Day Skipper - Syllabus

RYA Day Skipper Practical Course

1.  Passage planning

Can plan a coastal passage including a consideration of the capability of the yacht, navigation, victualling, 'weather, ports of refuge, tidal heights and tidal streams, publications required and strategy

Knows Customs procedures

2. Preparation for sea

Is aware of safety equipment required for offshore passages.

Can prepare a yacht for sea including stowage, safety briefing, watch keeping, delegating responsibilities and equipment and engine checks

3. Pilotage

Can prepare a pilotage plan, with consideration of soundings, transits, clearing bearings, buoyage, port or harbour regulations and tidal considerations

Can pilot a yacht by day and night

4. Passage making and ability as skipper .

Can take charge of a yacht and direct the crew.

Can organise the navigation, deck-work and domestic duties of a yacht on passage

Is aware of the significance of meteorological trends . Is aware of crew welfare on passage .

Can use electronic navigational equipment for planning and undertaking a passage, -including

the use of waypoints and routes.

5. Yacht handling under power

Can control the yacht effectively in a confined space under power

All berthing and un-berthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide

6. Yacht handling under sail

Can use the sails to control the yacht in a confined space

Anchoring and mooring in various conditions of wind and tide

Can sail efficiently on all points of sailing

7. Adverse weather conditions

Preparation for heavy weather and yacht handling in strong winds

Navigation and general conduct in restricted      visibility

8. Emergency situations

Recovery of man overboard under power and sail

Understands action to be taken when    abandoning to the life-raft and during helicopter

and life-boat rescues.

9. Skippering

Lastly, and possibly most important (beyond the safety of the crew) we focus on the act of skippering a yacht effectively in terms of crew management.  Dealing with crew conflicts, and ensuring that everyone on board enjoys themselves and has a good experience.  It is very easy, in such a confined environment, for tensions to grow, particularly if the going gets a little rough. An awareness of this and a pro-active approach to the smooth running of a boat is a very important skill in a skipper and one often overlooked!

NB. This is the content of a practical course, you are expected to be familiar with, if not actually passed an exam in the theoretical side of things, navigation, tidal calculations, rules of the road etc, otherwise known as Day Skipper Shore based Course.