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Members taking the 5 day Coastal Skipper (CS) or Yachtmaster (YM) Examination Preparation Course and 2 day Examination, will follow a syllabus to prepare them for the examination (full requirements can be found in the RYA publication G15 – Sail Cruising Scheme Syllabus & Logbook). Successful completion of the examination results in a Certificate of Competence. The RYA/MCA have set minimum experience levels for these certificates. For Coastal Skipper these are:
- 30 days onboard (a day is a complete period of 24 hours)
- 2 days sailing as skipper
- 800 miles
- 12 night hours
For candidates who have successfully completed the 5-day Coastal Skipper practical, the mileage requirement is 400 miles with 20 days onboard, 2 as skipper and 12 night hours.
A CS will have the knowledge needed to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises, but does not necessarily have the experience needed to undertake longer passages.
Yachtmaster candidates will require:
- 50 days onboard
- 5 days sailing as skipper
- 2500 miles
- 5 passages over 60 miles, including 2 overnight; 2 of these passages must be as skipper
Both CS and YM candidates will additionally need to hold a radio operator’s certificate and a valid first aid certificate.
The mileage requirement for a YM ticket is quite high and is designed to encourage candidates to sail in a variety of weather conditions and to different harbours and anchorages. A YM should be able to enter any charted harbour for the first time, with sufficient rise of tide, by day or night. Almost all Yachtmaster examinations involve night sailing. The examination is essentially a test of the ability to take charge of a yacht, so broad experience sailing as a skipper is very important. Navigation, boat handling, sail trim and man overboard recovery should be at a good standard. Members intending to take this examination are recommended to obtain quality sea-time outside the Solent visiting less familiar harbours requiring a good knowledge of tidal heights.
Any member of the training team will be happy to discuss the experience required to take this examination.
Members who obtain a CS or YM Certificate of Competence will meet one of the qualifications required to become a Club Coastal or Offshore Skipper.
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