Coastal Skipper Practical Courses
This advanced course concentrates on the techniques and skills required to skipper a yacht on passages involving more complex decision making, cruise planning, navigation, and pilotage. This course really encompasses what cruising is all about! There is nothing quite like heading of for a cruise, visiting unfamiliar coastal harbours along the way; before returing to your home port. Under the guidance of an experienced Yachtmaster Instructor, you will be taught the importance of meticulous planning, weather forecasting and acutate tidal calculations, to ensure a smooth passage.
A passage of longer duration by day or night, with particular emphasis placed on watch keeping techniques will usually be undertaken to demonstrate how to manage the yacht on such a passage. This course is only offered as a 5 day course and cannot be taken over weekends, due to the longer passages involved.
In addition, you will be given the opportunity to improve your close quarters boat handling skills under power and sail. Preparation of the yacht for heavy weather cruising and navigation in restricted visibility is also discussed and practised. By the end of this course the successful Coastal Skipper will have sufficient knowledge to skipper a yacht safely on long coastal and offshore passages by day and night, in both tidal and non-tidal waters.
This course is suitable for those who have a practical ability to RYA Day Skipper level, a knowledge of; navigation, meteorology, collision regulations, safety and passage planning up to RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster shore based standard; and have logged a minimum of 15 days onboard (2 days as skipper), 8 night hours and 300 miles. Additional mileage attained on the course will count towards the minimum pre exam requirements.
Pre-course experience:
15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 nautical miles and 8 night hours on board a cruising yacht
Assumed theoretical knowledge: Coastal Skipper/ Yachtmaster shore based course completion certificate or the equivalent knowledge of someone who has attended the course
Minimum age: 17
