power.
16. General duties
Has carried out general duties satisfactorily on deck and below decks in connection with the daily routine of the vessel.
Helpful Information
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What To Expect
You spend the full course living on the yacht, with all meals provided. One of the expert Rubicon 3 instructors will work through the full syllabus with you, covering everything you need to know to be a competent and useful crew member on any future yachts you sail on.
A training holiday
Each day, you will sail to somewhere new, visiting the wonderful harbours and anchorages of the Solent. You will finish each day both on the mainland and on the Isle of Wight, and there’s usually the chance to head into one of the local pubs for a well earned beer and chat about the day’s training.
In the best place to learn to sail
The Solent is easily one of the best sailing grounds in the world, with its huge variety of locations, sheltered water, challenging tides, and lots of vast commercial cargo ships moving by. As we describe in our Solent overview, this really is the only place to learn to sail
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Safety
Safety is absolutely paramount when heading out onto the water. Rubicon 3’s heritage is in ocean sailing and expeditions to the polar regions, and we bring all that expertise to everything we do, including the RYA courses. It can mean a quite different experience to other sailing schools, many of who rarely venture out beyond their local area. You will also be training on top class yachts with the latest safety equipment, fully inspected by the maritime authorities every year.
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Who Else Joins
90% of crew join solo, so these are excellent courses if you are coming alone. There is nearly always a 50:50 mix of men and women, of all ages. It’s a small, fun group of like-minded people, all working toward the same goal.
You can expect three other crew on board, giving a maximum of four. Many other sailing schools will pack five onto a boat (to maximise profits) but this has a really detrimental effect on the training. You will simply not have enough ‘wheel’ time, trimming time and such like. It’s a 25% reduction in training time and the quality of your training is greatly affected
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FAQ
What time does my sailing course start and finish?
Start: 1830hrs on Friday and Sunday
Finish: 1600hrs on Friday and Sunday (approximate time)
Do I need insurance?
Rubicon 3 has full public liability insurance, however we do strongly recommend that you buy additional personal insurance that covers travel, cancellation, damage to clothing or accidents. Topsail and Bishop’s Skinner are both good options.
Where will be sail to?
You will be sailing in the Solent, which is the best training ground available. You may visit some of the well-known harbours on the Isle of Wight such as Cowes or Yarmouth, along with Beaulieu, Lymington, Poole and Portsmouth.
Will we get off the boat?
Most nights you can jump off the boat for a beer ashore. Some nights we may be at anchor.
How many students will there be on the boat?
We take a maximum of 4 students per boat. This maximises your tuition and hands on time, versus many other schools that pack a fifth person on board.
Will I be cooking?
Part of learning to sail is learning how to live aboard a yacht. All chores, including cooking, are shared equally between all students and the instructor. Don’t worry – there’s a set menu and lots of help at hand!
Will I be sharing a cabin?
It may be necessary for you to share a cabin. Couples and friends will normally share. If you are coming on a course on your own there is a possibility you will have to share a cabin but this would only be with someone of the same sex.
Can you cater for dietary requirements?
We can accommodate basic dietary requirements such as vegetarians and minor food allergies. If you have any concerns, please check with us before booking.
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Packing Check List
- Do not go and spend lots of money on sailing clothing. Especially when you are first starting out, you really don’t need it. The main consideration is to bring layers, so that you can adjust your temperature accordingly.
- Warm clothes including hat, scarf, gloves and thermal underwear.
- Sleeping bag
- Polarised sunglasses
- Sun block
- Wash kit
- Towel
- Flip flops (great for shower blocks)
- Swimming gear
- Phone charger
- Sailing boots and some deck shoes or non-marking trainers
Everything must be packed into a soft holdall that can be rolled away
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