RYA Motor Boat Day Skipper Practical Course

The Course & Content

These 4 day RYA courses provide a comprehensive introduction to handling and skippering a motor cruiser. Previous practical experience to Helmsman level is preferred. Similarly, a level of knowledge of the Day Skipper shorebased syllabus (or equivalent) is helpful.

The RYA Motor Boat Day Skipper course is your first formal step towards learning the skills required to be a competent and safe skipper, so you can look forward to a great sense of achievement on completion! Topics covered include pilotage, boat handling, seamanship and navigation. The course emphasises safety procedures and precautions and develops personal skills such as communication and delegation, also providing an introduction to 'managing' the yacht on a day to day basis.

During the course you will have the opportunity to learn in a safe environment, to plan and make short passages, including exiting and entering new harbours and to practice close quarter boat handling.

An RYA Day Skipper certificate is awarded on successful completion of the course.

The RYA Day Skipper course is Solent based, 4 days duration and is based in Lymington, Hants.

Prices are from £835 and include accommodation, breakfast and lunch on board, fuel, mooring fees and use of wet weather gear.

Our team of top instructors and our immaculate 2005 Sealine 42/5, Oceanique, combine to provide the best motor boat courses available!

Oceanique has a flybridge and is equipped with twin shaft drive diesel engines, electronic throttles, radar, chart plotter plus all home comforts including showers, microwave, flat screen TV/DVD - what more could you want!

Courses generally run with a student to instructor ratio (maximum 4:1). If you prefer the course to be run for just you and maybe your partner or friend this is also possible - call us for our private instruction rates.

The instructor for your course will be a fully qualified RYA Cruising or Yachtmaster Instructor.

What To Do Next....

Choose either two 2 day weekends or a 4 day period from our schedule of dates and prices. Other dates may be available - please ask.

Simply call us on +44(0)7977 459671 or +44(0)1253 853075 to confirm availability and to discuss your requirements in more detail, then complete and return one booking form per person with a 30% deposit payment.

Once the full course fee has been received we will send a formal booking confirmation and Joining Instructions to you.

Other useful pre course information is provided in our Motor Cruising Courses - Preliminaries sheet

If you are a group of four people, please call us to discuss group discounts and dates.

Useful Pre Course Reading

It is handy to build up a small library of useful books and manuals covering seamanship, navigation and other specialist subjects such as weather. Please see our recommended list of reading and equipment.

The following books are particularly useful for RYA Day Skipper  students

RYA Motor Cruising Handbook
RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course Notes
RYA Boat Handling For Sail & Power
RYA Navigation Handbook (and associated Exercises)
RYA Motor Cruising - Syllabus & Logbook

...and after Day Skipper?

All successful Day Skipper students are automatically entitled to the International Certificate of Competence. This enables you to charter motor cruisers in European waters.

Another good way to develop your experience is to charter Oceanique, our motor cruiser  for a few days with one of our professional skippers. Our Intensive Boat Handling weekends are also a valuable way to 'keep your hand in'!

The next formal steps are to complete the Coastal Skipper Shorebased and Coastal Skipper Practical courses. Consideration should also be given to the RYA specialist courses (First Aid, VHF, Sea Survival, Diesel Engine and radar) to develop your skills in other key areas.