RYA COASTAL SKIPPER COURSES UK

Get your RYA Coastal Skipper qualification with Ocean Sports Tuition

What is the RYA Coastal Skipper practical course?

The RYA Coastal Skipper practical course is designed to give students the knowledge and experience needed to handle and navigate a boat in tidal streams, by day and night. At the core of the Coastal Skipper practical course is the honing and reinforcement of the assertive leadership skills that represent key qualities of a safe, confident skipper.

The course also builds mileage, with students gaining at least 2 x 60 mile passages (weather permitting). These form part of the prerequisites for candidates taking either the Yachtmaster offshore or coastal exam.

Students wishing to undertake one of our Coastal Skipper Practical courses should already have completed their Yachtmaster RYA Coastal Skipper theory course, as well as their Day Skipper Practical Course.

RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Course UK - Motor

The RYA Coastal Motor Boat Skipper Course is for ambitious skippers that would like to skipper a yacht on challenging passages. Unlike many other sailing schools, our maximum instructor to student ratio for the RYA Coastal Skipper Motor cruising course is only 1:4, so you benefit from much closer attention and support from our experienced trainers.

What are the RYA Motor Boat Coastal Skipper requirements?

Students wishing to attend this course will already have attended a Yachtmaster Coastal Skipper course or have knowledge to a Yachtmaster Coastal Skipper theory level and practical skills of an RYA Day Skipper.

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RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Course UK - Sail

The RYA Coastal Skipper Sail Course is for the more experienced Day Skipper who would like to undertake longer coastal passages by day and night, utilising more advanced boat handling and navigation skills. The course includes instruction in passage planning, preparing a yacht for sea (including engine checks and safety briefing), and dealing with emergency situations at sea.

What are the Sailing RYA Coastal Skipper requirements?

Students wishing to attend will already have completed a Yachtmaster Coastal Skipper course or have knowledge to a Yachtmaster Coastal Skipper theory level and practical skills of an RYA Day Skipper.

Please note our sailing training is delivered by one of our preferred RYA sailing training partners.

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What does the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Course Syllabus involve?

There are 8 areas covered by the course syllabus:

Passage planning

Learn to plan a coastal passage including a consideration of the capability of the yacht, navigation, victualling, weather, ports of refuge, tidal heights and tidal streams, publications required, and strategy.
Learn Customs procedures.

Preparation for sea

Awareness of safety equipment required for offshore passages.
Learn to prepare a yacht for sea including stowage, safety briefing, watch keeping, delegating responsibilities and equipment and engine checks.

Pilotage

Learn to prepare a pilotage plan, with consideration of surroundings, transits, clearing bearings, buoyage, port or harbour regulations and tidal considerations.
Learn to pilot a yacht by day and night.

Passage making and ability as skipper:

To take charge of a yacht and direct the crew.
To organise the navigation, deckwork, and domestic duties of a yacht on passage.
To be aware of the significance of meteorological trends.
To be aware of crew welfare on passage.
To be able to use electronic navigational equipment for planning and undertaking a passage, including the use of waypoints and routes.

Yacht handling under power

Learn to control the yacht effectively in a confined space under power.
Learn to handle all berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide.

Yacht handling under sail

Learn about the characteristics of yacht handling under sail.
Learn to use the sails to control the yacht in a confined space.
Learn about anchoring and mooring in various conditions of wind and tide.
Learn to sail efficiently on all points of sailing.

Adverse weather conditions

Learn to be able to prepare for heavy weather and handle a yacht in strong winds.
Learn to navigate in restricted visibility, and general conduct.

Emergency situations

Learn to recover a man overboard under power and sail.
Understanding of the actions to be taken when abandoning to the life-raft and during helicopter and lifeboat rescues.

RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Shorebased Theory Course

The RYA Coastal Skipper Shorebased Theory Course will teach you how to passage plan and navigate along offshore and coastal passages. This course is ideal for students wishing to attend a Yachtmaster or Coastal Skipper Practical course and is aimed at motor boaters and sailors alike.

What are the RYA Coastal Skipper Theory Course requirements?

Students wishing to complete this course will need navigation knowledge to a Day Skipper Theory Course standard. Students will gain more from the course if they have had the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice.

Click here to view our full range of RYA shore based theory courses

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RYA Coastal Skipper Theory Online Course (Yachtmaster Coastal Theory)

The online version of the RYA Coastal Skipper Yachtmaster Course will teach you the same skills and knowledge that you would learn if you were doing the shorebased version of the course. It is simply a matter of personal preference and convenience as to which format you choose.

Over the years that Ocean Sports Tuition has been teaching this course, we have found that either the online course or face-to-face tuition are a must before any practical course or exam.

What are the RYA Coastal Skipper Theory Course Online Course requirements?

