The Day Skipper is a course for aspiring skippers with some yachting experience and basic navigation and sailing skills. Learn to take full responsibility for the yacht and its crew.

Skipper passages with the instructor on hand to give advice and encouragement while ensuring your safety. Experience being in charge, taking credit when it all goes well and being responsible when it doesn’t.  To qualify for this course, you will have taken the Competent Crew Course with us or have spent at least 5 days on a yacht acting as an effective crew member.

We strongly recommend that you complete the Day Skipper Shorebased Theory Course first, which will give you the background theory knowledge making the navigation work aboard much easier. You will be required to have assumed knowledge of theory to the level of RYA Day Skipper. Please be aware that the instructor will test you on this level of knowledge. 

Holders of the Day Skipper Certificate, are then eligible to make an application to Irish Sailing to obtain an ICC (International Certificate of Competency).

Sleeping arrangements & berthing port overnight 

We will aim to berth overnight in Dun Laoghaire each evening, so that if you will be free to head off home and re-join the boat in the morning. Alternatively if you are welcome to stay on board if you are not living locally. There will be one late evening sail which will be agreed with the Skipper at the beginning of the week.

We do not supply sleeping bags or sheets for the bunks, we require clients to bring their own sleeping bag and pillow for all courses.

Participants are recommended to have the following experience, minimium 5 days at sea; 100miles logged, and at least 4 hours at night. You will also be required to have assumed knowledge of theory to the level of RYA Day Skipper, and the instructor will test you on this level of knowledge.