RYA Day Skipper

All Courses , Beginner , Intermediate , RYA ,

RYA Day Skipper

A comprehensive introduction to chartwork, navigation, meteorology and basic seamanship.

The Day Skipper theory course is the most popular RYA navigation course. With no previous experience, this will prepare you for the practical course and provide a solid foundation for starting your yachting journey.RYA Logo

Learn the fundamentals of taking charge of a vessel, including navigation, safety and basic seamanship.

40 hours of teaching and 4 hours of assessments (2 x papers).

Awarded the Day Skipper Theory Certificate on successful course completion.

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£295
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Pay in 4 equal instalments

On average, it takes six to eight weeks to complete the Day Skipper course, so you can choose to pay over eight weeks in four equal payments.

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The RYA Day Skipper theory course is where many of the best skippers start their journey. It’s a great entry point to the RYA theory syllabus. It’s a comprehensive introduction to navigation and cruising for new skippers providing the necessary tools to ensure you put out to sea safely.

Upon completing the course, you’ll be issued the Day Skipper theory certificate.

RYA Day Skipper theory

  • I passed my Day Skipper theory course!

Free trial: no obligations, no card details needed

We believe our course is the best in the business, but don’t take our word for it, sign up for a free trial and see for yourself.

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Day Skipper Course Modules

The Day Skipper course is broken into modules covering a core component of the syllabus. Each module is broken into topics containing bite-sized sessions. We know time is precious, so they average fifteen minutes each, designed to leave you confident in the knowledge gained. You can tap on a module to learn more about its content.

Day Skipper Theory Module

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How to read the map!

Learn to read, interpret & use paper and electronic charts for navigation.

Chart Familiarisation

  • I can interpret and understand charts.

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Day Skipper Theory Module

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Knowing where you are!

Learn how to position yourself on a chart visually and electronically.

Position Fixing

  • I have several positioning tools in my tool box.

Day Skipper Theory Module

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How much water?

Learn to calculate how deep the water will be anywhere on a chart.

Tidal Heights

  • I know how to work out the depth, anywhere on a chart.

Taster Content Available

Day Skipper Theory Module

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Plotting Positions

Learn how to plot positions on a chart using tide, boat speed & wind.

Plotting Positions

  • I can plot a position on a chart using boat speed, direction and tide.

Day Skipper Theory Module

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Getting In & Out of Harbour

Learn how to get in and out of a harbour safely including pilotage, buoys and buoyage.

Buoyage & Pilotage

  • I know how to get in & out of a harbour safely.

Free for Members

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Rules of the Road

Learn the rules, how to interpret them and what to do when crossing another vessel.

Collision Regulations

  • I’ll know what to do if I see another vessel.

Free for Members

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Seamanship

Learn some terminology and best practices to support your practical learning.

Seamanship

  • I have some core seamanship skills to build on.

Free for Members

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Keeping Safe at Sea

Learn about the safety equipment on board a typical recreational vessel & how to use it.

Safety

  • I’m better prepared to keep safe at sea.

Free content available for Members

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Weather (Meteorology)

Learn how to find, read, interpret and monitor weather forecasts.

Meteorology

  • I can interpret and plan based on a weather forecast.

Free for Members

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The Marine Environment

Learn about environmental challenges & how to reduce our impact whilst on the water.

Marine Environment

  • I will respect the environment when out on the water.

Day Skipper Theory Module
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Passage Planning & Making

Learn how to plan and safely execute a passage during daylight hours in familiar waters.

Passage Planning

  • I know how to plan and safely execute a passage.

Locked
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Day Skipper Assessment

The assessment consists of two papers (chart work and general) taken on completing the Day Skipper theory course.

RYA Day Skipper theory

  • I passed my Day Skipper theory course!

Access after course completion

FAQs

Got questions?
We’ve got answers.

10 reasons to learn with us

Want to find out why our students love what we do? It only takes two minutes to find out why we’re different from the rest.

