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ACCREDITATIONS

SHORE BASED COURSES

The RYA's navigation and seamanship theory courses are designed to help you unravel the mysteries of navigation, pilotage, passage planning and meteorology. They are great as stand alone courses, but also complement our various practical training courses.

Whether you are a sailor or a motor boater, our shorebased courses equip would-be and experienced skippers with enough knowledge, at least in theory, to go afloat and take charge of a yacht or powerboat. The next logical step is to attend an RYA practical course to put these skills into practice.

The following courses are run by our Chief Yachting Instructor at Cardigan Bay Sea School in Aberystwyth.

Basic Navigation and Safety (2 days)

This course gives a basic introduction to navigation and safety for anyone new to boating: sailors, powerboaters, sea anglers, divers and boatmasters. Also useful for experienced dinghy and keelboat sailors and inshore racers.

The course assumes no previous experience and covers: charts and publications; safety; buoyage; tidal awareness; basic navigation and pilotage; rules of the road; electronic navigation; anchoring; weather forecasts; passage planning.

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Day Skipper (5 days)

A comprehensive introduction to chartwork, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship. Invaluable for learning how to start making decisions on board and if you are considering taking the Day Skipper practical course or advanced powerboating.

Whilst the course assumes no previous knowledge, some experience of boating is advisable to get the most out of the course which covers basic seamanship and introduction to navigation and meteorology. A basic knowledge of lights, weather and IRPCS is also included. After the course you will have sufficient knowledge to navigate around familiar waters by day.

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Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore (5 days)

This course is ideal for candidates for the Coastal Skipper practical course and Yachtmaster Offshore exam. Some revision of the Day Skipper shorebased course is included, plus more advanced skills in offshore and coastal navigation by day and night, pilotage and meteorology.

Before following this course it is recommended that you should have navigation to Day Skipper standard and some practical experience. The course includes navigation, meteorology, collision avoidance, safety and passage planning and after this you will understand the principles of navigating for coastal and offshore passages.

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VHF/DSC Short Range Certificate (1 day)

If you need to summon help at sea, or talk to the coastguard, harbourmaster or other vessels, the best way is by using VHF radio. Before you can do this you need a Maritime Radio Operator Certificate of Competence, Short Range Certificate.

Taking our RYA VHF/DSC course will give you the necessary qualification, which authorises you to operate a VHF radio and a VHF DSC (Digital Selective Calling) radio telephone station on board a British Vessel. You will learn how to use the equipment for routine calls and procedures (including voice protocols) for distress and urgency situations.

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