RYA Coastal Skipper

The Coastal Skipper practical course prepares those with previous skippering experience to undertake longer voyages. Students live aboard the yacht for the duration of the course, visiting various harbours and anchorages to put their skills into practice in different situations.

At the successful completion of the course, participants are awarded the RYA Coastal Skipper course completion certificate.

Course Structure

Preparation for sea: safety equipment, safety briefing, watch keeping engine checks

Passage planning: capability of vessel/crew, weather, ports of refuge, tidal heights/streams, publications

Ability as a skipper: organise duties/direct crew, use of electronic navigational aids, meteorological trends, crew welfare

Pilotage: prepare plan (day/night), port/harbour regulations, tidal considerations

Yacht handling under power: control in confined space, berthing/unberthing situations with wind/tide

Yacht handling under sail: in confined situations, anchoring and mooring under sail, sail efficiently on all points of sailing

Adverse weather conditions: preparation for heavy weather, yacht handling in strong winds, navigation in restricted visibility

Emergency situations: recovery of man overboard under sail or power, actions when abandoning to a liferaft, helicopter/ vessel rescue

Useful Information

Previous experience required:-

RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Theory course completion (or equivalent knowledge or experience) AND sailing ability to the level of RYA Day Skipper.

The RYA recommends that students have the following experience as minimum – 15 days on board, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles logged and 8 night hours.