RYA Day Skipper Theory

• General Seamanship
• Parts of the boat
• Securing the boat on the dock
• Preparation for Sea
• Sailing Knots
• Anchoring Techniques
• Basic Sailing Theory including
•     setting sails
•     how a yacht actually moves into the wind
•     manouvers
•     steering and maintaing a heading with the wind

Being able to work out where you are, what hazards are nearby and where you can go using multiple methos is what separates good navigators from those who just follow a GPS.

• Identification of fixed, visual, aids to navigation.
• Developing a three position fix using landmarks, navigation aids, a compass, and a chart.
• Understanding reasonable error in creating a fix.
• Useage of paper and electronic charts
• Depth contours, fixed navigational aids, three point fixes
• Compensating for tide when determining a course to steer.
• Dead Reckoning Positioning based on speed, direction and time.
• Determining Estimated Position from Leeway, Tidal streams and Current.
• Verification of Position
• Basics of Integrating Practical Navigation with Electronic Navigation Aids

Nothing has changed navigation like the advent of GPS and affordable radar. Unforunately not everyone understands what has been gained and what has been lost. Good navigation practices strive to seek a balance between the convenience of electronic navigation, and the established safe practice of traditional navigation techniques.

• Understanding the fundamentals of the different satelite navigation systems.
• Understanding the limits of satellite navigation systems and how to compensate for them.
• Passage Planning with electronic navigation systems.
• Understaning how ALL your sailing and navigation instruments play a part in modern navigation.

The impact of Tidal movements are more than just the inward and outward flow of seawater

• Understanding the causes of tidal movements.
• Understanding why there can be dramatic differences in tidal behaviour in geographically similar locations.
• Compensating for tidal changes for anchoring and mooring.
• Recognising the different methods to find information about tidal movements.
• Understanding Tidal Streams and there effect on navigation.
• Calcuating secondary port data from a primary port.
• Predicting the impact of tidal streams on your journey and how to compensate for them.
• Compensating for the impact of tidal streams on your journey using manual methods incase of electronics failure.

• Triggers for different weather systems.
• Understanding current weather and predictive weathr forecases and the impact on your journey.
• Interpreting synoptic charts
• Correlating your observations with the expected behaviour from the forecast.
• Analysing onboard instrumentation such as wind and barometric pressure to compare observations with predicted behaviour and monitoring anticipated progression.
• Local weather patterns
• Geographicaly specific weather patterns

Did you know that SOLAS requirements now mandate that any vessel heading to open water must have a passage plan? What is a passage plan>

• Introduction to passage planning with waypoints and visual aids..
• Understanding the effects of tide and current on all passages.
• Identification of Port Entry Requirments, and recomended approach methods.
• Interpreting the impacts of weather and tide on your planned trip.
• Identification of Hazards.
• Ports of Refuge.
• Creq management and Safety

• Recognition and Identification
• Determination of purpose
• Lighting, shapes and colour schemes.
• IALA-A and IALA-B schemes.
• Identification on a chart and GPS plotter.

Did you know that any indication of fire on a vessel is regarded automatically by search and rescue as a mayday.

• Recognition of distress Signals
• Radio Telephony Mayday Calls.
• Required Safety Equipment.
• Conducting Safety Briefings
• Basic sea survival including
  - use of liferafts
  - life jackets and required specification
  - helicopter rescue
  - use of flares
• General Vessel Safety
• Emergency Response and Management
• Identification of different types of fire extinguishers, fire supresssion and fire prevention.
• Radar Reflectors
• Actions in Reduced Visibility

• Collision Avoidance
• Rules of the Road
• Vessel Identification Lights
• Your own ships lights
• Day Shapes
• Sound Signals
• Right of way in complex situations
• Practical Right of way.