RYA Day Skipper

Duration: 5 days Monday to Friday, or a 2day weekend followed by a fri, sat sun over another weekend. The course normally starts at 0900 meeting at the entrance to dun laoghaire marina on the first day of each course.

Previous Experience Required: 5 days spent on a yacht as crew. Previous navigation is essential on this course, either as a basic navigation course or ideally a dayskipper theory course. Knowledge of pilotage, tidal heights, and course to steer required to Dayskipper theory standard. The cert at the end of this course can be handed into the Irish Sailing Association for the issuing of an ICC certificate, this is the cert required by most yacht charter companies worldwide.

The dayskipper course is designed to teach you how to “take charge” in a safe and confident manner on a sailing yacht. Skippering for the first time can be a daunting yet exhilarating experience. The course involves much more than practical navigation and pilotage. The aspiring skipper is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of both the yacht and the crew onboard. You will learn about weather forecasting, passage planning, routine engine maintenance, how to take charge and recover a man overboard. You will also learn how to park a yacht in a marina or on a mooring with confidence, and especially what to do if the engine breaks down.

Your patient instructor, will help you to hone these skills and command the vessel yourself. There is particular emphasis on boat handling, and you will learn to handle a yacht in various conditions of wind and tide under power and sail. You will spend 5 days onboard and liveaboard for the duration of the course. You will visit many beautiful harbours and anchorages on the east coast over a cruising area stretching from Drogheda to Arklow. Some of these harbours can be tricky to get into, especially with regards to the tidal heights. Your instructor will help you push out your sailing skills while keeping you just within your comfort zone at all times.

Successful completion of this course involves the award of the RYA/ISA dayskipper certificate. We normally issue the ISA Dayskipper Cert to Irish residents and the RYA Cert to UK and European residents as this is the easiest for the processing of an ICC (International Cruising Certificate) certificate. You can then charter a yacht from us or any other charter firm worldwide by submitting the certificate to obtain the ICC (international cruising certificate). The ICC is a passport like document which is issued by a state authority. To get this document you must submit your dayskipper certificate along with a passport photography and a registration fee.

If you would like both the ISA and the RYA certs upon successful completion of the course, this can be arranged at an additional cost of €25.

Whats included: Tuition, accomodation onboard, food, fuel, marina fees and use of our offshore waterproof clothing.

Whats not included: Sleeping Bag, Footwear, Towel, Personal Toiletries, Changes of Clothes, and Pocket Money for a beer or a soft drink.

Next Step: RYA/ISA Yachtmaster Theory and the RYA/ISA Yachtmaster Coastal Practical Course

Course Costs: 5 day Course or 2 Weekends ( one is a long weekend) 710€