The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased course is an introductory navigation and seamanship theory course for aspiring yacht and motorboat skippers. This course is aimed at:
- Those new to boating (yachting, keel-boating, motor boating, power-boating or coastal rowing) and
- Those with crewing experience who now want to take a more active roll
Often called the RYA Day Skipper Theory course, it teaches the essential knowledge needed to plan and navigate short inshore and coastal passages safely in familiar waters by day.
Chieftain Training offers Day Skipper Shorebased as a 5-day classroom course in Hamble, split weekends, winter evening classes and as an online RYA course.
It is suitable for both sail and power candidates and provides the theory knowledge needed before progressing to RYA Powerboat Intermediate or RYA Day Skipper Power or Sail practical training.
The Day Skipper Shorebased course is often scheduled back to back with the Day Skipper Power course so you can complete the whole lot in one long week (9 days).
Rya Day Skipper Shorebased Theory Course- Hamble, Southampton Or Online
The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased theory course will help you become involved with onboard navigation and passage planning or become a skipper.
The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course (aka RYA Day Skipper Theory Course) is the ideal starting point for aspiring skippers (and their first mate), either motor or sail. The word “shorebased” in the title gives you the clue that this course is taken either in the classroom or online away from the many distractions of flapping sails, noisy engines, waves and other water users.
Course Duration
The RYA Day Skipper Theory Course takes five days or 40 hours to complete. We offer the course in a variety of different formats, allowing you to choose the option that best suits you:
- Five consecutive days starting on a Saturday or a Monday in Hamble
- Twin Weekend; running Saturday to Monday, then Saturday and Sunday
- Night School; attend once a week for thirteen evenings during the winter months OR attend a two-day weekend followed by 8 evenings in Southampton or Hamble.
- Online, for those who cannot give up the 5 days for the classroom. The Day Skipper Shorebased online E-Learning course takes 40-50 hours to complete and can be undertaken at your own pace, over a period of up to 6 months. This online course is supported by an RYA Instructor.
The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased classroom-based courses are held at our training centres in Hamble and Southampton. The online version is on your PC, Mac or tablet.
Do I need any experience before Day Skipper Theory?
No formal qualification is required. The course is for navigation beginners who have some boating experience, Candidates often progress to Day Skipper Shorebased from RYA Competent Crew, RYA Helmsman’s or RYA Powerboat Level 2, however some students have done considerably more boating than that,
What Is Covered On The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course?
The Day Skipper Shorebased course is a navigation course for beginners wanting to progress to Skipper level (either sail or power). The RYA syllabus is designed to introduce students to:
- basic seamanship
- meteorology
- IRPCS
- Chart symbols and publications
- latitude and longitude
- position fixing
- course to steer,
- tidal heights and streams
- pilotage
- buoyage
- electronic navigation/GNSS
- passage planning
The course was recently rebranded by the RYA as “Digital First” and this is the approach we take to teaching you how to navigate and plan passages. When taking a RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory course with Chieftain Training, students will have the opportunity to use the real kit; our classroom is equipped with live Garmin GPS chart plotters and we integrate traditional (paper chart) navigation with the more modern electronic navigation throughout the course.
Why Choose Chieftain for Your RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course?
Chieftain Training has been delivering RYA navigation and seamanship training for many years with courses taught by experienced instructors who are active sailors, motor cruisers and professional mariners.
Our Principal, Doug Innes and Senior Instructor Joe Wellington both train new RYA Navigation instructors on behalf of the RYA.
We keep our classroom Day Skipper Shorebased courses deliberately small. Although RYA training centres may teach larger groups (up to 12), we normally limit our intensive and weekend courses to a maximum of 8 students. This gives candidates more time to ask questions and receive individual help with subjects such as chartwork, tidal calculations, course to steer and collision regulations. We will teach with as few as three students.
Our Hamble training centre is equipped specifically for marine training. Students learn using traditional paper charts alongside modern electronic navigation equipment, helping them understand how practical navigation is carried out on real boats.
When you train with Chieftain, you also benefit from:
- Small class sizes, with a maximum of 8 students on most navigation courses.
- Experienced marine instructors with practical sailing, motor cruising and professional maritime backgrounds.
- RYA course materials and training charts provided as part of the course.
- Real navigation equipment, including electronic chartplotters, alongside traditional chartwork.
- Free on-site parking at our Hamble training centre.
- A choice of intensive 5-day courses, split weekends, evening classes and online study.
- Clear progression into RYA Day Skipper practical, Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster and professional marine qualifications.
