RYA Day Skipper Shorebased

Course length

3 weekends

Pre-requisite experience

None required, although we would advise all candidates to have completed an RYA Competent crew course.

Course overview

Navigation and seamanship for those new to navigation or wanting to consolidate existing skills. Day skipper theory covers the essential background knowledge needed to navigate a yacht on simple passages.

The course includes nautical terms, rope work, safety and emergency procedures, collision avoidance, navigational charts and publications, compass, chart work, tides, meteorology, passage planning and pilotage.

RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course Syllabus

Nautical terms

• Parts of a boat and hull
• General nautical terms

Ropework

• Knowledge of the properties of synthetic ropes in common use

Anchorwork

• Characteristics of different types of anchor
• Considerations to be taken into account when anchoring

Safety

• Knowledge of the safety equiptment to be carried, its stowage and use
• Fire precautions and fire fighting
• Use of personal safety equipment, harnesses and lifejackets
• Ability to send a distress signal by VHF radiotelephone
• Basic knowledge of rescue procedures including helicopter rescue

International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

• Steering and sailing rules
• General rules

Definition of position, course and speed

• Latitude and longitude
• Knowledge of standard navigation terms
• True bearings and courses
• The knot

Navigational charts and publications

• Information shown on charts, chart symbols and representation of direction and distance
• Navigational publications in common use
• Chart correction

Navigational drawing instruments

• Use of parallel rulers, dividers and proprietary plotting instruments

Compass

• Application of variation
• Awareness of deviation and its courses
• Use of hand bearing courses

Chartwork

• Dead reckoning and estimated position including an awareness of leeway
• Techniques of visual fixing
• Satellite-derived positions
• Use of waypoints to fix position
• Course to steer

Tides and tidal streams

• Tidal definitions, levels and datum
• Tide tables
• Use of Admiralty method of determining tidal height at standard port and awareness of corrections for secondary ports
• Use of tidal diamonds and tidal stream atlases for chartwork

Visual aids to navigation

• Lighthouses and beacons, light characteristics

Meteorology

• Sources of broadcast meteorological information
• Knowledge of terms used in shipping forecasts, including the Beaufort scale, and their significance to small craft
• Basic knowledge of highs, lows and fronts

Passage planning

• Preparation of navigational plan for short coastal passages
• Meteorological considerations in planning short coastal passages
• Use of waypoints on passage
• Importance of confirmation of position by an independent source
• Keeping a navigational record

Navigation in restricting visability

• Precautions to be taken in, and limitations imposed by, fog

Pilotage

• Use of transits, leading lines and clearing lines
• IALA system of buoyage for Region A
• Use of sailing directions
• Pilotage plans and harbour entry

Marine Environment

• Responsibility for avoiding pollution and protecting the marine environment