As with the shorebased version of the course, students wishing to complete the online course will need navigation knowledge to a Day Skipper Shore Based standard. Students will gain more from the course if they have had the opportunity to put the knowledge and experience gained from this course into practice.

Click here to view our full range of RYA online theory courses

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What does the RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Theory Syllabus involve?

There are 16 areas covered by the course syllabus:

Position:

Dead reckoning and estimated position
Satellite-derived position
Use of waypoints to fix position
Radar fixes
Techniques of visual fixing
Fixes using a mixture of position lines
Relative accuracy of different methods of position fixing
Areas of uncertainty

The magnetic compass:

Allowance for variation
Changes of variation with time and position
Causes of deviation
Swing for deviation (but not correction)
Allowance for deviation
Different types of compass

Tides:

Causes of tides - Springs and Neaps
Tide tables - sources
Tidal levels and datum
Standard and secondary ports
Tidal anomalies (Solent etc)

Tidal streams:

Sources of tidal information
Tidal stream information in sailing directions and Yachtsman's Almanacs
Allowance for tidal streams in computing a course to steer
Tide rips, overfalls and races
Tidal observation buoys, beacons etc

Buoyage:

IALA system buoyage in region A
Limitations of buoys as navigational aids

Lights:

Characteristics
Ranges - visual, luminous and nominal
Rising and dipping distances
Light lists

Pilotage:

Harbour regulations and control signals
Methods of pre-planning
Clearing lines
Use of soundings
Transits and leading lines

GPS and chartplotters:

Principles of operation and limitations of use
Raster and vector charts
Datum
Importance of confirmation of position by an independent source and keeping a separate record of position
Importance of paper charts

Echo sounders:

Principles of operation and limitations of use
Echo sounders
Principles of operation and limitations of use
Logs (speed and distance measuring):
Principles of operation and limitations of use

Deck log:

Importance of log as yacht's official document
Layout of log, hourly and occasional entries

Meteorology:

Basic terms, the Beaufort scale
Air masses
Cloud types
Weather patterns associated with pressure and frontal systems
Sources of weather forecasts
Ability to interpret a shipping forecast, weatherfax and weather satellite information
Land and sea breezes
Sea fog
Use of a barometer as a forecasting aid

Rule of the Road:

A sound knowledge of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, except annexes 1 and 3

Safety at sea:

Personal safety, use of lifejackets, safety harnesses and lifelines
Fire prevention and fire fighting
Distress signals
Coastguard and boat safety scheme
Preparation for heavy weather
Life-rafts and helicopter rescue
Understanding of capabilities of vessel and basic knowledge of stability

Navigation in restricted visibility:

Precautions to be taken in fog
Limitations to safe navigation imposed by fog
Navigation strategy in poor visibility

Passage planning:

Preparation of charts and notebook for route planning and making and use at sea
Customs regulations as they apply to yachts
Routine for navigating in coastal waters
Strategy for course laying
Use of waypoints and routes
Use of weather forecast information for passage planning strategy
Sources of local and national regulations

Marine environment:

Responsibility to minimise pollution and protect the marine environment.

RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Course

At Ocean Sports Tuition, we are passionate about helping you realise your boating ambitions. It is because of this that we launched our RYA MCA Yachtmaster Academy, giving you a comprehensive package of courses, training, knowledge, and experience to help you achieve your sailing objectives.

Our flexible 4-week programme is designed to aid completion of your RYA Yachtmaster Coastal qualification, as this is now the entry route for OOW yachts less than 3000GT.

On successful completion of the RYA Coastal Yachtmaster Academy you will have all you need to start or continue your career in the superyacht industry.

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Can I do my RYA Coastal Skipper Course on the Solent?

Yes! The base for our RYA Coastal Skipper Courses is in Southampton, at Saxon Wharf Marina, and is completed out on the Solent.

We are also a great choice for those wishing to do their Coastal Skipper Course in London, as we are just an hour away from the capital.

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Why choose Ocean Sports Tuition for my training?

Ocean Sports Tuition is a specialist RYA training school that provides a wide range of RYA practical and theory courses. We aim to meet your individual training needs, enabling you to develop the skills you need to realise your boating ambitions, at a pace that suits you.

Our highly skilled and experienced instructors will help you to develop your boating skills whatever your level, in a fun, safe, and encouraging environment. Benefiting from our purpose-built facilities in Saxon Wharf Marina, Southampton, you will be guided by our team of RYA Instructors, who strive to give you the best experience possible.

Booking Details

To book, please click on the button below for course dates, email us or phone us on 02381 242159.

If you have any questions, or want to know if the course is right for you, or just want to talk in more detail about the course, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Please note our sailing training is delivered by one of our preferred RYA sailing training partners.

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