Courses & Fees
†Price for the boat, not per person.
2008 Fees
(all prices are £’s per person)Course
Click here for information on the RYA Sail Cruising
and Yachtmaster SchemeDuration Low Season
01 Jan - 05 Apr
05 Oct - 26 DecHigh Season
06 Apr - 04 Oct
27 Dec - 31 DecPractical Courses:
RYA Start Yachting (min. 2 people)
2 days £225 £245 5 days £465 £499 Skippering Experience RYA Cruising Instructor 5 days
£485
£520
Skippered Charter/Whole Boat Booking
(includes RYA instruction at any level for up to 5 people)5 days
£1,999† £2,170† Try a Day Sail / Day Charter (min 2 people) 1 day
£115
£130
Practical Examination Courses:
5 days £465* £499* RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Prep International Certificate of Competence (CEVNI optional) 1 day
£275*
£275*
RYA Shorebased Courses:
Basic Navigation and Safety 2 days
£180
£199
5 days £375 £395 Yachtmaster Ocean 1 day £85* £85* First Aid 1 day £ 85£ 85Own Boat Tuition Own Boat Tuition
(RYA instruction at any level for up to 5 people on your own sailing yacht)As req'd £275 per day
£275 per day
* Does not include exam/issue fees payable to RYA - £38 ICC (free to RYA members); £135 Coastal Skipper; £155 Yachtmaster Offshore; £25 VHF SRC or a share of examiner’s travel expenses for Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore exams (there is an examiner based locally so this is normally no more than 40 euros).Click here for information on How to Book
- All courses are available all year round.
- All 5 day courses start on Monday mornings at 09.30am.
- Start Yachting and Basic Navigation courses are normally run on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday courses can be arranged, subject to availability.
What you can expect
The actual itinerary you follow will be dictated by the weather conditions and wind direction prevailing at the time of your course, however, a typical 5 day practical course will follow a similar itinerary to the one detailed below:
Monday: A full safety briefing followed by a gentle introductory sail to allow you to acclimatise to the climate, the motion of the yacht and to find your sea legs. We will usually return to the base port of Ayamonte in the evening and eat ashore. Tuesday: Sail out of Ayamonte and round to the marina of Isla Canela or Isla Cristina. Alternatively, we sail up the river Guadiana and tie up alongside a river pontoon or anchor so as to wake up to the peaceful sounds of river life. Wednesday: Head on to the lagoon of Faro and negotiate the entrance in the dark! We normally have dinner on board or row ashore to sample the delicious, fresh local fare on the sand bar island of Culatra. Thursday: The lagoon of Faro is the perfect location for practising your pilotage skills by navigating up to Faro or Olhão, negotiating narrow channels between sand banks. After lunch we start heading back towards Ayamonte, stopping to spend the night in another beautiful anchorage, Tavira. Friday: Sail back to Ayamonte, yacht cleanup above and below decks, course debrief and certificate issue. Adjourn to the local watering hole for an après-course drink! Discounts
Discounts are not applicable to Special Offers
- 5% discount for repeat bookings.
- 5% discount for group bookings of 3 or more persons.
- 5% discount for booking two consecutive 5 day courses.
What your fees include
- Fully qualified professional instruction and use of all safety equipment.
- Breakfast, lunch and refreshments on board (plus two evening meals during 5 day practical courses).
- Fuel, mooring fees and harbour dues.
- Accommodation on board for practical courses (except Try a Day Sail / Day Charter).
- Freshly laundered linen plus loan of oilskins.
- Practice navigation charts, tables and course notes for shorebased courses.
- Tea, coffee and light refreshments for shorebased courses.
What is not included
- Flights and transfers (transfers from 12 euros per person).
- Meals eaten ashore.
- Accommodation for shorebased courses.
- RYA logbooks G15 (£4.75), VHF Radio (£5.50), Practical Course Notes for Competent Crew and Day Skipper (£9.20). If you would like to receive any of these items with your joining instructions, please order on your booking form and add £4.95 postage and packing. For other titles please visit our bookshop.
RYA Sail Cruising and Yachtmaster Scheme
Whilst there is no requirement to start with the most basic course and work your way through the RYA levels, the following table sets out the recommended route through the RYA Sail Cruising and Yachtmaster scheme. Those with prior experience can start at the level best suited for them. Please contact us for advice if you are unsure as to which course is appropriate for you.
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Duration Suggested minimum pre-course experience Assumed Knowledge 2 days None None This course is designed for complete beginners. Our aim is to give you an enjoyable introduction to cruising. The syllabus includes an introduction to sailing and seamanship. On completion of this course, you will have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework and be aware of safety on board. Holders of a Start Yachting certificate can obtain a Competent Crew certificate by completing a further three days or two weekends of the Competent Crew course.
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Duration Suggested minimum pre-course experience Assumed Knowledge 5 days None None This course is designed for both complete beginners, and those who have had some experience of either dinghy sailing or cruising. Our aim is to give you an enjoyable introduction to cruising. The syllabus includes a solid foundation in seamanship, boathandling, safety at sea, nautical terms, rope work, sail handling, rules of the road, helmsmanship and general duties above and below deck. On completion of this course, you should be a confident, useful crew member of a cruising yacht. Successful completion of this course also gives you the minimum requirements to qualify for the RYA Day Skipper course.
