COURSE PROGRAMME
PLEASE NOTE : This is an example of a typical course program. The schedule may vary slightly depending on factors such as weather conditions and group's needs.
DAY 1: Introduction & Sailing Fundamentals
09:00 – 11:00 | Welcome, safety & getting to know the yacht.
- Safety briefing and familiarisation with safety equipment, including life jackets, lifelines and fire extinguishers.
- Introduction to the yacht's main systems and equipment.
11:00 – 13:00 | Sailing fundamentals
- Introduction to the main parts of the boat and essential nautical terms.
- Basic use of the winch and sail handling.
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch
14:00 – 17:00 | Knots & basic manoeuvres.
- Essential sailing knots including bowline, clove hitch, sheet bend.
- Basic manoeuvres in harbour: securing the boat, preparing to set sail.
DAY 2: Basic Sailing & Crew Duties
09:00 – 12:00 | Leaving harbour & basic sailing.
- Work as a team to safely leave harbour, handling the sails on the open sea.
Introduction to tacking and gybing.
12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch
13:00 – 17:00 | Crew duties and decision-making whilst sailing.
- Practise in mooring and anchoring manoeuvres.
- First logbook entries: recording times, course and weather conditions.
DAY 3: Coastal Sailing and anchoring
09:00 – 12:00 | Coastal sailing and manoeuvres.
- Practising maintaining a steady course, steering and boat balance.
- Practical exercises on how to keep the boat stable in the wind.
12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch
13:00 – 17:00 | Anchoring & weighing anchor exercises.
- Practice anchoring techniques and procedures such as dropping, setting and weighing anchor.
- Leaving anchorage safely
DAY 4: Night Navigation & Safety Procedures
09:00 – 13:00 | Safety & Emergency procedures
- Man-overboard drills, use of flares and rescue equipment.
- Review of emergency procedures.
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch
14:00 – 17:00 | Preparations for night sailing.
- Brief theory session on night sailing and navigation lights.
- Sailing in low-light conditions: tacking, gybing, maintaining course.
- Arrival in port at the end of the day.
DAY 5: Assessments and conclusion
09:00 – 12:00 | Review of the exercises and manoeuvres learnt.
- Final exercises covering all manoeuvres and crew tasks.
- Practical assessment of sail handling, knots and teamwork on board.
12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch
13:00 – 17:00 | Assessment and closure
- Overall assessment of the skills acquired.
- Final discussion and feedback from the instructor.
- Course certification and closing remarks.