Duration: +-6 Weeks (weather dependent)
Venue: Royal Cape Yacht Club, Cape Town and Yachtport SA, Saldanha Bay
Fees: Please contact our office on skipper@yachtmaster.co.za for prices. All prices include 15% VAT and are payable to Yachtmaster Sailing School. For International transfers, please add an extra R400 for clearance bank fees.
INDEPTH BREAKDOWN
RYA/MCA Competent Crew Practical
During this essential introductory course, you will be introduced to the wonderful world of sailing! The aim is to build a solid foundation in the correct procedures, including safety, seamanship, rope work, knots, splicing and helmsman-ship that will equip you with all you need to be a competent crew member. You’ll also be exposed to the latest sailing terminology and learn many different approaches and techniques.
Duration: 5 days
This includes:
• Sea terms and parts of a boat, her rigging and sails
• Sail handling
• Ropework
• Safety on board
• Personal Safety Equipment
• Man Overboard
• Emergency Equipment
• Manners and Customs
• Rules of the Road
• Tender Usage
• Meteorology
• Seasickness
• Helmsmanship and Sailing
• General Duties
RYA/MCA Day Skipper Theory (Sail and Motor Cruising)
This is an introductory course to the many theoretical parts of sailing. During the course, you will be introduced to all subjects needed for you to get back on the water and further your development as a competent yachtsmen and Skipper.
Duration: 6 Days
The Course includes:
• Nautical Terms
• Ropework
• Anchor work
• Safety
• International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
• Definition of Position, Course and Speed
• Navigational Charts and Publications
• Navigational drawing Instruments
• Magnetic Compass
• Chartwork and Navigation – Traditional and Electronic
• Tides and Tidal Streams
• Visual aids to Navigation
• Meteorology
• Passage Planning
• Navigation in Restricted Visibility
• Pilotage
• Marine environment
RYA/MCA Day Skipper Practical
During this course, you will learn to Skipper the boat and Manage crew. You will get the chance to put your navigational and skippering ability to practice.
This course is important in that it’s the first step and introduction to the amazing world of navigation, Skippering and seamanship!
Duration: 5 days
This Course includes:
• Preparation for Sea
• Deck Work
• Navigation
• Pilotage
• Meteorology
• Rules of the Road
• Maintenance and Repair Work
• Engines
• Victualling
• Emergency Situations
• Handling under Sail and Motor
• Yacht Handling under Sail (Sail Only)
• Passage-making
• Night Cruising
RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Theory (Sail and Motor Cruising)
The RYA Yachtmaster Coastal / Offshore Theory course is an Advanced Course in Chartwork, Navigation, Meteorology for Candidates of the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore Exams.
The Theory Course is the Same for Motor and Sail.
Duration: 7 days
This Includes:
• Fixing Position and circle of uncertainty
• Tidal streams, Dead Reckoning and Estimated Position
• Magnetic Compass
• Buoyage and Lights
• Pilotage
• Electronic Navigational aids/ echo sounders / logs and deck log
• Meteorology
• Secondary Ports
• Calculating bridge clearances
• International Regulations for the Prevention at Collision at Sea
• Safety at Sea
• Conduct and behavior of vessels operating in or near conditions of restricted visibility
• Passage Planning
• Marine environment
RYA Yachtmaster Coastal practical
Put your theoretical knowledge from the Coastal/ Offshore Theory certification into practice as you take to the seas and improve your skills. While living aboard the yacht, you will get a chance to practice your seamanship, boat handling, heavy weather tactics, night sailing, coastal navigation and leadership/Skippering skills.
These weeks are also there for you to obtain your 60-mile skippered passages required for the RYA Offshore Practical Exam.
Duration: 5-7 days – weather dependent
This includes:
• Passage Planning
• Preparation for Sea
• Pilotage
• Passage-making and Ability as Skipper
• Yacht Handling under Power
• Yacht Handling under Sail
• Adverse Weather Conditions
• Emergency Situations
Exam Preparation week
This is unique within the RYA training framework in that it does not have a fixed course syllabus, length or course completion certificate. However, RYA Yachtmaster preparation training is generally 5 days long and followed by the practical exam.
The School and the Instructor will expect that you have all the pre-requisities to be eligible for an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal exam. In addition, they will be expecting a suitably experienced skipper and yachtsman/woman who can competently handle a boat under sail in close-quarter situations and at sea and has a depth of knowledge equivalent to that gained from attending an RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased course. Most importantly, this knowledge should have been applied in a variety of situations during day and night passages.
You are required to have an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Theory certificate and an RYA Radar certificate before attending.
Duration: 5 days plus 2 days for the exam.
Pre-exam Requirements:
To be eligible to take the Practical examination, candidates must be aged 18 or over and require:
• A Radio Operator’s Qualification – RYA SRC VHF Radio certificate
• A valid first aid certificate – ie Elementary First Aid Certificate
• Seatime – 50 days, 2,500 miles within 10 years prior to the examination, including at least 5 passages over 60 miles, acting as skipper for at least two of these passages and including two which have involved overnight passages. 5 days experience as a skipper. At least half the qualifying seatime must have been accrued in tidal waters.
Passages such as recognised races which may not comply exactly with these requirements may be submitted to the RYA for approval before the voyage.
Training skippers undertaking 60-mile passages are strongly advised to take a Coastal Skipper course first.
This Includes:
• International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
• Safety
• Boat Handling
• General seamanship, including maintenance
• Responsibilities of the Skipper
• Navigation
• Meteorology
• Signals
After completing your preparation, you attend a two-day assessment, given by an RYA appointed examiner.
Exam Duration:
The exam will take about 8-12 hours for one candidate and between 5-9 hours per candidate where more than one candidate is being examined.
Candidates will be set tasks to allow them to demonstrate their ability as skipper of an offshore cruising yacht cruiser and may also be asked questions on any part of the syllabus for all courses except RYA Yachtmaster Ocean.