RYA Courses

A short introduction to sailing for complete beginners

By the end of the course you will have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework and be aware of safety on board.

Holders of the Start Yachting certificate can go on to complete the Competence Crew course in a reduced time of three days or two weekends.

This course is for beginners and those who would like to become active crew members rather than just passengers

Experience living on board and really get to know the boat. Virtually all the course is hands on. You are the crew – without you the sails won’t go up and the boat won’t be steered.

By the end of the course you should be able to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy and assist in all the day to day duties on board. You should also have visited some interesting places and had an enjoyable holiday.

A course for aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills

Learn to skipper a short passage with the instructor on hand to give advice and encouragement and ensure your safety. Experience being in charge, taking credit when it all goes well and being responsible when it doesn’t.

Before this course, if you are not sure that you sailing is up to speed, a good way to learn is on an RYA Level 2 dinghy course. This will teach you to sail around a course and control the boat’s speed. Although not something we cater for, this course is widely available all over the UK and abroad.

If it’s help with navigation that you need, you should take our Day Skipper Combo course which combines both the practical and theory elements.

There are many charter companies that will allow you to charter a yacht after successfully completing this course, making it the gateway to your ambition of being in sole charge of a boat.

Advanced skippering techniques for yachtsmen and women with considerable knowledge of sailing and navigation, wanting to undertake coastal passages by day and night

Like the Day Skipper course, this course consists of skippered passages in a variety of situations. Each trainee will skipper more challenging passages and learn more about passage planning, pilotage by day and night, boat handling, safety and emergency situations.

It is a satisfying but intensive week, with candidates often working towards a Certificate of Competence (the Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore exam).

If haven’t already completed the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore shorebased course beforehand then you can opt for our Coastal Skipper Combo course with combines both theory and practical elements.

Coastal Skippers should be able to undertake more difficult passages by day and night and handle the yacht in more demanding conditions. By the end of the course you should have the knowledge, if not the experience, to become a Yachtmaster.

An RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a well known, highly respected qualification worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper.

Unlike other courses in the cruising programme, there is no formal training to complete in order to become a Yachtmaster. Instead, provided that you have sufficient experience and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge. However, attending this preparation course will greatly increase your chances of passing the exam. During the week your skills will be assessed and any areas that need improvement identified.

The exam will include an assessment of your skippering skills, boat handling, general seamanship, navigation, safety awareness and knowledge of the IRPCS (collision regulations), meteorology and signals. Candidates will be set tasks to demonstrate their ability and may also be asked questions on any part of the syllabus for all practical and shorebased courses up to Yachtmaster Coastal level.

There are two levels of assessment available – Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore. There’s no difference in the content, just the required level of ability and previous experience.

You will have to book an Examiner at a convenient time and date to complete your assessment after the preparation course.

Please note: Before taking the exam you will already have to have completed the required mileage (see below), hold a VHF certificate, and have a valid first aid certificate of an acceptable type. This is an advanced level and if you have any questions then please get in contact, we would be glad to hear from you.

• 600M including at least 200M more than 50 miles from land or charted objects capable of being used for navigation.
• Duration of at least 96 hours.
• The candidate must have taken a full part in the planning and preparation of the passage, including: navigational plan, checking
  the material condition of the yacht and her equipment; storing with spare gear, fuel, water and victuals.
• Throughout the passage, the candidate must have acted in a responsible capacity, either in sole charge of a watch or as skipper.
• Candidates must have successfully navigated a yacht at sea by astro navigation. As a minimum this should include the planning,
  reduction, and plotting of a sun-run-meridian altitude or sun-run-sun sight and a compass check carried out using the bearing of the
  sun, moon, a star or planet.

With fair winds sailing from Caernarfon to La Coruña via 6° – 7° longitude is approximately 600M. At 6kn this may take as little as 100 hours. But experience of 10 crossings has taught this skipper that in less than ideal conditions allow 200 hours.

It is intended to make this voyage in August but in view of the essential requirement for an acceptable weather window an exact departure date is not advisable at this time.

Aspiring OYM candidates wishing to complete and log this passage submit a C.V. and expression of interest to this RYA Recognised Training Centre.