RYA Day Skipper Course - Practical

The skipper course syllabus covers all the essential skills needed to take charge at sea. You’ll gain valuable insight into skippering technique and safety awareness to prepare you for real-world sailing.

The course syllabus includes:

Preparation for Sea

Able to prepare a yacht for sea, including engine checks, sail selection, securing and stowing all gear on deck and below. This section of the skipper training syllabus is aimed at fostering awareness of your safety and maintenance duties as a skipper.

Deck Work

Able to reef, shake out reefs and adjust or change sails effectively to suit prevailing sea conditions.
Able to prepare an anchor, mooring warps and take charge on deck when mooring alongside, coming to a mooring buoy, anchoring, weighing anchor and slipping from a buoy or alongside berth.

Skippers will be able to strengthen their seamanship and boat handling skills with these exercises.

Navigation

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 a course to steer to allow for tidal stream, leeway and drift

• Knowledge of IALA buoyage

• Maintenance of navigational records

• Use of the echo sounder and lead line

You’ll gain practical navigation experience using both traditional and electronic navigation techniques essential to any skipper.

Pilotage

• Can prepare and execute a pilotage plan for entering or departing a harbour

• Understands the use of leading and clearing lines, transits and surroundings to aid with pilotage

These pilotage exercises are essential to your coastal skipper and passage planning training. 

Meteorology

• Knows sources of forecast information

• Can interpret shipping forecasts and use a barometer as a forecasting aid

You’ll gain working knowledge of how weather systems affect coastal passage conditions.

Rules of the Road

Has a working knowledge of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. This ensures you can safely operate a yacht in shared waters through understanding the legal responsibilities of a skipper.

Maintenance and repair work

• Understands and can carry out repair work 

• Knows the properties and uses of common synthetic fibre ropes

A good knowledge of basic maintenance tasks will prepare you for handling unexpected onboard repairs and other emergencies.

Engines

Knows how to change fuel and water filters, pump impeller and to bleed the fuel system. Having practical engine skills ensures reliable engine performance and smooth yacht handling during coastal passage.

Victualling

Understands how to victual a yacht efficiently for a short passage or multi-day sailing. You’ll learn everything from managing supplies and planning evening meals to ensuring overall crew comfort during your practical training.

Emergency Situations

• Can take correct action as skipper during a man overboard recovery

• Understands distress flares and how to use a liferaft

• Can operate a radiotelephone in an emergency and send a distress message

• Understands how to secure a tow

• Understands rescue procedures, including helicopter rescue

These exercises build confidence and real-world competency to manage emergencies at sea.

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

This module will help to improve your boat handling, yacht handling and helmsmanship abilities in all conditions.

Passage Making

• Can plan and make a coastal passage, taking account of relevant navigational hazards, limitations imposed by the type of boat and the strength of the crew.

After completing these exercises, you’ll have stronger navigation, planning and decision-making skills as a day skipper.

Night Cruising

• Has experienced sail cruising at night, including leaving and entering harbour.

• Understands the special consideration for pilotage plans, keeping a lookout and identifying marks by night.

Night cruising training builds confidence and practical experience in navigating low-visibility conditions.

Seasickness

• Working efficiency is unaffected/partially affected/severely affected by seasickness. 

Managing seasickness is essential to developing full competency and awareness of crew welfare during your practical training.

Helmsmanship & 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

Knowing these basic principles will help you master boat handling and maintain control under all conditions.

General duties

• Has carried out general duties satisfactorily on deck and below decks in connection with the daily routine of the vessel 

Completing your general duties indicates successful completion of the course and future skipper responsibilities.