Event Details
A course for aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills.
We will help you make the transition from crew to skipper!
Skippering a yacht for the first time can be a daunting yet exhilarating experience. The RYA Day Skipper practical course is designed to teach you to “Take Charge” safely and confidently. A skipper does much more than navigate. They are responsible for the complete safety and wellbeing of the yacht and crew. These responsibilities include weather forecasting, victualling, engine maintenance, sail selection and handling, passage planning, watch keeping, navigation and pilotage.
Your extremely experienced and patient instructor will teach you all these skills and you will put them into practice as you skipper the yacht on short passages around the coast.
There is particular emphasis on boat handling for Day Skippers and during the course you will practice mooring under various conditions. Students live aboard for the duration of the course and visit different anchorages to practice pilotage techniques which, like boat handling, is an essential skill for the aspiring day skipper. You will also complete at least 4 night hours sailing to experience night pilotage and identify lights.
This is very much a hands-on course, with little time to teach navigation or other theoretical subjects. It is therefore recommended that you take the Day Skipper Shorebased course prior to your practical course so you can put those skills into practice on the water.
This course will also enable you to apply for the ICC (International Certificate of Competence). This qualification is required by most European countries to validate your competence to own or charter a boat. The ICC, obtained by presenting your RYA Day Skipper certificate, will cover sailing yachts up to 24 metres in length in coastal waters
What´s included!
All of our sailing courses take place on our Bavaria 46 Cruiser Sailing Yacht called “Millie”. She is located in Marina Naviera in the centre of Palmas main paseo maritimo. To see photos of our boat in action please take a look at our facebook page as there are regular course updates on there:  https://www.facebook.com/palmaseaschool, and also follow this link for a video of the course: Competent Crew / Day Skipper Sailing Course Video
Students sleep on board during the course. The boat has 4 double cabins, and a saloon berth. All cabins have fans but the boat is not air conditioned. We provide bedding and towels. The course costs from 995€ – 1395€pp depending on whether you choose to have your own cabin, share a cabin or select the saloon berth. If you choose to share a cabin it is important to note that although they fit 2 people, it is one bed not twin/single beds
During your course, we supply essential provisions for breakfast, lunch, two evening meals, and refreshments (tea, coffee, and water). Breakfast and lunch usually include simple items such as bread, cereal, and sandwich ingredients, while dinner typically features pasta dishes. Please be aware that it is not all inclusive and snacks and personal preferences beyond these basics are not provided, so we recommend budgeting for any additional items you may require.
Stays at the home marina and at anchor are included. If students wish to stay overnight in another marina or at a mooring buoy, the cost is shared among the crew.
If you are a group you can book the entire boat privately just for yourselves. Up to 5 students per course. Please enquire for more information.
Prices explained
Own cabin 1 person – 1395€
Own cabin 2 people sharing – 1990€ (995€ per person)
Saloon berth – 995€
***If you do not see your required dates or cabin requirements in the options displayed on the website, please contact us to check availability
Piers Jennings & Gerant Edwards –
Excellent, very calm & faultless. From start to finish, courteous, professional, & Vicky were. very helpful too. Thank you.
Ali Nevell –
Loved it.
Ruddy Campbell –
This course taught all that was needed in an enjoyable and interesting way. It was demanding, fun & satisfying. The instructor was excellent, professional and competent and the course first class in every way. Thank you
Sofia & Tom Dinkelspiel –
We had a lovely time & a great instructor in Maggie.