We get many enquiries about which RYA sailing courses to take to be able to bareboat charter your own yacht in the future. Yacht charter companies normally require a minimum of RYA Day Skipper (or equivalent) plus additional experience and sea time to show your proficiency in skippering and yacht handling.
Below we have put together our advice on the best RYA sailing courses to attend. These will ensure you are a safe, competent and confident skipper when bareboat chartering a yacht for your friends and family.
RYA Sailing Courses
1. RYA Competent Crew
The Competent Crew course is designed for complete beginners and it is the starting point for RYA sail training. You will learn to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout, row a dinghy, and assist in the day-to-day duties on board. The course is run over a minimum of 5 days/4 nights staying on board our training vessel. You may take the Essential Navigation and Seamanship theory course online beforehand which introduces you to basic navigation and seamanship skills.
It will give teach you to be a helpful crew member before progressing on to more advanced skipper courses and give you an insight into how to organise your crew members once you are a qualified skipper.
2. RYA Day Skipper
The RYA Day Skipper course is split into two parts. Firstly, a theory course which may be taken online in your own time, or as a 5 day intensive shore based course with our instructor in Grenada.
Secondly, there is the practical sailing course which takes place over 5 days/4 nights or 7 days/6 nights staying on board our training yacht. Your instructor will guide you through preparation for sea, deck work, navigation, pilotage, and meteorology. You will learn the rules of the road, maintenance and repair work, engines, and how to cope in emergency situations. You develop your team work and knowledge on every level of skippering a yacht: from victualling to cooking and navigating to helming.
The RYA Day Skipper certification means you will be able to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day. You will be awarded your internationally recognised RYA Day Skipper license with either a tidal or non-tidal endorsement. Grenada is classed as TIDAL. This is the base line qualification for chartering your own bareboat yacht.
3. RYA Diesel Engine
If you are aiming to charter your own yacht then you should learn how to prevent and solve diesel engine failure. The RYA Diesel Engine course introduces basic maintenance and engine care to beginners. Rescue call-outs to boaters are most commonly due to mechanical failure; however, engine problems can be avoided by taking simple precautions.
The course takes just one day spent on board our training yacht and will give you the skills to prevent or solve diesel engine problems – a possible life saver!
4. RYA VHF SRC Marine Radio
The RYA VHF Marine Radio course is for anyone who uses a fixed or handheld VHF marine radio. A radio is an important piece of safety equipment on board and it is vital to understand the correct international procedures.
It is a good idea to have your crew members trained to use the VHF marine radio too. This course consists of an online theory course which you complete in your own time, followed by a 2 hour final assessment with our examiner in Grenada.
Advanced Sailing Courses
5. Mile/Experience Builder
After completing your Day Skipper course, charter companies prefer to see that you have gained additional experience and sea time. A perfect way to do this and to practice your newly learned skills is join one of our Mile/Experience Building trips.
We offer a variety of mile building cruises throughout the year. We depart from Grenada and head up the chain of islands to Martinique or Antigua and back. These can be run over 7 days/6 nights or 14 days/13 nights. Our instructor is on board to provide navigation and safety advice, but you are given the chance to plan and execute your own passage plans as skipper each day.
6. RYA Coastal Skipper
The RYA Coastal Skipper course advances from the RYA Day Skipper course by developing higher levels of ability and independence. The shorter passages you were trained to handle on the Day Skipper course are advanced to passages that require watch-keeping routines, crew management, and the ability to pilot a vessel both day and night. Many students feel that this is one of the most highly rewarding courses.
We recommend booking the RYA Coastal Skipper practical course over 7 days/6 nights. It is important that you are already comfortable with the boat handling skills taught on the RYA Day Skipper and have practised them on your mile builder trip. It is also expected that your theoretical knowledge is equal to the level of the RYA Coastal Skipper/ Yachtmaster shore-based course – this theory course may be taken online beforehand or as a 5 day classroom based course in Grenada.
So what are you waiting for?! Start learning to sail today so you can charter your dream yacht for all your family and friends!
Email us for course prices and special offers.
Horizon Yacht Charter Grenada offer our students special deals on bareboat yacht charters. Visit their website for all your bareboat chartering dreams!