Ever Dreamed Of Skippering A Yacht?

Do you wish to skipper a yacht? Can you picture yourself taking your family for a nice cruise during the day? Or is this something you see yourself doing as a career? Whatever the reason may be, one thing remains the same; you will need to acquire your Day Skipper qualification.

This confirms that you have achieved the knowledge needed in order to skipper a yacht. This is a great thing to do if you want to rent a yacht in Miami or another luxurious holiday spot. However, keep in mind the fact that this is in relation to shorter coastal cruises that are going to be taking place during daylight. This article aims to give you more information about the qualification and the day skipper course you will be required to take in order to attain it.

This qualification is carried out by the Royal Yacht Association. However, you do not need to seek your day skipper course from this association. There are plenty of private companies offering these courses and you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding the right one for you.

The course itself is split into two parts. You have the theory section and the practical section – just like you have when you are taking a driving test. The theory part is typically taken before the practical section, so let’s deal with this first. When embarking on your day skipper course all of the upcoming subjects will be covered to ensure you have the knowledge required. You then have to finish off with an exam. So, what’s in the course content? Nautical terminology, environmental awareness, rope work, pilotage plans and harbour entry, anchoring, navigation in restricted visibility, safety, planning a passage, international regulations for preventing collisions at sea, weather and meteorology, measuring position as well as speed and course, lighthouses and beacons, using navigational instruments and also charts and publications, understanding tides plus planning and navigating a course.

That is the theory part dealt with, now let’s move onto the practical section. This will take roughly five days to complete. It encompasses all of the following; preparation of the yacht for sea, passage making, deck work ranging from changing sails to shaking out reefs, yacht handling under sail, practical navigation, yacht handling under power, pilotage, organising and keeping watch, meteorology and weather forecasting, emergency drills, maintenance and repair work, victualing, engines plus refuelling and emerging maintenance.

This course may seem like an extensive one and you may be shocked by the amount of areas that are covered. However, this should give you great confidence that you are going to be knowledgeable in every single area relating to having the ability to skipper a yacht. Make sure you choose your day skipper course wisely. You now know all the topics and practical areas that must be covered. Nevertheless, you should also make sure the course and the company have a credible reputation. In addition to this, the professionals teaching the course should be experienced and reputable as well.