RYA DAY SKIPPER PRACTICAL COURSE

• All meals and refreshments while onboard

• Accommodation onboard

• Instructor and all safety equipment.

• Rental of oilskins/waterproofs is £5pd

• Any food or drinks ashore are at everyone own expense

• Marina fees for nights spent outside of the MDL marinas will be split between the crew, this may amount to appprox £25 per person.

Please contact us at info@londonschoolofsailing.co.uk to discuss payment options

Please see our BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS for details about changing your course once booked

Previous experience required:

• Basic sailing and theory knowledge of RYA Day Skipper Theory standard

Recommended pre-course experience:

• 5 days at sea | 100 miles sailed | 4 night hours | 5 days onboard | Minimum age is 16

The Competent Crew course is 5 days and 4 night s long.

You will be sailing on one of LSS’s sailing yachts kept on the River Hamble. They are able to sleep 8 people comfortably but will have a maximum of 5 plus the instructor.

The boats are Cougar and Panther, Reflex 38’s. These are race boats which make for excellent training boats, but as such please do expect basic (but comfortable) bunk style accommodation.

The boats are based in Port Hamble Marina in the Hamble Village.

The Solent, which the River Hamble is on the Northern edge of, is the perfect training area between Southampton Water and the Isle of Wight.

Notorious for consistent winds, wicked tides, and a gorgeous variety of harbours, rivers and anchorages to visit.

An average week will see you visit any of the below:

• Cowes

• Yarmouth

• Beaulieu river

• Lymington

• The Needles & Alum Bay

• Newtown Creek

• Portsmouth

• Wooton Creek

• Osbourn Bay

• Langstone Harbour

• Chichester Harbour

  and many other little anchorages.

During the event, accommodation on the boat is provided.

If travelling from afar, it might be advisable to book accommodation the night before or after the event dates.

After passing your Day Skippers you are able to charter and skipper a familiar boat (30 to 49 feet) in familiar waters, by day.

This is particularly including sailing in the Mediterranean which is a perfect area to lose your skippering virginity where the waters are deep and the tides basically non-existent.

That doesn’t mean you can’t try somewhere else for a bit more of a challenge!

We will be in marinas and harbours every day most likely so you won’t need to shower on the boat. The boats are fitted with a functional toilet, sink, showers and basic kitchen (galley) for cooking.

Please take a look at our kit list here.

Don’t forget your sleeping bag, and pillow.

The Day Skipper Course is conducted on board a cruising yacht (7 to 13m LOA), to teach pilotage, navigation, seamanship and boat handling up to the standard required to skipper a small cruising yacht safely by day in tidal waters with which the student is familiar. The Watch Leader Course is conducted on board a large yacht or sail training vessel, to teach navigation, seamanship and boat handling up to the standard required to take charge of a watch on deck, at sea or in harbour.

Section A

All candidates

• Preparation for sea

• Deck work

• Navigation

• Pilotage

• Meteorology

• Rule of the road

• Maintenance and repair work

• Engines

• Victualling

• Emergency situations

Section B

Sail Training Candidates only - Watch Leader

General organisation

Section C

Yachting Candidates only - Day Skipper

Yacht handling under power

Yacht handling under sail

Passage making

• Is able to prepare a yacht for sea, including engine checks, selection of sails, securing and stowage of all gear on deck and below

• Can reef, shake out reefs and change sails to suit prevailing conditions

• Can prepare an anchor, mooring warps and take charge on deck when mooring alongside, coming to a buoy, anchoring, weighing anchor and slipping from a buoy or an alongside berth

• Is 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 DR and EP

• Estimating tidal heights and tidal streams

• Working out course to steer to allow for tidal stream, leeway and drift

• Knowledge of IALA buoyage

• Maintenance of navigational records

• Use of echo sounder and lead line

• Can prepare and execute a pilotage plan for entry into, or departure from, harbour

• Understands the use of leading and clearing lines

• Use of transits and soundings as aids to pilotage

• Knows sources of forecast information

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

• Has a working knowledge of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

• Understands and is able to carry out maintenance tasks

• Knows the properties and uses of common synthetic fibre ropes

• Knows how to change fuel and water filters, pump impeller and to bleed the fuel system

• Understands how to victual a yacht

• Is able to take correct action as skipper for recovery of man overboard

• 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

• Understands the organisation and is fully competent to take charge of a watch at sea and in harbour

• Can bring a boat safely to and from and alongside berth, mooring buoy and anchor under various conditions of wind and tide

• Can bring a yacht safely to and from a mooring buoy and anchor under various conditions of wind and tide

• Can steer and trim sails effectively on all points of sailing

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