- This course is covered by our unique Chieftain Second Chance Promise. If you do not pass the course the first time we will let you re take the course for free.
Whether you are learning navigation for recreational boating, preparing for your first skippering role or starting a longer journey towards Yachtmaster or professional qualifications, our aim is to give you a strong practical understanding of navigation rather than simply teaching you how to pass the assessment.
Included
Day Skipper training at Chieftain Training is comprehensive. We aim to make life as easy as possible for our students and provide the following within the course:
- Instruction
- Two RYA Training Charts
- RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Certificate
- Use of plotter and dividers whilst at the training centre
- Free Parking
- Tea & Coffee (at our centre)
- Email support for online students
- Free postage within the UK (for the online course)
Not Included
5 day and Split Weekend Day Skipper Shorebased
- Meals and accommodation
Night School Day Skipper Shorebased
- Meals and accommodation
- Plotter and dividers to take away for homework (available to buy from us)
Online Day Skipper
- Plotter and dividers (available to buy from us)
- Overseas postage (click for charges)
Online Course Invigilation:
If you choose the online version of the course you will complete the same two assessment papers as our classroom students. For the majority of our students these papers do not require invigilation. However if you intend to use the RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Certificate to apply for a Commercial Endorsement then you will require invigilation. This does not have to be carried out here in Southampton, we can arrange for invigilation with an RYA Instructor near you (for which there may be a fee).
RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory Course – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the RYA Day Skipper Shorebased course?
The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased course is an introductory navigation and seamanship theory course for aspiring yacht and motorboat skippers. It covers the knowledge needed to plan and navigate short inshore and coastal passages safely in tidal and non tidal waters. The course includes chartwork, tides, digital navigation, buoyage, meteorology, collision regulations, pilotage and passage planning. The course is also useful for the first mate so he/she can get more involved.
Is Day Skipper Shorebased the same as Day Skipper Theory?
Yes. RYA Day Skipper Shorebased is the official course name, but it is commonly referred to as Day Skipper Theory. Both names refer to the same RYA navigation and seamanship theory course.
Do I need any experience before taking Day Skipper Theory?
There is no formal prerequisite, and the course is suitable for people new to navigation. However, some practical boating experience is helpful. Many candidates take Day Skipper Shorebased after completing RYA Competent Crew, RYA Powerboat Level 2 or RYA Helmsman’s, although none of these certificates are compulsory.
Is Day Skipper Theory suitable for both sailing and motorboats?
Yes. The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased syllabus is suitable for both sailing yacht and motor cruiser candidates. The navigation, meteorology, tides, collision regulations and passage-planning skills taught on the course are relevant to both.
Do I need Day Skipper Theory before the practical course?
The Day Skipper Practical and the Powerboat Intermediate courses teach you how to put the theory knowledge into practice, so yes you do need the knowledge before starting your practical course. It is not possible to stick an extra 40 hours of classroom learning into the already busy practical week.
How long does the Day Skipper Shorebased course take?
The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased course takes approximately 40 hours. At Chieftain, classroom candidates can complete the course as an intensive 5-day course, over split weekends or through winter evening classes. We also offer an online version that can be completed at your own pace.
Can I complete Day Skipper Theory online?
Yes. Chieftain offers the RYA Day Skipper Shorebased course online, allowing you to study at your own pace from home.
Online students receive the relevant course materials and have access to instructor support while working through the syllabus and assessments.
Does an RYA Day Skipper Shorebased certificate expire?
No. The RYA Day Skipper Shorebased certificate does not have an expiry date.
However, navigation techniques, electronic equipment and regulations develop over time, so anyone returning to boating after a long break should refresh their knowledge before taking responsibility for a vessel.
Can I use Day Skipper for commercial work?
Potentially, but the Day Skipper Shorebased certificate on its own is not a commercial qualification.
An eligible RYA Day Skipper practical certificate may be commercially endorsed when the required additional qualifications and conditions are met. Candidates intending to use Day Skipper as part of a commercial qualification route should also ensure that any required shorebased assessment has been completed under the appropriate examination or invigilation conditions.
If your aim is professional or commercial skippering, speak to us before choosing your course format so we can make sure you follow the correct route.
Booking:
FACE TO FACE DAY SKIPPER SHOREBASED COURSE
Select a date below. If the dates below do not suit you we can set up a bespoke 1:1, 2:1 or group course at a time that suits you, please contact us.
ONLINE DAY SKIPPER SHOREBASED COURSE
Select the “online courses” tab below. All online courses are scheduled for January, regardless of the date you book so you can effectively ignore the date listed.