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The Day Skipper Practical is a beginner skippering course for sailors with some prior experience - about 100 miles / 5 days as an active crew member aboard a cruising yacht. You can gain this valuable qualification in less than a week with our RYA Yachtmaster instructor, aboard our tuition yacht in Vassiliki. After successful completion, you’ll be ready to charter your own yacht on flotilla or bareboat.
Many of our guests will undertake their skipper training with a view to chartering a yacht on our flotilla in their second week. We think this is ideal - because you can immediately put into practice your newfound skills - with our expert lead-crew nearby, to help you in your first steps of skippering.
During the course we’ll teach you the basic practical skippering techniques to enable you to feel confident to set sail as the Skipper. You will take charge on a number of short passages under the guidance of our instructor. You will be given the opportunity to practice your boat handling in a variety of mooring situations, and whilst at sea your instructor will cover subjects such as pilotage, deck work, sail trim and how to cope in emergency situations.
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Full Course Details |
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Price: £645 for Beach Club guests Price: £745 for Liveaboard guests |
Includes course completion certificate. Excludes flights and transfers |
| Pre-Course Experience | To have completed 100 miles / 5 days on a cruising yacht, perhaps as active crew on a previous flotilla. The ideal pre-requisite is the RYA Competent Crew |
| Assumed Knowledge | Theory to the level of Day Skipper. It is recommended that you complete our online theory course beforehand |
| Duration | A week-long liveaboard course with 5 days tuition (1 day free-sail or lay-day) |
| Course Content |
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| Ability after Course | At the end of the Day Skipper course you will be confident to skipper a cruising yacht on short passages. Guests who successfully complete the Day Skipper Practical course are awarded a course completion certificate and can charter a yacht from us and other charter companies worldwide, on bareboat or flotilla. |
If you have no experience, then fear not! Combine the Competent Crew with a Day Skipper course - as a complete beginner skipper ‘fast-track’ course (14 nights)
Learn MoreYou can book onto a course as a solo, a couple or a family. Or even book our tuition yacht privately for groups of 2-5 pupils
Learn MoreOur Bavaria 37 is the perfect cruiser for yacht training. She comes with our own RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and is based in the Ionian
Learn MoreYou need to have had a little prior experience on board a cruising yacht to join this course, (at least 100 miles or 5 days). It suits Competent Crew graduates or those who have been an active crew member on a previous flotilla.
From our experience of running skippering courses, if you are already proficient in the topics covered in the Competent Crew syllabus, understand the basics of navigation, sailing, rope work, seamanship and have experienced at least 100 miles on a yacht, then you will be able to join our Day Skipper and pass successfully. It is not possible to complete this course as a total beginner.
You will also need to have knowledge of basic navigation and seamanship to the RYA Day Skipper standard. We recommend you take our RYA Day Skipper Theory course which you can do before you arrive with our E-Learning package from the comfort of your own home.
Our Day Skipper course can be paired with a second week on our flotilla (or bareboat charter) so you can get qualified in a week before putting into practice your newfound skills in week two.
We have chosen Vassiliki and the south Ionian to teach our courses because budding skippers can practice new techniques in reassuringly light winds in the mornings, while building skills and understanding as the breeze increases in the afternoons. Therefore, after getting to grips with core techniques in a benign environment earlier in the day, our graduates also get to hone their skills while handling stronger winds.
You can book onto a course as a solo, a couple or a family. Our tuition yacht will take up to 5 pupils, but we mostly run with 3 or 4 pupils to one instructor. You can choose to join the tuition yacht on a shared basis - by booking a cabin for the week - or you can book our tuition yacht and instructor privately for groups of 2-5 persons and cruise the Ionian as you learn in the sun.
We can teach Level 1 and 2 Cruising, Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses together and on the same yacht, so different abilities can learn at the same time.
We are not in the business of failing candidates and say that everyone can pass if they are attentive and willing, (and have completed the shorebased theory beforehand). If you get stuck on certain topics then our instructor will spend a little longer with you to ensure you grasp them.
On successful completion you will be awarded the Day Skipper Completion certificate and you can go on to charter your own yacht on bareboat or flotilla. In addition you can apply for an International Certificate of Competence (ICC). Should you not pass, we may be able to award you a Cruising Level 2 certificate which may allow you to skipper on our flotilla. If this is not possible then please be prepared to pay for an on-board skipper.
Day Skipper practical candidates must have completed an RYA Day Skipper theory course before arriving. The RYA Day Skipper Theory course can be taken from the comfort of your home with our E-Learning package in about 30 to 40 hours.
You can book a place or places onto our tuition yacht as a live-aboard pupil in shared cabins. You will learn with your instructor over a week-long course as you cruise the Ionian. You can pay a supplement to book a cabin privately. Which is normally 50%, please call our sales team for options.
You can book the tuition yacht and instructor privately for groups of 2 to 5 persons in order to complete this course. You can choose to follow our flotilla route (which is a sociable option!), and then arrange for the instructor to sleep on our lead yacht when at anchor. If you would like to do this, then please make a special arrangement at the time of booking. It’s a nice idea because it gives you 3 double cabins and some extra privacy while at anchor. As a private yacht charter, you will need to provision the yacht and remember to include your instructor in your provisioning.
We provision the yacht for breakfast and a light lunch on board. You are welcome to purchase any extra nibbles you may require and for the evening meal there are a range of lovely waterside taverna’s to choose from. We do not provision for private tuition yacht charters.
Our tuition yacht will include everything you need for your week, except flights, transfers and evening meals. Solo supplements will apply for pupils wanting their own cabin (normally 50%)
Choosing to self-travel, taxis are easy enough to pick up from outside the airport. The transfer to Lefkas marina is about 25 minutes.
Marina Address: Lefkas Marina, East Shore Lefkada, 311 00 Greece
Our course covers the theory of tidal stream and height calculation. As a newly qualified Day Skipper, after successful completion of our course, we’d strongly advise gaining further experience in tidal waters before skippering any coastal passages in tidal waters.
You will arrive at Lefkas or Vassiliki marina and be greeted by our yacht team and introduced to your yacht. After a short introductory briefing to help you get settled onboard, you will meet the other course members and head for a meal ashore.
Every day will start at about 9am and finishes at approx 5-6pm. One day will be extended to allow for some night sailing. The yacht leaves the marina at 9am on Monday so training can start after a full technical safety briefing from your instructor. The tuition yacht will cruise around the islands as you learn and find an anchorage to break for lunch - so there’s always time for a swim - before arriving at the evening stopover for about 5pm. As a liveaboard-pupil, you will enjoy cruising the Ionian islands as you learn, visiting new anchorages each day - which is a fun and practical way of learning.
There will be one day a week as a lay day or free sail day. It is a popular option for the yacht to put in to Vassiliki so pupils can enjoy a (free) day of watersports or biking and fitness classes at our Beach club, for no extra charge.
Unless you are privately chartering, the lay-day is often fixed to a Wednesday. This is a great day to explore the island or make use of the Surf Hotel for your complimentary day of activities. Private yacht charters can use this as a free-sail day if they want to keep sailing.
View our brochures online or have them delivered to your door.
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Read MoreLefkada is the fourth largest island in the Ionian Sea of the Mediterranean. The island is located on the west coast of Greece and connected to the mainland by a large causeway and floating bridge.
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