COASTAL SKIPPER

• More advanced skippering skills
• Improved navigational capability
• Next level marina handling skills
• Longer passages and heavy weather

• All meals and snacks on board
• Life jackets
• All mooring fees

What’s not Included

• Sleeping bag
• Waterproof boots
• Personal sailing insurance
• Oilskins

You spend the full course living on the yacht, with all meals provided. One of the expert Julio Verne Nautica instructors will work through the full syllabus with you, covering everything you need to know to be a competent and useful crew member on any future yachts you sail on.

A training holiday

Each day, you will sail to somewhere new, visiting the wonderful harbours and anchorages of the Rias Baixas. You will finish each day both on the mainland and on beatiful anchorages, and there’s usually the chance to head into one of the local pubs for a well earned beer and chat about the day’s training.

In one of the best places to learn to sail

The Rias are easily one of the best sailing grounds in the world, with its huge variety of locations, sheltered water, smooth tides, and lots of fishing ships moving by. As we describe in our Rias Baixas overview, this really is the only place to learn to sail.

Safety is absolutely paramount when heading out onto the water. We choose Rias Baixas for teaching because is one of the safest places to sail in Europe.

90% of crew join solo, so these are excellent courses if you are coming alone. There is nearly always a 50:50 mix of men and women, of all ages. It’s a small, fun group of like-minded people, all working toward the same goal.

You can expect four other crew on board, giving a maximum of five.

Do not go and spend lots of money on sailing clothing. Especially when you are first starting out, you really don’t need it. The main consideration is to bring layers, so that you can adjust your temperature accordingly.

• Warm clothes including hat, scarf, gloves and thermal underwear.
• Sleeping bag
• Polarised sunglasses
• Sun block
• Wash kit
• Towel
• Flip flops (great for shower blocks)
• Swimming gear
• Phone charger
• Sailing boots and some deck shoes or non-marking trainers

Everything must be packed into a soft holdall that can be rolled away

The aim of this course is to teach the skills and techniques required to skipper a cruising yacht safely on coastal passages by day and night.

Passage Planning

• Can plan a coastal passage including a consideration of the capability of the yacht, navigation, victualling, weather, ports of refuge, tidal heights, and tidal streams, publications required and strategy
• Knows Customs procedures

Preparation for sea

• Is aware of safety equipment required for offshore passages.
• Can prepare a yacht for sea including stowage, safety briefing, watch keeping, delegating responsibilities and equipment and engine checks

Pilotage

• Can prepare a pilotage plan, with consideration of surroundings, transits, clearing bearings, buoyage, port or harbour regulations and tidal considerations.
• Can pilot a yacht by day and night

Passage making and ability as skipper

• Can take charge of a yacht and direct the crew Can organise the navigation, deck work, and domestic duties of a yacht on passage Is aware of the significance of meteorological trends Is aware of crew welfare on passage
• Can use electronic navigational equipment for planning and undertaking a passage, including the use of waypoints and routes

Yacht handling under power

• Can control the yacht effectively in a confined space under power
• All berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide

Yacht handling under sail

• Characteristics Can use the sails to control the yacht in a confined space Anchoring and mooring in various conditions of wind and tide
• Can sail efficiently on all points of sailing

Adverse weather conditions

• Preparation for heavy weather and yacht handling in strong winds
• Navigation and general conduct in restricted visibility

Emergency situations

• Recovery of a casualty overboard under power and sail
• Understands action to be taken when abandoning to the liferaft and during helicopter and lifeboat rescues