RYA Day Skipper Practical

FUN | SAFE | CONFIDENCE BUILDING | PROGRESSION | SKIPPERING | PILOTAGE

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5.0 based on 1000+ Happy Sailors

5 days 950 Max 5 students

A course for aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills.



Upcoming Course Dates

Sail practical course boarding location

RYA Day Skipper Practical is a must for skippers who wish to take out their family and friends, the entry level to skippering and a minimum qualification.

The course is designed to teach you to "take charge" safely and confidently. A skipper does much more than navigate. He/She is responsible for the complete safety and wellbeing of the yacht and crew.

The student will learn to skipper a short passage with the instructor on hand to give advice and encouragement and ensure your safety, have the experience being in charge and taking control of the yacht and the crew.

There is particular emphasis on boat handling for Day Skippers and during the course you will practice mooring under various conditions. For those we need extra practicing and training of boat manoeuvring, we have a special Boat Handling Course for that.

Along the Day Skipper course, you will visit some great harbours, bays, and anchorages to practice pilotage techniques which, like boat handling, is an essential skill for the aspiring skipper. You will complete at least 4 night hours sailing to experience night pilotage and identify lights.

Upon the completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day. Students who successfully complete the Day Skipper course are awarded the RYA Day Skipper practical course completion certificate.

RYA Day Skipper Practical licence is the entry level and the minimum requirement for chartering yachts in many locations around the world, coupled it with your Marine Radio VHF license. This course will also enable you to apply for the ICC (International Certificate of Competence, limited to certain nationalities).

The course lasts 5 days. Each day the course starts at 09:30 and ends at around 17:00 (except for the day of night sail). The course is usually run from Monday to Friday every week. Accommodation onboard during the course is included in the course price.

You are also welcome to charter the whole yacht for yourself and take your RYA Day Skipper course in a more relaxed way for yourself and friends/family (they can take their RYA Competent Crew course with you at same time, up to 5 students per course). More details on private group/family sailing course can be found here.

  • Pre-course experience: 5 days at sea, 100 nautical miles, and 4 night hours onboard a sailing yacht. If you haven't achieved this yet, we recommend starting with the RYA Competent Crew course.
  • Required knowledge: Navigation knowledge to Day Skipper Theory level and basic sailing ability. We highly recommend completing the theory component before attempting the practical.
  • To prepare fully, you can take our Day Skipper Package Course, which includes the RYA Day Skipper Theory, RYA Day Skipper Practical, and RYA VHF Radio course—offered with a 10% package discount.
  • If you already hold a Day Skipper certificate but haven’t sailed in a while, consider our Day Skipper Refresher / Plus course to rebuild your confidence and skills.
  • Day Skipper Practical Course duration: Minimum of 5 days
  • Minimum age: 16 years old

The course syllubus includes: preparation for sea, deck work, navigation, pilotage, meteorology, rules of the road, maintenance and repair work, engines, victualling, emergency situations, yacht handling under power, yacht handling under sail, passage making, night cruising.

Preparing for Sea

  • We will supply you with a checklist-at the end of your course!

Working on Deck

  • Reefing for prevailing conditions
  • Preparing a yacht for anchor
  • Berthing alongside buoy, springing off and general boat handling

Navigation on board

  • Plotting fixes, using GPS, DR & EP, tidal heights and streams, course to steer, ships log, depth log and lead line

Pilotage

  • Leading lines and transits, sounding etc

Weather

  • Interpretation of barometer and shipping forecasts, source of forecasts

IRPCS

  • Working knowledge

Stocking up

  • How to ensure enough of everything required is on board

Emergency

  • Must be able to recover an MOB

Emergency equipment

  • VHF & distress messaging
  • Towing (maybe with a real tow!)
  • Helicopter rescue procedures

Fix it!

  • Can make minor repairs/impeller change for example

Engines

  • Thorough brief on fuel and cooling systems, including routine engine checks

Handling a yacht under power

Handling a yacht under sail

Passage working

  • Plan a passage, and undertake it with yacht and crew

Night Cruising

  • Now included in the DS syllabus to give day sailors experience of night entries

More advanced boat handling and skippering skills

  • Rafting up to another boat
  • Sail onto/off your anchor
  • Learn new and useful MOB techniques
  • Sail setting and trimming skills
  • Advanced pilotage including an introduction to CS/YM techniques
  • Crew welfare including hygiene on board
  • Theory revision on any topics of your choosing

Supporting books for this course:

RYA Day Skipper Practical Course Notes
RYA Day Skipper Handbook Sail
day-skipper-note day-skipper-handbook

bavaria44 bavaria44-galley bavaria44-cabin

Learn to Skipper a Yacht with Confidence – RYA Day Skipper Practical Course in Malta

Master the essential skills to confidently skipper a small sailing yacht by day with the RYA Day Skipper Practical course. Based in sunny Malta, this hands-on 5-day sailing course covers key topics including coastal navigation, passage planning, practical pilotage, seamanship, and boat handling—such as Med-style mooring, a must for sailing in the Mediterranean.

Unlike a traditional exam, assessment is continuous and based on your ability to safely skipper the yacht throughout the course. If your instructor confirms that you're competent and safe to take a small yacht to sea in moderate conditions, you’ll be awarded the RYA Day Skipper certificate.

