A comprehensive introduction to cruising for inexperienced skippers. This course equips 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.
This course will keep you up to date with the ever changing developments in technology and the electronic navigation aids now available on most cruising boats.
The course is taught over 40 hours with two exam papers. It can be covered as a series of short sessions or as an intensive week-long course.
Course topics include:
- 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
RYA Shorebased Day Skipper