RYA Day Skipper Practical Yachting Course
The RYA Day Skipper Course is suitable for existing and aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills.
NZD $2595 (fully inclusive)
Probably the most useful and comprehensive of all of our sailing courses: For bareboat chartering in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world, this is the qualification that’s most commonly required. Holders of the RYA Day Skipper Practical certificate can also be issued with the International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft (often referred to as the ICC) without any further assessment.
Whether stepping up to skippering a sailing yacht for the first time or refreshing and improving existing skills, the Day Skipper course is incredibly rewarding. Covering everything from navigation to practical sailing and marina manoeuvring, with lots more in between.
Day Skipper is designed for aspiring or existing skippers who’ve already spent 5 or more days actively sailing on board a sailing yacht and ideally have already experienced sailing at night. This experience might have been gained on a 5-day RYA Competent Crew course or accumulated through independent sailing with family or friends. Either way, you need to be able to safely control a sailing yacht through tacks & gybes & on all points of sail.
If you’ve already got some skippering experience, but haven’t had any formal practical training, you will find this course incredibly useful & rewarding. Prior to joining the course, you need to have theory knowledge to the level of the separate RYA Day Skipper theory course. You don’t have to have done the theory course, but that’s the standard of prior knowledge required for you to expect to pass the practical course. This course is suitable for all ages from 16 upwards.
By the end of this course, successful candidates will have the knowledge and skills to be the sole skipper in charge of a sail cruising yacht on coastal passages in reasonable conditions. You will also have some experience of night sailing & pilotage. In selecting & booking this course, you are confirming that you have already completed the following pre-requisites:
- I’ve spent 5 or more days on board a sailing yacht as an actively involved crew member
- I’ve sailed at night for approximately 4 or more hours
- I understand sailing terminology and can control a sailing boat on all points of sail
- I have theoretical knowledge at the level of the RYA Day Skipper shore-based theory course.
OR
- I’ve discussed my sailing experience with Sail Nelson and have been approved to attend the Day Skipper course
Pre-course experience:
- 5 days,
- 300 miles,
- 4 night hours
Assumed knowledge:
- Basic navigation and helmsmanship
- It is recommended that you attend the RYA Day Skipper Theory shorebased course beforehand
Minimum duration:
- 5 days
Minimum age:
- 16yrs
Course content:
- Preparation for sea,
- deck work,
- navigation,
- pilotage,
- meteorology,
- rules of the road,
- maintenance and repair work,
- engines,
- victualling,
- emergency situations,
- yacht handling under power,
- yacht handling under sail,
- passage making,
- night cruising
Ability after the RYA course:
Able to skipper a sailing yacht on coastal passages in reasonable conditions.
What people have said about our Day Skipper Course
Taylor is VERY knowledgeable and a great teacher
..time on skills was great. Taylor is VERY knowledgeable and a great teacher
Brilliant all round
Brilliant all round, thank you Taylor
Exceeded expectations!
Exceeded expectations! Super knowledgeable instructor (Hannah). Great calm learning environment. Great food, boat, conditions etc! 10/10
We had a fantastic week as a family
We had a fantastic week as a family. Taylor did an outstanding job teaching at all levels, super patient with everyone, great with the kids and excellent chef. We learnt a lot in just a few days.
Very helpful course for boat handling
Very helpful course for boat handling – gained new experiences in anchoring, mooring, parking. Will be useful for real life & Hannah increased my confidence for handling sailing yachts in future
Fantastic experience
Fantastic experience. Hannah’s teaching style and relaxed attitude made learning easy and enjoyable
Great week on board
Great week on board with a mix of learning on the go as well as relaxing at anchor. …as well as top notch food by Ross
Great combination of fun and learning
The week was a great combination of fun and learning. Stuart knows it all and is an amazing teacher.
Immediate feedback & support for me to learn & succeed
Thank you! I learned about & practiced a great range of skills that were appropriate to my level, and there was immediate feedback & support for me to learn & succeed. Stuart’s skill & knowledge enabled him to support all of us
Heaps of practical practice & good debriefs
Really clear explanations, helped the theory make sense & loads of new learning. Heaps of practical practice & good debriefs. Great food – so much fresh veg!
Very enjoyable learning experience
Very enjoyable learning experience. Abel Tasman is a beautiful area to sail. Learnt heaps, gained confidence to sail further.
Amazing experience
Amazing experience and learnt lots/solidified other experience & learnings. Hannah was awesome & so patient. Great cook too.
Excellent teaching.
Had a very good time. Learnt a lot and Jiri increased my confidence with sailing massively. Excellent teaching.
Jiri is an exceptional instructor
Jiri is an exceptional instructor who instructed everyone on board (various levels) to a superb level. The instruction was extremely motivational and inspiring. A very amiable and personable young man
Calm, knowledgeable and a brilliant teacher…
I booked this course to gain experience, having already qualified as a Day Skipper. Jiri was excellent. Calm, knowledgeable and a brilliant teacher…. He made the week excellent.
A very good week
A very good week, great sailing, beautiful area. The instruction was excellent, I have learnt a lot through the course and greatly enjoyed it.
Everything was spot on
Everything was spot on. Dave could not have been a better instructor. He was constantly teaching and sharing knowledge. Cannot get across just how helpful Dave was.
Lovely Boat
Good booking process, easy communication, good equipment on board, would recommend, lovely boat… this has really built my skill base…
Couldn’t have asked for better
Really thorough and well taught course which will give me all the tools to sail better & safer. Couldn’t have asked for better.
Everything was perfect
Again, everything was perfect in this 2nd course I took at the Sail Nelson school.
An inspirational teacher. And a mean cook!
Had a lot of fun and really felt like skills and confidence improved over the week. Dave is hugely knowledgeable and calm under pressure – an inspirational teacher. And a mean cook!
Fantastic course.
Fantastic course. Highly recommended for anyone contemplating keel boat sailing or ownership. Dave is a perfect tutor, mixing patience with calm throughout and revealing the simplicity in every aspect.
Very informative course
Very informative course. Been sailing part time for years – great to be on a course learning so much as refresher and new knowledge.
Very knowledgeable skipper
Excellent course providing practical experience by a very knowledgeable skipper who tailored content to each individual…..look forward to the Coastal Skipper course.
Wealth of knowledge
Great instructor. Very calm. Clear instructions. Wealth of knowledge. Great food. Good laughs. Always felt safe. Would recommend course to others.
Legend
Legend. High level of knowledge. Professional and personable with great stories of his experience at sea. Made the course even better.
Exceeded expectations
Exceeded expectations. Dave is an excellent tutor. Thorough, patient, fun and with an enormous bank of experience from which to draw on to illustrate his teaching. If you want to improve your sailing skills – or a beginner – you can’t go wrong with this course. It is so informative, pitched to whatever level and great fun. Don’t hesitate – just do it!
Continuous education
Very helpful to sail for a week with continuous education. Because of his great experience and calm Dave allowed us to have a go at everything without causing anxiety.
Fantastic. First class in all areas
Fantastic. First class in all areas. Very Encouraging, never a cross word. Positive and Kat knew her subject extremely well.
Excellent journey
Excellent journey, I am planning to do this experience again.
Kat is a great instructor, really friendly and patient
Kat is a great instructor, really friendly and patient, happy to go over things again and explore beyond what’s currently being taught. I took this course to get a crew cert to use while crewing deliveries. I learnt so many things and how much more there is to learn A++
Really relaxed vibes
Really relaxed vibes and learnt heaps. Food was bloody good too. Covered everything. Heaps of fun