Eligible students may also convert this certificate into the ICC (International Certificate of Competence), which is required for chartering in many European waters, depending on your nationality.

You’ll be training aboard “Lookfar,” a spacious Bavaria 44 Cruiser moored at Manoel Island Marina in Malta—just a short walk from the popular Paparazzi restaurant. The course begins daily at 09:30, and onboard accommodation is available and included from Monday to Friday. Early boarding on Sunday or staying Friday night is possible by request.

Weather permitting, you’ll explore the stunning Maltese Islands, including Gozo and Comino, gaining real experience with navigation and pilotage. While most nights return to base, some night sailing will be included to practice night navigation and identify lights at sea.

With consistent winds, crystal-clear waters, and 300+ days of sunshine a year, Malta is the ideal location to complete your RYA Day Skipper Practical course. Join us and take the first step towards chartering your own yacht or building your sailing career!

Our RYA Day Skipper Practical course is led by highly experienced instructors who are native English speakers and passionate about teaching sailing in a clear, friendly, and practical way. The course fee covers everything essential for a seamless learning experience, including port and mooring fees, fuel, tourist tax, and general yacht maintenance—so there are no hidden extras.

You’ll stay onboard a well-equipped yacht, with three double cabins and one bunk bed cabin available for student accommodation. More details on accommodation onboard click here.

Tea and coffee are provided daily onboard (alcohol is not included), and we recommend grabbing a light breakfast at the nearby Bus Stop Lounge (just 200 meters from the marina) and bringing along a packed lunch each day. You are also welcome to cook your own meals onboard in our fully equipped gally (kitchen).

While not sailing, you have access to shore-based marina facilities including clean toilets and showers conveniently located by the marina gate. Our base at Manoel Island Yacht Marina is ideally situated in one of Malta’s most lively and scenic areas—full of shops, restaurants, and cafes all within walking distance.

Upon successful completion of your RYA Day Skipper course, you’ll receive the official RYA Day Skipper Certificate—a globally recognised qualification and your first major step toward skippering a sailing yacht with confidence. This certificate proves you’re ready to take charge, plan passages, and ensure the safety of your crew and vessel in familiar waters by day. It also allows you to charter your own yacht from charter companies.

vhf course

It highly recommended to take RYA Marine Radio VHF course. VHF course will be useful if you want to do chartering in the future, because you are required to hold a VHF certificate for that purpose. The course is designed and created by RYA, and it will be given online. Once you complete the online course, you will have a 30 minutes exam with us during your stay in Malta. Usually it takes 1-2 days to complete. You can do it before, during, or after DSP course.

To book VHF course, simply add it in the Course Booking Page, and we will send you a log-in and instructions after receiving your booking.

If you choose for accommodation onboard, full bedding is supplied, sheets, pillows and blankets. Also, we provide towels for use on the yacht but not beach towels. If you should require more than one towel during the week, please do bring your own additional towel.

  • Packed lunch
  • Sunglasses
  • High factor sun cream
  • Deck shoes if possible, otherwise soft shoes with a non marking sole, or just barefoot
  • Shorts (Please be aware that these are liable to get dirty, so not your bestones!)
  • T-Shirts
  • Wash Kit
  • Fleece or jumper for the evenings and windy days at sea
  • Soft bag as opposed to a hard suitcase (we can store luggage if you are staying on)
  • Light long sleeved shirt if you need to cover up in the sun
  • Baseball/sun hat (preferably with a clip to stop it blowing overboard!)
  • Sea sickness tablets should you need them
  • Sailing Gloves (if available)
  • Phone/ Ipod / lap top chargers – 12V (cigarette style chargers) if needed
  • And above all, enthusiasm!

Please note that the temperatures in Malta are normally very warm during the day but it can be cold in the evenings and windy days at sea. It is a good idea to bring a small light rain mac if you have one and also a pair of long trousers and a warm fleece, just in case. Please note that We don't provide wet weather gear onboard.

If you need a flight to Malta International, the airport code is MLA. There is only one airport.

Malta International Airport (MLA) is well connected to many European cities, especially major hubs. Low-cost carriers dominate many of the connections, especially from regional airports.

On arrival at Malta airport, there is a kiosk at the exit from the airport where you can pre pay the taxi to the boat. Destination: Manoel Island Yacht Marina Pontoon D.

The cost of this is usually 25 Euro. It only takes about 20 minutes to arrive our marina fron the airport. The taxi drivers speak good English.

Cheaper transport option would be use taxi app such as: Bolt and Ecab. There are plenty of taxi connected to these apps.

You will have a short safety brief on arrival to familiarise yourself with the boat and meet your crew mates!

For more details about course, logistics, accommodation, booking, and certificate, please refer to the FAQ's section.

After completing the Day Skipper practical course it is really worthwhile consolidating what you have learnt by completing some more sea miles. This could be achieved by joining our Malta-Sicily Mile Building Trip, or just coming along for another week or weekend of refresher/consolidation training. Following this you should look to join the RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Theory Course

RYA-sail-course-system Next step: RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Theory »

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