It’s not a requirement to have done the RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory, or to have any navigation certificate prior to attending the RYA Day Skipper Practical Course, or RYA Coastal Skipper Course. What is important is your theory knowledge – not what you have on paper.
Many people do undertake the Day or Coastal/Yachtmaster Skipper Shorebased Theory and Navigation courses beforehand, or they may already have their own relevant experience or background – perhaps just through sailing themselves, or they have done a relevant navigation course at sometime in the past.
As an RYA Training Centre we are going to recommend that you DO complete a shorebased course but, you may already have this knowledge, or wish to acquire it through self-study. In addition to the Online and classrooms courses, there are also a number of excellent books available, published by the RYA.
If you’re unsure about which course is right for you, you should talk to us. Remember that the RYA Practical Courses are flexible – that means that they are not ‘pass or fail’ exams – they are continually-assessed practical training courses.
So, if you book a 5-Day Day Skipper course, and you think that you’re not quite up to scratch – you can still sign-off parts of your Day Skipper certificate, and return to Yacht Sail Training (or any RYA Training Centre) for, say, a weekend just to finish it off and get your certificate.
Our first-time pass-rate for Day Skipper is around 95%. We don’t just let anyone pass – if our RYA Instructors aren’t satisfied that you meet the required standard then you won’t get all your logbook sections signed-off and will have to wait to receive your Day Skipper Practical Certificate. It may be the case we require you to pass your theory aspect before we can fully sign you off if you do not have the required knowledge.
In practice, we have an excellent system for finding out peoples’ levels of knowledge and ability very early on – if we think you’re going to need extra help to pass – you will get it and we will push you a bit harder until you’re doing everything you need to be doing.
The RYA Day Skipper is an important qualification – it can be used worldwide to charter sailing vessels up to 24 metres (about 80 feet long), and can even be Commercially Endorsed to take paying passengers out to sea – so we need to be sure that you have earned it.
Any 5 or 6-Days / Nights booking can be used for any course type – Competent Crew, Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper – you can move up and down the scheme as you see fit, with inputs from your RYA Course Instructor, whilst you are actually on the course.
Buy RYA Day Skipper Handbook Sail
Buy RYA Day Skipper Sail