A short introduction 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.

• Pre-course experience - NONE
• Assumed knowledge - NONE
• Minimum duration - 2 days (this is a weekend course)
• Minimum age - NONE
• Ability after course - basic knowledge of yachting

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.

• Pre-course experience - NONE
• Assumed knowledge - NONE
• Minimum duration - 5 days (may also be done over 3 weekends)
• Minimum age - NONE
• Ability after the course - Able to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy
  and assist in all the day to day routines
  

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.

If it's help with navigation you need, you should take a Day Skipper shorebased theory course beforehand.

• Pre-course experience - 5 DAYS, 100 SEA MILES, 4 NIGHT HOURS ON BOARD A SAILING YACHT
• Assumed knowledge - BASIC NAVIGATION AND HELMSMANSHIP
• Minium duration - 5 days (may also be done over 3 weekends)
• Minium age - 16
• Ability after the course - ABLE TO SKIPPER A YACHT BY DAY

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.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.

• Pre-course experience -15 DAYS, 2 DAYS AS SKIPPER, 300 SEA MILES, 8 NIGHT HOURS
• Assumed knowledge - BOAT HANDL.ING TO THE STANDARD OF DAY SKIPPER AND NAVIGATION TO SHOREBASED COASTAL
• Minium duration - 5 days (may also be done over 3 weekends)
• Minium age - 17
• Ability after the course - ABLE TO SKIPPER A YACHT ON COASTAL PASSAGES BY DAY AND NIGHT
  

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.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO TAKING EXAM:
To take the practical examination, candidates must be aged 17 or over and require:

Radio Operator's Qualification - A Restricted (VHF only) Radio Operator's Certificate or a GMDSS Short Range Certificate or higher grade of marine radio certificate.
First Aid - A valid First Aid Certificate. First Aid qualifications held by Police, Fire and Armed Services are also acceptable.
Seatime - 800 miles logged within 10 years prior to examination, 30 days living on board, 2 days as skipper and 12 night hours.
For holders of the Coastal Skipper Practical Course Completion Certificate, the seatime requirement is reduced to; 400 miles, 20 days living on board, 12 night hours, 2 days as skipper.

Half the qualifying seatime must havbe been conducted in tidal waters.

For full details of the Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence and how to take your exam, click here.

As the skipper of a vessel, you must ensure that you are aware of any requirement for qualifications before venturing into another country's jurisdiction. .....

The requirement for a certificate of competence varies from country to country. Sometimes they are required for coastal waters, sometimes for inland waters, sometines for neither and sometimes for both.

Although only guaranteed to be accepted in countries that have adopted the relevan UN Resolution, the ICC is a useful document to carry and will generally be accepted where proof of competence is required, presuming you are skippering a UK flagged boat on a short visit abroad.

In very general terms an ICC is required for the inland waterways of Europe and for inland and coastal waters of Mediterranean countries. For the coastal waters of Northern Europe the ICC is generally not required, however to all of these generalisations there are exception.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION SEE THE RYA SITE here