Day Skipper practical course interested - contact alwynevansuk@yahoo.com
Dates for this course was 25th - 30th October 2009
Please note that Alwyn has kindly offered to teach a Day Skipper practical course to members during w/c 25th October. This is a five day course in the Solent and would cost about half the price that it would with a commercial training school. There may also be an opportunity fo people to undertake the Competent Crew course at the same time should there be spaces available, once it is known how many wish to undertake the day skipper course.
Should you require any form of sail training please contact Alwyn at alwynevansuk@yahoo.com
The next natural progression after the RYA Shorebased course is obviously the RYA Day Skipper practical course. If anyone is interested in progressing their RYA qualifications and sailing skills I will be arranging RYA Day Skipper practical courses for 2010.
Included below is the practical course syllabus which puts into practice all that you have learnt on the theory course enabling you to obtain your RYA Day Skipper Practical Certificate and International Certificate of Competence qualification.
§ The course is over 5 days usually from a Sunday evening until Friday midday. (if there is a majority demand for different days then this can be accommodated)
§ The ratio of students to instructor is 5:1 as stipulated by the RYA.
§ Venue is the Solent as this offers the best experience and learning environment with the various ports, creeks, tides and commercial shipping environment.
§ After qualifying in the Solent you will then find sailing elsewhere much easier having mastered the tides, weather, buoyage, shipping etc.
§ After leaving the Hamble on the first day we are likely to visit, Cowes, Yarmouth, Lymington, Poole, Port Solent, Bembridge and other ports depending on weather and tides.
§ We will eat and sleep on the yacht for the entire course….well maybe the last night we could go ashore for a meal and a beer!!
The course must be arranged and conducted through a RYA ‘Recognised Training Centre’ (RTC)
Depending on final dates and numbers the cost for yacht, instruction, food, moorings, diesel and wet weather gear, would be about 400 pounds per person for the week.
The Day Skipper Course teaches; pilotage, navigation, seamanship and boat handling up to the standard required to skipper a small cruising yacht (40ft) safely by day in tidal waters with which the student is familiar. The syllabus includes;
Preparation for sea
• Is able to prepare a yacht for sea, including engine checks, selection of sails, securing and stowage of all gear on deck and below
Deck work
• Can reef, shake out reefs and change sails to suit prevailing conditions
• Can prepare an anchor, mooring warps and take charge on deck when mooring alongside, coming to a buoy, anchoring, weighing anchor and slipping from a buoy or an alongside berth
Navigation
Is proficient in chartwork and routine navigational duties on passage including:
• Taking and plotting visual fixes
• Use of electronic navigation equipment for position fixing
• Use of waypoints
• Working up DR and EP
• Estimating tidal heights and tidal streams
• Working out course to steer to allow for tidal stream, leeway and drift
• Knowledge of IALA buoyage
• Maintenance of navigational records
• Use of echo sounder and lead line
Pilotage
• Can prepare and execute a pilotage plan for entry into, or departure from, harbour
• Understands the use of leading and clearing lines
• Use of transits and soundings as aids to pilotage
Meteorology
• Knows sources of forecast information
• Can interpret shipping forecasts and use a barometer as a forecasting aid
Rule of the road
• Has a working knowledge of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
Maintenance and repair work
• Understands and is able to carry out maintenance tasks
• Knows the properties and uses of common synthetic fibre ropes
Engines
• Knows how to change fuel and water filters, pump impeller and to bleed the fuel system
Victualling
• Understands how to victual a yacht
Emergency situations
• Is able to take correct action as skipper for recovery of man overboard
• Understands distress flares and how to use a liferaft
• Can operate a radio telephone in an emergency and send a distress message
• Understands how to secure a tow
• Understands rescue procedures including helicopter rescue
Yacht handling under power
• Can bring a boat safely to and from and alongside berth, mooring buoy and anchor under various conditions of wind and tide
Yacht handling under sail
• Can bring a yacht safely to and from a mooring buoy and anchor under various conditions of wind and tide
• Can steer and trim sails effectively on all points of sailing
Passage making
• Can plan and make a coastal passage, taking account of relevant navigational hazards and limitations imposed by the type of boat and the strength of the crew
So if you are interested then please reply by email , or if you want any further information then contact me with any concerns and I will answer them. Also the courses are not just confined to those who have completed the current theory courses. Others can come along on a refresher, just to learn or even just to act as crew!
Alwyn Evans contact Alwyn on e-mail at alwynevansuk@yahoo.com