Prepare for Day Skipper
An insight into the RYA Day Skipper course, how I prepared and what I learnt.
The famous Tall Ships competitor Black Diamond of Durham awaiting her crew for the RYA Day Skipper practical course. Image credit Glyn Sadler
Pulling into the break water at Sunderland having zig zagged our way north from Hartlepool, picking up a transit (two landmarks that line up) and slowly creeping forward until the northern lighthouse lay at 86˚ by compass, selecting a 20m long anchor chain for the 4m depth and dropping anchor, then checking my GPS position against the dot marked on the chart by the instructor has to be one of the coolest ways to confirm what you had learnt to a particular point. The Lat & Long plotted on the chart matched almost to the square meter I was quite chuffed with myself. We failed to anchor here last time some weeks prior, due to a dredger blocking the channel and a dingy race taking place right over the spot we were to drop anchor. So, getting it done this time was a much-appreciated boost to morale.
Day Skipper course for those that don’t know consists of a hefty theory course over five days but can be done online. Followed by a five-day practical course designed to test what you have learned in theory and judge if you are competent to take the necessary safety precautions to successfully prepare and navigate a passage at sea.
Requirements for Day Skipper can be found here:
HOW SHOULD ONE PREPARE
I did the theory online. This was fine. However, I did find it slightly frustrating when working through various exercises without an instructor there to bounce thoughts and ideas off. I only managed half of the theory course prior to the first 3-day weekend of the practical. This showed where I lacked knowledge, and I wished I had completed it fully as I would have got a lot more out of that weekend. I did however make sure the basics were in place with regards col regs, buoyage and lights. This was appreciated by the instructors as they had voiced frustration at previous course members that had not swatted up on these beforehand. The more time they need to teach these basics the less time they can get out there sailing. The following weekend practical I had passed my theory and felt so much more comfortable in passage planning effectively. The Sunderland pre-determined anchorage was just the cherry on the top.
When preparing the passage plan, I found it very useful to visualise my waypoints and which direction in relation to the compass and wind I would be making my turns. Of course, if sailing the pre-determined waypoints will act as a guide as you’ll most likely have to tack or jibe your way to and from them. I think we did 20+ miles tacking to cover a just 6-mile passage to Saltburn. This was nevertheless an extremely enjoyable exercise and picking up our anchorage in line with a transit from the headland to the north and the iconic Saltburn pier was a nice way to end that particular passage.
Terminology is another key area to prepare before your Day Skipper. Having only dipped in and out of the sailing world I did have the odd brain freeze when it came to being asked to do certain things on the boat. “Put this rope outside all the sheets and through the fairlead at the bow” …. I got there in the end (thanks Jess). Make sure you do your best beforehand to get to grips with all the moving parts on the boat. There are some great apps out there with quizzes and flash cards to test your knowledge. These I found useful on the different types of anchors and ropes etc. All boats are different, but the terminology is the same. You’ll find that most things have two names e.g., clutch is the same as a Jammer and so on.
If you really wanted to get some major brownie points get a tidal curve done for the marina you are joining. That way when the instructors ask “what time can we leave the marina today?”. You, having been informed of the boats draft will have the answer and it’s one less task to do on your passage plan. By the end of the course, I had fairly accurate sketches of Hartlepool area, Seaham Harbour , Sunderland Harbour and the Tyne River up to St Peters Quay. I will tweak these and get them photocopied and printed out for future passage plans. Always check the current in date charts for new developments though.
IMAGES BELOW FROM SAILING NORTHEAST WEBSITE GALLERY
All photo credits to Sailing Northeast
WHAT SHOULD ONE BRING
Plenty of enthusiasm is welcomed by the instructors. I ended up taking far too much kit on the first weekend. Our boat Black Diamond of Durham was fully equipped with waterproofs and the instructors did their level best to get the boat to a comfortable berth each night with proper toilets and shower facilities. The warm layers did however play a part in the night sail and all the crew agreed whatever temperature it is in the marina it seems to drop 10˚C when you get out in the open sea. Space is always tight on a boat and you need to stow it all away in a tiny but comfortable bunk. Trust me you’ll be out like a light after a full day of graft and sea air. The training provider gave a kit list which was more than comprehensive as below:
The tight but comfortable bunk onboard Black Diamond of Durham. Photo Credit Glyn Sadler.
KIT LIST RYA DAY SKIPPER
Sleeping bag & Pillow
Soft soled shoes (trainers are ok, deck shoes are better)
Washbag and towel
Warm clothing – fleeces, woolly hat, gloves, etc (it can be cold at sea even in summer)
Any medication you need to take – see Medical Section below
Wellington Boots (if possible, not black soles please)
Camera if you wish
Sun block/Sun Hat
Sunglasses
Passport (Not required for UK trips)
Any relevant RYA paperwork i.e., logbook, previous qualifications, action plan etc.
