Professional Commercial Yachtmaster Offshore

We’re delighted to launch our Professional RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Programme which has been designed to help you reach the grade of RYA Yachtmaster Offshore by next summer and to assist you through the process of gaining a commercial endorsement.

Our next programme begins in October and consists of intensive and hands on training. By the end of the programme, you’ll have more than covered the required mileage for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore assessment. There’s an outline of the programme below, but please get in touch with us as we’d like to spend some time to talk to you about the programme in more detail.

The programme fees are €9,594.

What’s Included:

  • Accommodation onboard the yacht during practical courses
  • All meals during practical courses
  • Use of foul weather gear
  • All course materials and books
  • All examination and license fees, including VHF SRC License fee and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Assessment Fees

What’s not included:

Food and accommodation are not provided on days where practical on yacht courses are not taking place, nor during shorebased programmes (Day Skipper Theory, First Aid, Sea Survival and VHF Courses).

We do provide foul weather gear (waterproof overalls) but not footwear, however, we’d strongly recommend purchasing your own set of gear and would be happy to provide advice on what to get.

Previous Experience…

Our programme is designed with novice sailors in mind. Those with previous experience should get in touch as there may be aspects of the programme that you would not need to complete. Get in touch and we’d be delighted to chat about individual circumstances.

How do the modules work…

Once you complete each certificate course, we’ll issue you the certificate straight away. This means if you decide to stop during the programme, you’ll have all the qualifications obtained at that point.

We’ll use a variety of instructors on the programme, ensuring you’ll benefit from a spread of teaching styles and previous experience.

Interested, get in touch…

Please get in touch with us on +353 (0)1 2844195 or by email to sailing@inss.ie. Our chief instructor Kenneth Rumball is happy to have an in-depth telephone discussion about this programme or ideally, meet you down in Dun Laoghaire, show you the yachts and run you through the programme in detail.

Our cancellation policy for this course can be viewed here.

Detailed Programme Content

Module 1: Learn to Skipper – Sail & Powerboat

After this module, candidates will be sufficiently qualified to receive an ICC in both sail and power.

A – RYA Day Skipper Theory Course

This course is designed to give you the full range of theory skills needed to become a Day Skipper, focussing on tides, navigation, buoyage and planning passages.

The course will run Tuesday 31st October, Wednesday 1st, Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd November, 9am-6pm daily from our west pier clubhouse.

An examination will take place on Saturday 4th November from 9am.

B – Competent Crew Course

This 4-day programme covers the RYA Competent Crew syllabus. Even if you’ve previous experience, we’d recommend this course, as the whole programme is designed to iron out bad habits and form new best practice skills.

The course runs from 9am on Monday 6th November to 5pm on Thursday 9th November. There will be one or two late finishes, and while the course is running you’re welcome to live on board.

C – Day Skipper Practical

The training now shifts up a gear – you’re starting to make decisions and take on the skippering role, under the guidance of the instructor. Expect quite a few later finishes, as we build miles, experience and hours.

The course runs from 9am on Monday 13th to 5pm on Friday 17th November. Living on board is recommended for this course.

D – National Powerboat Certificate

This course is designed to give the training required for an ICC Power – a handy cert to have for commercial skippers who are abroad! The 2-day programme runs from 9.30am-5pm on Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st November.

E – Intermediate Powerboat Certificate

This course is the next step up – and applies navigation and theory skills from your sail training courses to powerboat passages. An important step along the pathway to the advanced powerboat qualification!

The course runs on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd November.

Module 2:  Shorebased & Advanced Powerboating

This module builds on the background skills required to operate a sailing vessel safely and builds powerboating experience.

A – VHF SRC Certificate

The Irish Department of Transport approved course – allowing you to use the qualification domestically for registering your own future boat with a ships radio licence, something the RYA VHF course doesn’t cover!

The course runs on Friday 24th November (6-9pm) and Saturday 25th November (9am-6pm).

B – First Aid

This one-day course meets the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore requirements. Taught by a sailor and paramedic with Dublin Fire Brigade the course is tailored to watersports users and is ideal for the programme.

