COURSE REGISTRATION

START YACHTING COURSE

Duration: 2 x 1 days or 1 weekend

Previous experience required: None.

Course content: Never set foot on a yacht before but want to have a go? Then Start Yachting is the course for you. Conducted on board our approved training yacht, this course will not only teach you the basics of sailing yachts, it will whet your appetite for more! The 2 days of this course also count towards the RYA Competent Crew Course.

COMPETENT CREW COURSE

Duration: 3 x weekends (weekends do not need to be consecutive) or 5 day (Monday to Friday)

Previous experience required: None.

Course content: The Competent Crew course teaches the basics of yachting in more depth than the introductory course. Students live aboard the yacht for the duration of the course as the yacht sails around the sheltered waters of Lake Macquarie.

This is both a training trip and a holiday in one!

BASIC NAVIGATION & SAFETY

Duration: 16 hours of classroom tuition which can be delivered over -

• 2 days
• 4 x 3 hour sessions with 1 practical session.

Previous Experience: None essential

Course Content: Learn basic coastal navigation including essential techniques to make your sailing safer and allowing you to be more confident in your ability to chart a course from one port to another. After this course you should be able to understand and plot courses to and from any port in the world.

DAY SKIPPER SHOREBASED COURSE

Course Duration: 42 hours of classroom tuition which can be done in one of the following ways:

• Evening classes - 14 weeks @ 3 hours a week
• Weekend classes – 5 weekends @ 9 hours a weekend (one full day each weekend)
• 5 Day Intensive – 5 consecutive days
  

Previous Experience Required: None essential but a minimum of RYA Start Yachting practical recommended.

Course Content: Background theoretical knowledge to skipper a small vessel in familiar waters by day.
This theoretical course is designed for beginner and intermediate level sailors. It is a comprehensive introduction to chart work, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship. You will find this course invaluable if you want to learn how to navigate a coastline and make decisions as a skipper on board. It is strongly recommended that you have completed this course prior to commencing the Day Skipper Practical Course.

DAY SKIPPER PRACTICAL COURSE

Duration: 5 days or 3 x weekends (weekends do not need to be consecutive).

Previous experience required: RYA Day Skipper or Coastal Skipper/ Yachtmaster theory course completion (or equivalent knowledge or experience) AND sailing ability to the level of Competent Crew.

The RYA recommends that students have the following experience as minimum – 5 days on a yacht, 100 miles experience and 4 hours night watch keeping.

Course content: Skippering a yacht for the first time can be a daunting yet exhilarating experience. The RYA Day Skipper practical course is designed to teach you to "take charge" safely and confidently.

COASTAL SKIPPER AND YACHTMASTER SHOREBASED

Course Duration: 42 hours of classroom tuition which can be done in one of the following ways:

• Evening classes - 14 weeks @ 3 hours a week
• 5 Day Intensive – 5 consecutive days
  

Previous Experience Required: The Day Skipper Shorebased Certificate or equivalent plus some practical experience.
It is strongly recommended that this theory course is completed prior to participating in the practical course.

Course Content: This course covers the theory of the syllabus listed below in detail. You will receive background theoretical knowledge to skipper a small vessel. This is an advanced course in navigation, passage planning, tides, seamanship and meteorology for candidates for the RYA and YA Coastal Skipper and RYA and YA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.

COASTAL SKIPPER PRACTICAL COURSE

Duration: 5 days (Monday to Friday) Practical training.

Previous experience required: 15 days on board, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles logged and 8 night hours. A knowledge of navigation to coastal skipper shore based level.

Instructor/Student ratio: A maximum of 5 pupils to 1 instructor.

Course content: Skippering a yacht on coastal and offshore passages demands strong navigation, seamanship and leadership skills. The coastal skipper practical course prepares those with previous skippering experience to undertake longer voyages.

YACHTMASTER COURSE

A Testing Week's Training

Duration: 5 days (Monday to Friday) Practical training.

To be eligible to participate, you will have had previous experience - A minimum of 50 days in total spent aboard a yacht at sea; 2500 miles logged offshore including 5 passages of over 60 nautical miles. Two of these passages must be as skipper and 2 on overnight trips.

COASTAL EXPERIENCE VOYAGES

These sailing adventures are held regularly both as 3-day sail to Sydney and back and as longer trips along the coast to places such as Port Stephens, Broughton Island, Coffs Harbour and beyond.

They are ideal for completing qualifying passages for Yachtmaster exams or for simply gaining experience offshore. There will be some night sailing as well as nights at anchor or in marinas. These are designed as holiday trips with the yacht stopping at places of interest along the way and the crew enjoying trips ashore. You may even see a whale or two along the way.

MARINE RADIO 

Duration: 1 Day Course with exam

No Previous Experience is required