RYA Day Skipper is a five-day course for those with some sailing experience who want to learn how to sail a boat and manage a crew. You'll live aboard and take turns in command.
The program at sea
We'll set sail from Marina Cala de' Medici in Rosignano, cruising along the Etruscan Coast and toward Elba or Capraia. We'll choose the stops together, comparing nautical charts, weather reports, and available daylight hours. Even deciding to stay close to the coast is part of the course, if it's the best option for the boat and crew.
In port, you'll practice mooring under the motor, assessing the wind's effect and assigning each person a task before entering. Out at sea, you'll take the helm, adjust the sails, and coordinate a man-overboard rescue maneuver. Upon arriving at the anchorage, you'll choose where to drop anchor, calculate how much chain to deploy, and check the anchor's strength. Part of the voyage will take place after sunset, so you can learn to recognize lighthouses and navigation lights and find what you see from the cockpit on a map.
The boat has four cabins, two bathrooms, and a galley with an oven and two refrigerators. At the end of the day, we'll review the day's decisions and plan the next voyage.
The ultimate goal is to enable you to manage the boat and crew independently.
Not sure you have the experience needed to be a DAY SKIPPER? No problem, you can sign up anyway and after a short initial briefing with the instructor, you can decide whether to join a COMPETENT CREW or continue with the DAY SKIPPER.
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