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RYA Day Skipper/International Certificate of Competence
Duration Suggested minimum pre-course experience Assumed Knowledge 5 days 5 days, 100 miles, 4 night hours Basic navigation and sailing ability On this course you will learn basic skippering techniques and boathandling skills in a variety of mooring situations. Under the guidance of your instructor, you will be put in charge on short passages and cover subjects such as deck work, sail trim, emergency situations and man overboard drill. The course also includes meteorology, engine checks, preparation for sea, passage planning, navigation and pilotage and rules of the road so that by the end of the course, a successful Day Skipper will be able to skipper a small yacht in familiar, tidal waters by day. Successful completion of this course also qualifies British Citizens and/or UK residents to apply for the International Certificate of Competence which may be required if you sail or charter in certain European countries - application forms are available from the RYA.
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Duration Suggested minimum pre-course experience Assumed Knowledge 5 days 15 days (2 as Skipper), 300 miles, 8 night hours Navigation to Coastal Skipper shorebased standard. Sailing to Day Skipper practical standard This course concentrates on the techniques and skills required to skipper a yacht on longer coastal and offshore passages. It includes passage planning, pilotage, advanced navigation and dealing with adverse weather and emergency situations. After the course, the successful candidate will be able to skipper a yacht safely on long distance coastal passages by day and by night in tidal waters.
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Duration
Knowledge 5 days
Variable
This course is designed for those between standards, ie between Competent Crew and Day Skipper, between Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper or between Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster standard wishing to gain further skippering experience and hone their sailing skills; it is also suitable for those who do not want to gain an RYA certificate but simply wish to sail for 5 days. The course provides valuable experience and sea miles and instruction is tailored to your needs. This is our most popular course - an excellent confidence builder.
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Duration
Pre-course Requirements
Assumed Knowledge
5 days
RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore with commercial endorsement
The current RYA syllabi from Start Yachting to Day Skipper
This 5 day course is for candidates who already hold a commercially endorsed RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore qualification who would like to teach the RYA syllabus up to Day Skipper level at an RYA recognised training centre. You must have good communication skills as well as a patient and easy-going personality.
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Duration
Pre-course Requirements 5 days
None
This is designed for those who simply wish to enjoy relaxing social cruising in the sunshine. You choose the pace on this holiday - the yacht is equipped with a sun awning and snorkelling equipment for those leisurely lunchtime stops and also an inflatable dinghy for getting ashore from that perfect anchorage location. During the charter we will be visiting some of the most beautiful anchorages and beaches that the Algarve has to offer with plenty of time ashore to visit local restaurants, shops and places of interest.
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RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Prep
* reduced requirements of 20 days and 400 miles for holders of the Coastal Skipper Course Completion Certificate.
Duration Minimum seatime within last 10 years Pre-course requirements 5 days Coastal Skipper: 30* days, 2 as skipper, 800* miles, 12 night hours Restricted (VHF only) Radio Operator’s Certificate or VHF Short Range Certificate First Aid Certificate
Yachtmaster Offshore: 50 days, 5 as skipper, 2,500 miles, 5 passages over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper This is an intensive, advanced level course for experienced sailors wishing to hone their skills in preparation for the RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster Offshore examination which is conducted by an independent examiner. This course concentrates on close quarters handling under sail and power, blind navigation, pilotage, crew management, rules of the road and any other areas that need brushing up. At least 50% of the minimum seatime required must have been obtained within tidal waters. For Yachtmasters the minimum experience in tidal water is: 1250 miles, 3 x 60 mile passages including one as skipper and one overnight. You must also have a sound knowledge of all aspects of the shorebased syllabus to Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore level.
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RYA Basic Navigation and Safety (Sail & Motor)
Duration Suggested Minimum pre-course experience Assumed Knowledge 2 days None None The aim of this course is to help you become more competent, knowledgeable and safer on the water. It provides a basic introduction to navigation and safety. You will cover subjects such as nautical terms, safety, chartwork, tides, meteorology, passage planning, pilotage and international regulations for preventing collisions at sea. A shorebased course completion certificate is issued upon successful completion of the course.
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RYA Day Skipper (Sail & Motor)
Duration Suggested Minimum pre-course experience Assumed Knowledge 5 days Some practical experience desirable None This course provides a thorough introduction to navigation and seamanship theory. You will cover subjects such as nautical terms, ropework, safety, chartwork, tides and tidal streams, meteorology, passage planning, pilotage and international regulations for preventing collisions at sea. A shorebased course completion certificate is issued upon successful completion of two short exams.
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RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore (Sail & Motor)
Duration Assumed Knowledge 5 days Navigation to Day Skipper shorebased standard This course is an advanced study of navigation, seamanship and meteorology. It deals with the more complex elements of safety, calculating tidal heights, secondary port tidal predictions, making offshore passages, pilotage and preparation for heavy weather. A shorebased certificate is issued upon successful completion of three short exams.
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Duration Assumed Knowledge 5 days Navigation to Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore shorebased standard A course in astro-navigation, worldwide meteorology and passage planning. A shorebased certificate is issued upon successful completion of an exam.
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Duration Assumed Knowledge 1 day Phonetic Alphabet An intensive one day course which covers all aspects of using VHF radio including the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and Digital Selective Calling. There is a short exam at the end of the day which should leave you confident in the use of this equipment.
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Duration Assumed Knowledge 1 day None A one day course designed to provide a working knowledge of First Aid procedures for people using small craft and to support skippers of yacht and motor vessels. It fulfils the requirements for skippers of small craft working within 60 miles of a safe haven. The course is MCA and HSE approved and is therefore sufficient for anyone requiring a commercial endorsement. The RYA First Aid certificate is valid for 3 years from date of issue.
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Duration Assumed Knowledge As required None Why not learn on your own boat? As long as your boat is equipped to RYA safety standards you and up to 4 others can do an RYA course on your own boat for £275 per day plus the instructor's food and travel expenses. RYA courses can only be conducted on sailing yachts, not power craft.
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