First Class Sailing is an established sailing school, and we offer the range of RYA courses, including Coastal Skipper. But just what will RYA Coastal Skipper allow you to do once you’re qualified? Here’s all you need to know.
RYA Coastal Skipper is a certification that means you can skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day and night. It is a more advanced level qualification and requires navigation skills to the same standard as the Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Theory course and sailing training and experience to the previous course levels we offer.
There are distinct differences between Coastal Skipper and Competent Crew or Day Skipper. The latter two are focussed on learning the basics and pilotage and include short passages for example going from Hamble to Lymington. These two courses can be split over a couple of weekends. Compare that to Coastal Skipper which must be done over five consecutive days. It’ focussed on going further afield, for example Hamble to Poole or Hamble to Weymouth, and in coastal passages. You could also be sailing at night.
Once you have completed the course, we will issue you with a course completion certificate.
To book with First Class Sailing, see our Coastal Skipper page which includes full details, prices, and dates.
The RYA Coastal Skipper course
Coastal Skipper is an essential certification for those who want to sail independently and take charge of a yacht when sailing in bad weather, sail to unfamiliar waters and locations, and undertake longer coastal passages.
Coastal Skipper is divided into two parts: a shore-based theory course that provides the background knowledge required, and a practical course on the water that teaches the skills and techniques required.
The course covers topics such as advanced navigation techniques, weather forecasting, and passage planning.
Course content includes:
- Passage planning.
- Preparation for sea.
- Pilotage.
- Passage making and your ability as skipper.
- Yacht handling under power.
- Yacht handling under sail.
- Adverse weather conditions.
- Emergency situations.
The course will challenge you over the week. You will need to do some night sailing and our instructors will push you on. We will not be able to award certification to those that:
- Are adversely affected by sea sickness to the extent that their ability to skipper a yacht is reduced to a dangerously low level.
- Are unable to demonstrate sufficient ability in basic seamanship, navigation, and yacht handling to appreciate the techniques and skills required of a yacht skipper.
- Demonstrate a lack of understanding of any part of the syllabus to the extent that it would be dangerous for them to go to sea as the skipper of a yacht.
What is the difference between Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper?
The biggest difference between Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper is that Coastal Skipper qualifies you to skipper a yacht in coastal waters at night and has an emphasis on higher levels of independence. RYA Day Skipper limits you to sailing in local waters by day.
You can read more about the differences here.
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