RYA Day Skipper Shorebased

The Rya Day Skipper theory course will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to chartwork, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship for competent crew. The course will equip you with enough knowledge to navigate around familiar waters by day. A basic knowledge of lights is also included to introduce you to night cruising.

What’s included:

• RYA Training charts 3 & 4 and RYA Training Almanac
• RYA Day Skipper Northern Hemisphere Exercise book

Students will need to provide their own plotters and dividers for this course.

Please note: The course notes for this course are now provided in ebooks. Before starting the course, you will be given a code to access these and will need to bring a suitable device to view them. They are best accessed on tablet or laptop but can also be viewed on a smart phone. 

No previous experience needed as our instructors will help you every step of the way. Although we would advise all candidates to have completed an RYA Competent Crew course.

• the basics of seamanship
• the essentials of coastal navigation and pilotage
• chartwork
• electronic charts
• position fixing
• plotting a course to steer
• weather forecasting and meteorology
• tides
• collision regulations
• construction, parts and equipment of a cruising boat
• emergency and safety procedures including distress calls,use of flares, safety harnesses, lifejackets and liferafts

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 equipment to be carried, its stowage and use

• Fire precautions and fire fighting

• Use of personal safety equipment, harnesses and life-jackets

• 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 way points 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 way points on passage

• Importance of confirmation of position by an independent source

• Keeping a navigational record

Navigation in restricting visibility

• 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