FAQ's: About The RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Course (Power)

How much does the RYA Coastal Practical Power course cost?

You will be looking at prices of up to £700 (approx. $1,100 or 880 Euros) depending on when and where you do it.

What will you get out of it?

The Coastal Skipper course is the next step for those who already have a Day Skipper (Power) certificate and wish to learn more about seamanship and navigation, perhaps for a more adventurous trip such as a multi night passage of 500 miles or more.

What are your limits after passing the Coastal Skipper Practical (Power)?

Essentially you will be able to do similar passages to that of a Day Skipper, only with some overnight trips. As an example you might wish to do a run from London to Padstow over a couple of days. With the Day Skipper (Power) you would only sail during daylight hours.

It is interesting to note that at speeds of 30 knots you can cover a considerably greater distance in a day than on a typical cruising yacht, that could do a third of the distance in the same time with perfect conditions. As such, the Coastal Skipper (Power) is a very advanced course in terms of the cruising distance you can do.

Is it theory, practical or both?

There will be theoretical elements that come into play such as passage planning and high speed position fixing, but as the name of this course suggests, this is a mainly practical course. 

Where can you take the course?

Anywhere training centre in the world that is accredited by the RYA to offer this course.

What level of experience do you need before you begin the Coastal Skipper?

You will need;

• 8 night hours aboard
• 15 days at sea of which 2 must be as skipper, and..
• 300 logged miles of experience.  300 miles can be done in 10 hours on a calm summer’s day – a passage from London to Falmouth is almost that distance…

What's the duration of the course?

The Coastal Skipper Practical (Power) course takes around a week to complete.

What does this course involve?

The most important core skill to learn here is confident, assertive leadership skills. These will come with confidence in all the basic seamanship, safety and engine maintenance skills, so you are decisive as a situation arises.

You will cover those skills through repeated drills, until for example dealing with an engine fire becomes second nature.

You will also develop your navigational skills for both day and night, so telling a cardinal mark using its lights becomes as easy as spotting the shapes you see by day for example.

How do I progress after completing it?

You can do the Coastal Skipper Practical as part of your preparation for the Yachtmaster exam. This system is simpler in terms of what you need to cover than the sailing equivalent but is no less challenging.

Does this course give you international accreditation?

No, but you can apply for the appropriate International Certificate of Competence with this accreditation.

Where can I learn more about the Coastal Skipper Practical Power course?

Take a look at the syllabus for this course.