RYA Day Skipper

The RYA requires that we teach and examine all our courses in English. However, recognising that English might not be your first language, we also provide downloadable transcripts of all lesson notes in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, and Kanji. Registered students can also suggest chages to translations, if we haven't got it quite right. You can also pause, slow down or speed up the narration. Take a free trial to see how it works. 

• A comprehensive introduction to chartwork, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship
• The RYA/MCA Day Skipper Shorebased Course Certificate is awarded on successful completion of this course.
• The RYA Day Skipper online theory course is ideal for inexperienced and aspiring skippers.  
• Invaluable if you are considering taking the RYA Day Skipper practical course and for learning how to start making informed decisions on board.
• Equips you with sufficient knowledge to navigate safely around familiar waters by day plus a knowledge of lights to introduce you to night cruising. Developments in technology and electronic navigation aids now available on most cruising boats is also included.
• Assumed knowledge - Some practical experience is desirable.
• Duration - A minimum of 40 hours of course study time is specified by the RYA, plus time for exercises and exams.
• Ability after course - Background knowledge to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day.  

• Chart Familiarisation

• Tidal Heights

• Tidal Streams

• The Compass & Position Fixing

• Dead Reckoning & Estimated Position

• Course to Steer

• Electronic Navigation

• Buoyage

• Pilotage

• Passage Planning

• Meteorology

• The Collision Regulations

• Safety & Protection of the Environment

• Unlimited support from our dedicated RYA Instructors - 365 days a year via email, phone or Skype/Zoom.
• 14-day unconditional money-back guarantee.
• Over 40 hours of 15 fully-narrated online lessons including animations, videos and realistic 3D graphics.
• Embedded quizzes with instant feedback in each lesson.
• 15 self-assessment exercises with fully worked answers.
• Over 50 downloadable or linked resources.
• 2 training charts & training almanac.
• Mock exams to prepare you for the real thing and give you the confidence to pass. 
• 2 final online exams with detailed instructor feedback and free repeat attempts if requried.
• RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory Course Completion Certificate.
• 12 months access to study with instructor support and exams - you can extend this if you want.
• Lifetime access to training materials once you’ve completed the course.

Optional Extras

Plotter and divider
You’ll need a course plotter and chart-dividers to complete the chartwork exercises - if you don’t already have these you can purchase a top quality set from us for £28 when you place your order.

Delivery
UK delivery is free.  European delivery is £20, outside Europe delivery is £40.

You can start studying immediately as many of the lessons don’t rely on the printed support materials.

This course is accessed online with no additional software required. 

If you wish, you can also download our free app to access your course when you can’t get online.  Our complete lessons are fully available to download and view via the app – so even if you’re at sea or on the train and internet access is tricky, you can still study.  You can download it here from APP STORE or GOOGLE PLAY

Lessons are accompanied by optional professional narration and notes. 

They are intuitive and easy to follow, whilst more complex subjects are accompanied by interactive animations and graphics to help you gain a full knowledge of each subject in the course syllabus.

Detailed step-by-step workings for navigational or tidal calculations make it easy for you to follow along as we show you how to plot positions, make tidal height and stream calculations, etc

You can go over these again and again, and test your knowledge with regular quizzes throughout each lesson. 

At the end of each lesson there is an excercise containing similar questions to the exam, with detailed and illustrated answers sent to you immediately to confirm your progress and fully prepare you for your mock and final exams.

You can repeat all the lessons and exercises as often as you wish until you are confident that you fully understand each subject.

When you have completed the course, you can request mock and then final exams.

These are assessed by our RYA Instructors and detailed feedback is provided in any areas that may require further study within the course.

If you pass the final exams, you will be awarded the RYA/MCA Day Skipper Shorebased Course Certificate, which will be posted to you.

Additional free resits, with suitable Instructor guidance, are available if required.

For the majority of our students these exams do not require invigilation.

In most cases, students complete their final exams at a location of their choosing, such as at home or another quiet place, without any formal supervision or invigilation.

Invigilation is not required to:

• ​Skipper vessels up to 200 registered tonnes​ for leisure purposes.
• Bareboat vessel charter.
• ​Obtain an International Certificate of Competence (ICC).

Invigilation is only required if you wish to:

Obtain a Commercial Endorsement to a Day Skipper Certificate of Competence.

A Commercial Endorsement to a Day Skipper Certificate of Competence enables you to skipper a small commercial vessel (complying with the UK/MCA code of practice, carrying fare paying passengers). If your Day Skipper shorebased exam is invigilated by an RYA Instructor you can operate up to 12 miles from the vessel’s home port. Otherwise (if your exam is not invigilated by an RYA Instructor) you are limited to 3 miles from the vessel’s home port.

Invigilated exams must be taken in person at an RYA Recognised Training Centre and invigilated by an RYA Instructor. 

We cannot offer invigilated exams at our location but can assist you in finding an RYA Recognised Training Centre near you that may be able to offer this service. You should be aware that they may charge for this service.

You can make your own arrangements directly with the centre, but you should contact us once this has been agreed so that we can liaise with the RYA Training Centre to discuss the requirements for invigilation.

An invigilated assessment is taken under formal classroom conditions, using written exam papers that we will supply to the invigilating RYA Training Centre.  These are then returned to us to be marked by our instructors who will then issue feedback and certification upon successful completion.