The course runs Sunday 26th November from 10am-5pm.

C – Sea Survival Course

Required for the commercial endorsement, the course is designed to give you the confidence to cope with emergencies at sea. While the course primarily focusses on what to do when abandoning to a liferaft, there’s also general safety modules. The course runs on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th November, 10am-4pm each day, and includes a practical session conducted in a swimming pool with real liferafts.

D – Advanced Powerboat Certificate

The course pulls together the previous powerboat handling, nighttime sailing and navigation skills. Running Thursday 30th November (9.30am-9pm) and Friday 1st December (10am-4pm) you’ll be put through your paces in our fleet of 7.5m plus RIBS with 150hp, 200hp and 400hp.

Module 3: Better Skippering

Module 3 works on taking a competent skipper with all the background theory and honing skippering skills with a view to commercial work. This takes the form of short passages and marina/harbour pilotage as well as manoeuvring skills.

We also cover the RYA Coastal Skipper course in this module as well as building longer qualifying passages.

A – Day Navigation and Pilotage Week, Mooring and Manoeuvres

This programme runs from 9am on Monday 4th December until 5pm on Friday 8th December. The course will conclude each evening at 5pm, however, you are very welcome to live on board each day.

B – Theory & Navigation to Yachtmaster Level

Over the course of the last month and a half you’ll be applying the navigation and theory skills to Day Skipper level, however, you’ll have been doing plenty of work with your instructor onboard to a higher level. Rather than getting you back in for a full yachtmaster theory course, we’ll be running a week-long programme of training, with lessons in the morning and self-directed exercises and practise in the afternoon. This week we’ll also begin our winter maintenance on the yacht, so you’d be more than welcome to join in on some of the tasks and gain a better understanding of the jobs required to keep a cruising yacht sailing!

The lessons run Monday 11th to Friday 15th December, from 9.30am-12 noon each day.

Christmas Break

There is a 23 day break scheduled from Saturday 16th December to Monday 8th January. During this break, there is an optional sail repair, engine maintenance and boat maintenance workshop as the vessel used on the programme receives an inspection from our maintenance team. Programme participants are welcome to join while this work is carried out, get involved and take some extra skills away. There is no charge for this.

C – RYA Coastal Skipper Course

This course consists of skippering longer passages in a variety of situations. Each trainee will skipper more challenging passages and learn more about passage planning, pilotage by day and night, boat handling, safety and emergency situations.

This course runs from 9am on Monday 8th January 2024 until 5pm on Friday 12th January. This is a residential course, as passage lengths will not allow for return to home port, and indeed some full night sails are included.

Module 4: Further Sailing – Building Experience and Miles

At this point the formal course training has concluded and we’ll be totally focussed on building experience, both during the day and night, as well as sailing much longer passages, to include route planning and all associated skills.

This module starts with a specific focus on sailing at night, mimicking aspects of the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore assessment.

A – Advanced Night Navigation and Pilotage Week

A week where the focus is on passage planning and pilotage skills for night time sailing. During the day we’ll prepare the plans, then execute them. This is a residential week as the boat will be finishing late each night. The programme runs Monday 15th to Friday 19th January 2024.

B – Distance Sail 1 with Instructor – East Coast

A week of sailing – long passages, day and night, practising everything learnt so far. Runs Monday 22nd to Friday 26th January 2024.

C – Distance Sail 2 with Instructor – 7-days

We’ll head somewhere a bit further from home – usually the South Coast. Here you’ll experience passage planning and pilotage in a new environment. This component runs from Monday 29th January to Sunday 4th February.

D – Distance Sail 3 – Self Sail – 4-days

You’ll now be well able to set sail without your instructor, so for this period you’ll set off on a series of passages around the East Coast. Our yachtmaster instructor will help you prepare and will be on hand for questions, however, at the end of this period you should have a new-found confidence in your own skills.

This programme runs from Wednesday 7th February to Saturday 10th February.

