Day Skipper Practical
RYA Day Skipper Practical Course (minimum age 18)
£895 per person.
Skippering a yacht for the first time can be a daunting yet exhilarating experience.
This 5 day course therefore requires the minimum previous experience:
5 days aboard a Yacht 7-15 metres AOL, 100 Sea Miles, 4 night hours, your basic sailing ability to Comp Crew level, and a Navigation knowledge to the level of Day Skipper Theory.
Completion of the Day Skipper Theory Course is most strongly recommended. It can be done online (we recommend Navathome).
The RYA Day Skipper practical course is designed to teach you to “Take Charge” safely and confidently. A skipper does much more than navigate. They are responsible for the complete safety and wellbeing of the yacht and crew.
These responsibilities include weather forecasting, victualling, engine maintenance, sail selection and handling, passage planning, watch keeping, navigation and pilotage.
Your experienced and patient instructor will teach you these skills and you will put them into practice as you skipper the yacht on short passages around the shores of South West Cornwall.
There is particular emphasis on boat handling for Day Skippers and during the course you will practice mooring under various conditions. Students live aboard for the duration of the course and visit many different harbours and anchorages to practice pilotage techniques which, like boat handling, is an essential skill for the aspiring skipper.
You will complete at least 4 night hours sailing to experience night pilotage and identify lights.
At the end of the RYA Day Skipper course you will be confident to skipper a cruising yacht on short passages by day.
Students who successfully complete the Day Skipper course are awarded the RYA Day Skipper practical course completion certificate.
This course will also enable you to apply for the ICC (International Certificate of Competence).
This qualification is required by most European countries to validate your competence to own or charter a boat.
If you are looking for a commercial endorsement you will also need to complete the RYA PPR course, hold a DSC VHF license, First Aid, Personal Sea Survival qualifications.
Joining Instructions
These will be sent out 2 weeks before the course, explaining exactly where and when.
All courses start at 0845 on a Saturday morning, so if you are travelling any distance, we invite you to stay onboard the night before the course starts. It’s the only time we don’t feed you, but the accommodation is FREE.
The Yacht is based at Falmouth Haven Marina.
Accommodation and Food
All nights are spent onboard, and we provide basic 3 meals a day (bring your own favourites).
Kit List
We suggest you bring the following items:
- RYA logbook G158 and Comp Crew Handbook (Available from the RYA)
- Mobile phone & USB phone charger
- A soft bag (50 litres should be enough)
- Sleeping Bag
- Towel, Wash bag & toiletries including sunscreen & Lip salve (with UV protection)
- Foam Ear plugs (If you are a light sleeper these might help)
- Sea sickness tablets.
- Any medications plus next of kin information – please make sure you inform us of any dietary preferences or medical conditions or disabilities when booking.
- Sunglasses & prescription lenses / contacts. Spare glasses are a good idea.
- Foul Weather Gear – waterproof outer clothing, Sailing boots / deck shoes and a pair of shoreside shoes (not provided)
- Warm clothes – ideally layers, at least 3 changes of clothing
- A change of footwear (wet shoes/trainers are a nightmare to dry on a yacht)
- A sufficient number of liner socks for your sailing footwear.
- Woolly hat and gloves