Students live aboard the yacht for the duration of the course, visiting different harbours and anchorages to practice pilotage techniques. In addition to day sailing, you will experience some night sailing to understand the challange of night pilotage.
At the end of this course you will be confident to skipper a cruising yacht on short passages by day in sheltered waters (for example Port Phillip).
Students who successfully complete the course are awarded the RYA Day Skipper certificate. This certificate is recognised throughout the world and can lead to a professional qualification.
Duration: 5 days consecutively
Previous experience required
RYA Day Skipper Theory or RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Theory course completion (or equivalent knowledge or experience) AND sailing ability to the level of RYA Competent Crew.
The RYA recommends that students have the following experience as minimum: 5 days on a yacht, 100 miles experience and 4 hours night watch keeping.
Course Content
- Preparation for sea: Provisioning, crew briefing ,engine & safety equipment checks, stowage, weather, charts. Stability & buoyancy.
- Deck work: sail setting and reefing, anchoring, mooring to buoy and alongside.
- Yacht handling under power and sail, broad knowledge and skill.
- Navigation: fixes, electronic navigation, AIS system, Depth sounder, log, dead reckoning, estimated positions, course to steer, tide heights and streams, IALA buoyage and lights.
- Pilotage: preparing a plan, leading and clearing lines, transits and soundings
- Meteorology: sources of weather forecast, use of barometer
- Rules of the road: The International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea (IRPCS)
- Maintenance and repairs: checks and minor repairs, properties of rope
- Engine: changing fuel and oil filters, water pump impeller and bleed fuel system
- Victualing: what is required
- Emergency situations: Man overboard (MOB) techniques, distress flares, life-raft, radio, towing, rescue procedures
- Passage making: planning a passage
- Night cruising: entering and leaving port at night, identifying marks by night