Coastal Skipper Practical Course
The aim of this course is : To teach the skills needed to skipper a yacht safely on coastal and offshore passages by day and night.
Content
Everyone loves spinnakers!
- Passage planning, including weather, Victualling, ports of refuge, Customs procedures, Tidal heights and stream
- Preparation for sea, safety briefing, watch keeping, equipment and engine checks, delegation of duties.
- Pilotage, preparing pilotage plans, using soundings, transits, clearing bearings, Buoyage, port and harbour regs and tidal considerations.
- Passage making and ability as skipper. This is the main point of the course. Driving boats is fairly easy, but being able to take charge of a yacht and direct the crew is obviously vital and there is certainly a skill to learned.
- Limitations of electronic nav aids. Electronic charts, AIS, DSC, Radar. Awareness of met changes.
- Yacht handling under power. All berthing and un-berthing conditions. We spend a lot of time here.
Nope, its not all pontoon berthing!
- Yacht handling under sail. Sailing efficiently. All mooring conditions, anchoring under sail, and sailing in confined areas.
- Adverse weather conditions. Preparing for heavy weather. Streaming warps etc. navigating in restricted vis. Yacht handling in strong winds.Stability
- Emergencies. Man over board, Fire, Liferafts, Helicopters, breakage’s, injuries.
towing a 30 ton barge
Please bear in mind that all these subjects are taught from a skippers point of view.
You need some skippering experience before attempting this course. The recommended minimum sea time prior to the course is at least 15 days at sea and 300 miles. Its full on so expect to work in the evening too.
Student ratio 4:1 maximum. Normally based out of Plymouth
Thinking about buying or building?
