The RYA Online Day Skipper course is a comprehensive introduction to chartwork, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship. Invaluable for learning how to start making decisions on board.
No previous experience is required.
The course costs £275 and includes the RYA Course pack containing, 2 full size training charts, a Training Almanac, exercises pack, Day Skipper shorebased booklet which will act as an Aide-mémoire throughout the course and your certificate. We even include a free Bretton type plotter and a pair of brass dividers so all you need to add is a pencil and rubber.
To compliment your training, for a limited period, we are also offering, completely free of charge our Marine Diesel engine online course, with every Online Day Skipper course purchased.
Online Day Skipper Theory Course
This course covers Sail, Powerboat and Motorboat and is a full functioning learning programme with animated graphics and quizzes that give immediate results. The Day Skipper courses even work on mobile devices, so you can learn on the go!
Click here for a Free Trial!
The price you pay for the RYA online Day Skipper course includes: A free course pack (normally priced at £73) consisting of training charts, Almanac, exercises pack, Day Skipper shorebased booklet and your certificate. We even include a free Bretton type plotter and a pair of brass dividers so all you need to add is a pencil and rubber.
Unlike other online learning organisations, this course does not use video CD but a FULLY interactive learning suite.
No matter where you are in the world, the Day Skipper course can be tailored to your requirements.
A fully RYA approved online Day Skipper course
There are no pre-course requirements for this RYA online Day Skipper theory course, but some sailing knowledge is helpful. The RYA online Day Skipper course is made up of detailed lessons, most of which are animated for easy learning. Each lesson is followed by a set of questions which can be answered online.
Once an answer is submitted, the feedback is instant in the form of a detailed answer page. Some answers will be forwarded to your instructor, who will provide personal feedback and help in the areas required.
You will receive RYA Certification on satisfactory completion of the course.
Also included in your course price is the shipment of your pack to destinations within most of the United Kingdom. Shipment to other destinations, will be charged in accordance with the schedule shown in the “Pack Shipping details” section below.
This RYA online Day Skipper course is provided by Navathome, a RYA Recognised Training Centre specialising in online training,
By clicking a payment button you are agreeing to Navathome’s terms and conditions available here.
Where ever you purchase your course, as with all courses, the quality of the course will be greatly influenced by the quality of the Instructor. By clicking the add to cart button below and only available from this web site, your course Instructor will be Peter. Peter is a very experienced RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Instructor with over 25 years experience of providing RYA tuition to students of all abilities.
Peter has extensively sailed the Atlantic, Caribbean, Irish sea, English Channel, North Sea, Inland waterways of Holland, Aegean and the Mediterranean and whilst Peter will quite happily assist the highly experienced Seafarer in obtaining top end qualifications, Peter particularly enjoys helping beginners achieve their own personal goals.
For multiple course purchases please see below.
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
There is a six-month initial access period. In the unlikely event that you will need an extension, there is an option to extend as many times as you like until you pass your assessment. The cost of administrating each 6-month extension, beyond the initial 6 months, is £30.
Day Skipper (shorebased) Syllabus
Day Skipper (shorebased) Syllabus
A comprehensive introduction to chart work, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship for Competent Crew. You will find this course invaluable if you want to learn to start making decisions onboard.
1. Nautical terms
Parts of a boat and hull
General nautical terminology
2. Ropework
Knowledge of the properties of synthetic ropes in common use
3. Anchorwork
Characteristics of different types of anchor
Considerations to be taken into account when anchoring
4. Safety
Knowledge of the safety equipment to be carried, its stowage and use (see RYA Boat Safety Handbook, C8)
Fire precautions and fire fighting
Use of personal safety equipment, harnesses and lifejackets. Ability to send a distress signal by VHF radio telephone. Basic knowledge of rescue procedures including helicopter rescue
5. International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
Steering and sailing rules (5,7,8,9,10 and 12-19)
General rules (all other rules)
6. Definition of position, course and speed
Latitude and longitude
Knowledge of standard navigational terms
True bearings and courses
The knot
7. Navigational charts and publications
Information shown on charts, chart symbols and representation of direction and distance
Navigational publications in common use
Chart correction
8. Navigational drawing instruments
Use of parallel rulers, dividers and proprietary plotting instruments
9. Compass
Application of variation
Awareness of deviation and its causes
Use of hand-bearing compass
10. Chartwork
Dead reckoning and estimated position including an awareness of leeway
Techniques of visual fixing
Satellite-derived positions
Use of waypoints to fix position
Course to steer
11. Tides and tidal streams
Tidal definitions, levels and datum
Tide tables
Use of Admiralty method of determining tidal height at standard port and awareness of corrections for secondary ports
Use of tidal diamonds and tidal stream atlases for chartwork
12. Visual aids to navigation
Lighthouses and beacons, light characteristics
13. Meteorology
Sources of broadcast meteorological information
Knowledge of terms used in shipping forecasts, including the Beaufort scale, and their significance to small craft
Basic knowledge of highs, lows and fronts
14. Passage planning
Preparation of navigational plan for short coastal passagesb. Meteorological considerations in planning short coastal passages
Use of waypoints on passaged. Importance of confirmation of position by an independent source
Keeping a navigational
15. Navigation in restricted visibility
Precautions to be taken in, and limitations imposed by fog
16. Pilotage
Use of transits, leading lines and clearing lines
IALA system of buoyage for Region A
Use of sailing directions
Pilotage plans and harbour entry
17. Marine environment
Responsibility for avoiding pollution and protecting the marine environment
Pack Shipping details
Packs will be delivered for free to destinations within the mainland United Kingdom.