Day Skipper/Coastal Skipper candidates please bring along a passport size photographs along with separate photo ID i.e., Driving License etc….
Insurance You are personally insured whilst on our vessel (excluding personal effects). You are not covered by our insurance while you are ashore or in transit to and from our vessel. We advise you to take out ordinary travel insurance.
Alcohol Any alcohol you bring on board should be declared to the Skipper. For reasons of safety, no alcohol may be consumed while the vessel is at sea or preparing for sea.
Smoking For safety and health reasons, sorry smoking is not permitted on-board at all.
Medical If you have a serious medical condition (such as diabetes, epilepsy, heart condition for example) and/or if you are on prescribed medication, please inform the Skipper so that he can deal with any emergency. Seasickness can be avoided by taking sea sickness medication as suggested by your pharmacist before you join. The Skipper is trained to administer first aid and we have on board a comprehensive first aid/medical kits as required by the MCA Code of Practice.
If you feel unwell with any Covid symptoms, please do not come along – we will book you in at a later date.
General
If you are unsure of anything, please ask the Skipper or Mate.
Most of all – ENJOY YOURSELF!!
SEA SICKNESS
If you know you get seasick take plenty of sea sickness tablets or patches. I don’t usually although I have been surprised in the past. The patches worked so well on the Atlantic Row that I couldn’t recommend them enough. I did find that even in a slight sea when going below deck to check on navigation was only time, I would begin to feel just a little bit queasy. Tell the instructors if it’s too bad. If you are sailing well, you may be heeling over quite a bit which can be a bit daunting if you’ve never sailed like this before. Keep an eye on the instructors’ face if he looks chilled then you are good.
FAVOURITE BITS
Well in addition to nailing the pre-determined anchorage at Sunderland there were some other cool and enjoyable aspects to the practical. Coming alongside and parking the boat were my absolute favourite. Black Diamond of Durham is a 45ft Cruiser weighing in around 16tonne, so manoeuvring her in a tight marina can be daunting without the right strategy. My instructor Cal would pull his little handheld white board out draw some excellent boat shapes and arrows and I would try to re-enact the parking manoeuvre in real time. I would like to say this went well 9/10 times. Judging the speed of the boat against the wind, getting the angle just right and turning on the pivot point at the proper moment was a fine balance. However, when that first fender kisses the pontoon, and you stop the boat dead so the crew can tie on was super satisfying.
Even better was ferry gliding. To come alongside a pontoon on a flowing river you need to balance the speed of the boat with the force of the current. Once achieved you can sit in the middle of the river stationary and with the slightest turn of the wheel you can direct the boat port and starboard and glide horizontally across the river. When there are a few people watching on the quayside and slide the boat behind another onto the pontoon and again gently kiss the fenders and tie it pretty good feeling.
Lastly, I really enjoyed meeting some like-minded people who really appreciated being on a boat on the sea. In addition to being able to soak in just some of the knowledge from the highly experienced instructors. You think you are motoring along at 5-6 knots and then Cal would suggest a tweak here or a tweak there and next thing you’ve found an extra knot. Fascinating, exciting, and humbling all at the same time, so much more to learn. The appetite is well and truly wetted.
LISTEN AND LEARN
As already mentioned, both instructors Cal and Jess are experienced Yacht master’s and have a vast amount of experience and knowledge. This knowledge is easily forthcoming and Cals wizardry with trimming the sails and Jess’s mind reading actions to put that into place was a great combination. They demonstrated what an efficient crew can achieve when trying to maintain speed through a tack or jibe. They were able to adapt their teaching approach for different crew members at different levels, for some it was first their time on a boat, some on a competent crew course and some on day skipper. I can highly recommend this team for your RYA sailing courses. I was never afraid to ask any questions during the course. The answers were always forthcoming.
I have always found that learning something new in an area I enjoy is super satisfying. I enter the challenge with a focus on what goals or aims completing it will help me achieve. This is great motivation for me.
To find out more about the team at Sailing Northeast check them out here:
SUMMARY
In the words of Barry from SAILING NORTHEAST…. Enjoy Yourself! Put in the work before hand and you will take more out of the practical. I can’t wait to progress my sailing knowledge and experiences which will put me in good stead for Ocean Rowing. Under Jess’s advice I have bought the RYA Navigation exercise books to keep on top of what I have learnt. IF YOU DON’T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT.
TOP TIPS FOR DAY SKIPPER COURSE
PREPARE THOROUGHLY
GET THE THEORY DONE
LEARN THE TERMINOLOGY
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS
USE YOUR GOALS AS MOTIVATION
ENJOY YOURSELF
Thanks for reading. Author Glyn Sadler aka SKIPPER ;-)
Wahooo. Another successful Adventure Per Mare. Photo credit Glyn Sadler