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We have taught the RYA Yachtmaster scheme in a classroom for over ten years, always with 5-star reviews.

We took everything we’ve learned and applied it to when building the online content for our course. Simply put, it’s as close to a classroom course as online gets!

To pass, you have to finish the course!

It’s easy to say online provides ‘flexibility’ and ‘you can do it in your own time’, it’s harder to construct engaging course content to overcome specific digital learning challenges and keep students motivated. Through thorough testing, using our classroom students as guinea pigs*, we have structured a course to support how you learn online, building confidence in each topic, tool and skill at every stage.

* No students were harmed in the testing of our content!

Content designed to provide support at every stage

We questioned why the other providers put so much emphasis on their instructor support. Our view is simple: the better the content, the less support a student should need. We are here to support you at every step of your journey but have fed ten years and hundreds of students’ worth of understanding into building content that teaches, supports, reaffirms and checks the knowledge of a topic, tool or technique. And, above all, fun!

Everything you need is included – no hidden ‘extras’

We are the only provider that has no hidden extras. Everything you need to complete and pass the course is included.

  • No hidden extras
    Everything you need to complete the course is included.
  • No course extension fees
    Once you sign up, you control when your instructor support starts and can pause it (in fact, if we don’t see you for a while, we’ll pause it automatically so you don’t accidentally run out of time).
  • Lifetime access
    You retain access to the content for as long as you need it. You can use it for revision, particularly useful before taking the practical course or perhaps before you embark on that charter holiday.

Day Skipper theory is a RYA shore-based qualification and the required level of navigational & sailing theory for anyone intending to take the Day Skipper Practical course. It provides an excellent foundation and platform for learning how to put out to sea safely.

The course includes everything you need to earn the Day Skipper theory certificate successfully. The only thing you need to provide is your time.

Course pack

You’ll be sent a course pack (dispatched the same day if ordered before 3pm weekdays) that contains everything you need to complete the course.

Instructor support

You’ll get 12 months of unlimited support from RYA-qualified instructors 365 days a year; all managed using your briefing room.

Course content

You’ll have immediate, lifetime access to over 50 hours of engaging, interactive teaching content with practice exercises providing debriefings and support.

Social group

You’ll have immediate access to the Day Skipper social group, where you can meet and connect with like-minded people at the same stage of their journey as you.

Downloadable & support content

You’ll have access to our downloadable & support content. We have over 50 supplementary downloads to help you learn the topics and techniques.

See the ‘What’s included?’ tab on the Day Skipper theory enrolment page for more details.

The Day Skipper theory course is a minimum of 40 hours of teaching. Additionally, there are two assessment papers, each lasting 1½ hours.

You can complete the online course at your own pace; everything is stored so you can take a break and return anytime. There isn’t a time limit, and you get 12 months of instructor support spread over any timeframe you like.

However long it takes you to complete the course, you will retain access to the content allowing you to revise before your practical course.

Lifetime access!

You have access to the course content for life!

12 months of instructor support on your terms

Once enrolled, you get 12 months of instructor support, but you are in control of when this starts and can pause it should you need a break.

The Day Skipper theory certificate is valid for life. However, like many things, brushing up and learning new skills is continuous. Anyone who thinks they’ve completed their learning is probably not best suited to skipper a boat!

No! Any progress in Sailing Essentials is migrated to your Day Skipper progress, so you won’t have to do it again.

In fact, we know that most students ask to help when doing the navigation modules, so your 12-month instructor support time only starts once you start the ‘How to read the map!’ module of the Day Skipper theory course.

Students enrolled on a course have direct access to a briefing room where they can get instructor support. If you are enrolled on a course, log in to access your briefing room.

Course Modules

Getting In & Out of Harbour
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How much water?
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How to read the map!
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Keeping Safe at Sea
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Knowing where you are!
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Passage Planning & Making
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Plotting Positions
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Rules of the Road
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Seamanship
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The Marine Environment
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Weather (Meteorology)
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