We cannot deliver to a PO Box address. A physical address will be required in all circumstances.
A valid contact telephone number for the student will also need to be provided at the time of making the booking.
Packs to Russia must go to a Business address.
Sailtrain will not accept responsibility for Packs sent to Marinas, or C/O addresses. If the pack goes missing after it has been signed for, replacement packs will only be provided at the students expense.
Details of any special delivery requirements should be provided in the notes section of your Booking form.
The shipment of packs to the following countries will incur the below indicated additional charge:
Albania |
£30.00 |
Algeria |
£42.00 |
Andorra |
£25.00 |
Angola |
£42.00 |
Anguilla |
£42.00 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
£42.00 |
Argentina |
£42.00 |
Armenia |
£42.00 |
Aruba |
£42.00 |
Australia |
£40.00 |
Austria |
£20.00 |
Azerbaijan |
£42.00 |
Bahamas |
£42.00 |
Bahrain |
£40.00 |
Barbados |
£42.00 |
Bburundi |
£42.00 |
Belarus |
£50.00 |
Belgium |
£15.00 |
Belize |
£42.00 |
Benin |
£42.00 |
Bermuda |
£42.00 |
Bhutan |
£40.00 |
Bolivia |
£42.00 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
£30.00 |
Botswana |
£42.00 |
Brazil |
£42.00 |
Brunei Darussalam |
£42.00 |
Bulgaria |
£20.00 |
Burkina Faso |
£42.00 |
Cambodia |
£42.00 |
Cameroon |
£42.00 |
Canada |
£30.00 |
Cape Verde |
£42.00 |
Cayman Islands |
£42.00 |
Chad |
£42.00 |
Chile |
£42.00 |
China |
£40.00 |
Colombia |
£42.00 |
Comoros |
£42.00 |
Congo |
£42.00 |
Cook Islands |
£42.00 |
Costa Rica |
£42.00 |
Croatia |
£20.00 |
Cyprus |
£25.00 |
Czech Republic |
£20.00 |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
£42.00 |
Denmark |
£20.00 |
Djibouti |
£42.00 |
Dominica |
£42.00 |
Dominican Republic |
£42.00 |
Ecuador |
£42.00 |
Egypt |
£42.00 |
El Salvador |
£42.00 |
Eriteria |
£40.00 |
Estonia |
£20.00 |
Ethiopia |
£42.00 |
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) |
£42.00 |
Faroe Islands |
£30.00 |
Fiji |
£42.00 |
Finland |
£20.00 |
France |
£15.00 |
French Guiana |
£42.00 |
French Polynesia |
£42.00 |
Gabon |
£42.00 |
Gambia |
£42.00 |
Georgia |
£42.00 |
Germany |
£15.00 |
Gibraltar |
£15.00 |
Greece |
£20.00 |
Greenland |
£30.00 |
Grenada |
£42.00 |
Guadeloupe |
£42.00 |
Guam |
£42.00 |
Guatemala |
£42.00 |
Guinea |
£42.00 |
Guinea Bissau |
£42.00 |
Guyana |
£42.00 |
Holy See (Vatican City State) |
£20.00 |
Honduras |
£42.00 |
Hong Kong |
£40.00 |
Hungary |
£20.00 |
Iceland |
£30.00 |
India |
£40.00 |
Indonesia |
£40.00 |
Ireland |
£15.00 |
Israel |
£30.00 |
Italy |
£20.00 |
Jamaica |
£42.00 |
Japan |
£40.00 |
Jersey |
£15.00 |
Jordan |
£40.00 |
Kazakhstan |
£42.00 |
Kenya |
£42.00 |
Kiribati |
