Our Caribbean RYA Coastal Skipper Practical course is a 5-day liveaboard fun course where you will plan and sail a series of longer coastal passages while refining your skippering skills such as pilotage and night navigation.
Course Content
The RYA Coastal Skipper Practical course builds on the knowledge developed in the RYA Coastal Skipper Theory Course and your RYA Day Skipper Practical. You will experience sailing the vessel in different sea and weather conditions and develop leadership and management of the crew. We will have some 60 nautical mile skippered passages to further hone your abilities as a navigator.
We will cover the entire syllabus starting from our base in Jolly Harbour on the west coast of Antigua, your sailing routes might include sailing to Five Islands Bay for some anchoring practice, then up around Green Island for the night, then continuing down and around to English Harbour and Falmouth, or even, depending on the weather, sail up to gorgeous Barbuda with its white and pink beaches or to our neighboring island country of Guadeloupe. All this while we review general theory concepts, practical safety briefs and how to deal with emergencies, as well as the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, communications, and terminology.
Upon successful completion of the Costal Skipper Practical Course, you’ll receive the RYA Coastal Skipper Certificate allowing you to charter and skipper a boat on your own.
All of our practical sailing courses are limited to four students on board. This allows us to give you maximum individual attention and for our instructors to create a bespoke sailing experience for each and every one of our students.
Groups of 5 can be accommodated on our Dufour 44’ should you wish to book together and enjoy the course as part of a larger group.
Prerequisites for this course:
- RYA Day Skipper and /or all the following
- 15 days, 300 nautical miles, and 8 night hours on a sailing yacht and a few days of skippering on your own
- Theory to the level of RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore Theory course. Completed and passed the assessment of RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Theory. At our school, we require proof of completion of the theory course before enrolling in the practical course. We recommend completing the theory course online (the most convenient option) or in the classroom beforehand.
- We also recommend that all skippers take the RYA SRC Radio Course, for knowledge and safety. Taking the RYA Diesel Engine course is also a good fit at this time
- 16 years old
Next Steps:
Once you have completed your RYA Coastal Skipper, you have a variety of options to put your skills and knowledge to use, from vacations and charters with friends and family to completing deliveries, joining a racing team or thinking about buying your own boat. If you do not already have it, you can apply for the ICC (International Certificate of Competence). As you accumulate mileage and experience, you can start thinking about your RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or Yachtmaster Offshore!
You can join us for further courses and events such as Mileage Builders, Race Training and Regattas, and finally,
RYA Yachtmaster Intensive Offshore
RYA Yachtmaster Prep Week