Module 5: Yachtmaster Preparation and Assessment

  • YM Prep Week: Monday 12th – Friday 16th February 2024
  • YM Assessment: Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th February 2024

Costs and Quick Module Overview

Here we provide a quick overview of dates and course costs.

Module 1: Learn to Skipper – Sail & Powerboat

  • A – RYA Day Skipper Theory Course: Tuesday 31st October – Saturday 4th November
  • B – Competent Crew Course: Monday 6th – Thursday 9th November
  • C – Day Skipper Practical: Monday 13th – Friday 17th November
  • D – National Powerboat Certificate: Monday 20th & Tuesday 21st November
  • E – Intermediate Powerboat Certificate: Wednesday 22nd & Thursday 23rd November

Module 1 costs €2,500.

Module 2: Shorebased & Advanced Powerboating

  • A – VHF SRC Certificate: Friday 24th & Saturday 25th November – €275
  • B – First Aid: Sunday 26th November – €140
  • C – Sea Survival Course: Tuesday 28th & Wednesday 29th November – €300
  • D – Advanced Powerboat Certificate – Thursday 30th November and Friday 1st December – €400

The cost for Module 2 is €1,115, however, pro-rate pricing is available for those who already hold certain qualifications.

Module 3: Better Skippering

  • A – Day Navigation and Pilotage Week, Mooring and Manoeuvres: Monday 4th to Friday 8th December
  • B – Theory & Navigation to Yachtmaster Level: Monday 11th to Friday 15th December
  • C – RYA Coastal Skipper Course: Monday 8th to Friday 12th January

Module 3 costs €1,750.

Module 4: Further Sailing – Building Experience and Miles

  • A – Advanced Night Navigation and Pilotage Week: Monday 15th to Friday 19th January
  • B – Distance Sail 1 with Instructor – East Coast: Monday 22nd to Friday 26th January
  • C – Distance Sail 2 with Instructor – 7-days: Monday 29th to Sunday 4th February
  • D – Distance Sail 3 – Self Sail – 4-days: Wednesday 7th to Friday 10th February

The cost for module 4 is €3,100.

Module 5: Yachtmaster Preparation and Assessment

  • YM Prep Week: Monday 12th – Friday 16th February 2024
  • YM Assessment: Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th February 2024

Module 5 costs €1,129. This includes the RYA examiners fee.

Total Fees:

The total programme fees are €9,594. We can organise payment plans as required.

Extra Information…

RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competency

  • A Radio Operator’s Qualification: GMDSS Short Range Certificate (SRC) or higher,
  • A valid first aid certificate
  • Sea time – 50 days, 2,500 miles which includes at least 5 passages over 60 miles – with the candidate acing as skipper for at least two of these passages and two that have involved overnight passages. The candidate must have a minimum of five days as skipper. Half of the qualifying seatime must have been accrued in tidal waters.

Please ensure to have records of your qualifying passages ready in advance of the course commencement. Please see the RYA’s notes on Qualifying Passages.

Successful completion of the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore satisfies the training and qualification requirements for the commercial endorsement. There are a few other requirements which you’d need to organise yourself, listed below.

Additional Commercial Endorsement Requirements:

  • Professional Practises and Responsibilities – Short Online Course we’ll organise for you.
  • Medical Examination – Organised by yourself
  • Eye Test – Organised by yourself

Commercial Endorsement Procedures

Irish commercial endorsements are processed by Irish Sailing, more here…

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    Reviews

    star rating  Really lovely staff, super friendly. Would highly recommend the kayak and paddle board rentals! Great with a small group or big group.

    Megan C
    June 1, 2020

    star rating  My 12 year old goes to Saturday sailing club after doing summer camp. He’s hooked and absolutely loves it! The instructors are great and very good with the kids -... read more

    Gary C
    October 8, 2022

    star rating  I have just done the RYA Competent Crew course here, five-days aboard the 36-foot Beaufort Venture under the guidance of instructor Gary Curran. The whole week surpassed my expectations, and... read more

    PatrickKinsella
    July 1, 2017