£42.00 |
Korea, Republic of |
£42.00 |
Kuwait |
£42.00 |
Kyrgyzstan |
£42.00 |
Laos |
£42.00 |
Latvia |
£20.00 |
Lebanon |
£42.00 |
Lesotho |
£42.00 |
Liechtenstein |
£25.00 |
Lithuania |
£20.00 |
Luxembourg |
£15.00 |
Macao |
£40.00 |
Macedonia |
£30.00 |
Madagascar |
£42.00 |
Malawi |
£42.00 |
Malaysia |
£42.00 |
Maldives |
£42.00 |
Mali |
£42.00 |
Malta |
£25.00 |
Marshall Islands |
£42.00 |
Martinique |
£42.00 |
Mauritania |
£42.00 |
Mauritius |
£42.00 |
Mayotte |
£42.00 |
Mexico |
£40.00 |
Micronesia, Federated States of |
£42.00 |
Moldova, Republic of |
£40.00 |
Monaco |
£20.00 |
Mongolia |
£42.00 |
Montenegro |
£30.00 |
Montserrat |
£42.00 |
Morocco |
£42.00 |
Mozambique |
£42.00 |
Myanmar |
£40.00 |
Namibia |
£42.00 |
Nauru |
£42.00 |
Nepal |
£40.00 |
Netherlands |
£15.00 |
Netherlands Antilles |
£42.00 |
New Caledonia |
£42.00 |
New Zealand |
£40.00 |
Nicaragua |
£42.00 |
Niger |
£42.00 |
Nigeria |
£42.00 |
Niue |
£42.00 |
Norfolk Island |
£42.00 |
Norway |
£20.00 |
Oman |
£40.00 |
Palau |
£42.00 |
Panama |
£42.00 |
Papua new guinea |
£42.00 |
Paraguay |
£42.00 |
Peru |
£42.00 |
Philippines |
£40.00 |
Pitcairn |
£42.00 |
Poland |
£20.00 |
Portugal |
£20.00 |
Qatar |
£42.00 |
Reunion |
£42.00 |
Romania |
£20.00 |
Russian Federation |
£40.00 |
Rwanda |
£42.00 |
Saint Helena |
£42.00 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis |
£42.00 |
Saint Lucia |
£42.00 |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon |
£42.00 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
£42.00 |
Samoa |
£42.00 |
San Marino |
£20.00 |
Sao Tome and Principe |
£40.00 |
Saudi Arabia |
£40.00 |
Senegal |
£40.00 |
Serbia |
£30.00 |
Seychelles |
£42.00 |
Sierra Leone |
£42.00 |
Singapore |
£40.00 |
Slovakia |
£20.00 |
Slovenia |
£20.00 |
Solomon Islands |
£40.00 |
Somalia |
£42.00 |
South Africa |
£40.00 |
South Korea |
£40.00 |
Spain |
£15.00 |
Sri Lanka |
£40.00 |
St Martin and St Maarten |
£42.00 |
St. Barthélemy |
£42.00 |
Suriname |
£42.00 |
Svalbard and Jan Mayen |
£42.00 |
Swaziland |
£42.00 |
Sweden |
£20.00 |
Switzerland |
£20.00 |
Taiwan |
£40.00 |
Tajikistan |
£42.00 |
Tanzania, United Republic of |
£42.00 |
Thailand |
£40.00 |
Togo |
£42.00 |
Tonga |
£42.00 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
£42.00 |
Tunisia |
£42.00 |
Turkey |
£42.00 |
Turkmenistan |
£42.00 |
Turks and Caicos Islands |
£42.00 |
Tuvalu |
£42.00 |
Uganda |
£42.00 |
Ukraine |
£42.00 |
United Arab Emirates |
£40.00 |
United Kingdom |
£0.00 |
United States of America |
£30.00 |
Uruguay |
£42.00 |
Vanuatu |
£42.00 |
Venezuela |
£42.00 |
Vietnam |
£42.00 |
Virgin Islands, British |
£42.00 |
Wallis and Futuna |
£42.00 |
Yemen |
£42.00 |
Zambia |
£42.00 |
Zimbabwe |
£42.00 |