Course Overview
Quiz-based Day Skipper learning for sailors who want to understand chartwork, tides, pilotage, weather, lights, buoyage, and COLREGS without drowning in jargon.
Follow the recommended sequence or jump to a topic that needs attention.
Module 1
Master the IALA Region A buoyage system used across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. This module covers lateral marks, cardinal marks, isolated danger marks, safe water marks, special marks, topmarks, light characteristics, and practical pilotage interpretation — everything you need for your RYA Day Skipper theory exam.
Module 2
Learn the essential COLREGS steering and sailing rules every Day Skipper must know. This module covers give-way and stand-on responsibilities, sailing vessel encounters (port vs starboard tack, windward vs leeward), power vs sail, overtaking, crossing, head-on situations, lookout, safe speed, and the overriding duty to avoid collision. Practical scenarios and misconception-busting questions prepare you for real decisions afloat.
Module 3
Master the navigation lights and day shapes every Day Skipper must recognise. This module covers sidelights, stern lights, masthead lights, all-round lights, sailing and power-driven vessel lights, anchored and aground signals, not under command, restricted in ability to manoeuvre, day shapes, light arcs, tricolour lanterns, and practical night-time recognition. Scenario-based questions and misconception checks prepare you for confident identification on the water.
Module 4
This module covers the fundamentals of using a compass at sea — from understanding the compass card and cardinal directions to reading headings, taking bearings, and steering a steady course. You will learn the difference between true north and magnetic north, how to calculate reciprocal headings, and how to avoid the most common mistakes beginners make when navigating by compass. Everything here builds the foundation you need before tackling variation, deviation, and chartwork.
Module 5
This module covers the essential chart-reading skills every Day Skipper needs — from understanding charted depths and drying heights to interpreting symbols for rocks, wrecks, and obstructions. You will learn how to read depth contours, seabed information, compass roses, harbour plans, and leading lines. The module targets common beginner mistakes and builds practical confidence in extracting safety-critical information from a nautical chart.
Module 6
This module teaches how positions are described at sea and how to fix your position on a nautical chart. You will learn latitude and longitude notation, how to read and plot positions, how transits and compass bearings create lines of position, and the basics of dead reckoning and estimated position. These are the foundational chartwork skills every Day Skipper needs.
Module 7
This module builds the foundation you need before tackling tidal calculations. You will learn why tides happen, what springs and neaps really mean, how tidal range affects depth and access, and how to think about tides as a practical planning tool for safe coastal sailing.
Module 8
This module teaches you how to work out available depth and make safe depth-related decisions. You will learn chart datum, drying heights, how to calculate actual depth, under-keel clearance, safe entry windows, and how to plan passages through shallow or drying areas with proper safety margins.
Module 9
This module covers the horizontal movement of water — tidal streams — and how they affect your boat's track, speed, and passage timing. You will learn to read tidal diamonds and stream atlases, plan departures and arrivals around favourable tide, understand set and drift, and appreciate the risks of underestimating stream near headlands and harbour entrances. This is essential knowledge for safe and efficient coastal passage planning.
Module 10
This module introduces the difference between where your boat points and where it actually goes. You will learn about heading, course over ground, tidal set and drift, leeway, and the logic behind calculating a course to steer. These concepts form the foundation of practical chartwork and are essential for safe coastal navigation at Day Skipper level.
Module 11
Master the planning and execution of safe harbour approaches and entries. This module covers pilotage plans, transits, leading marks, clearing bearings, danger bearings, soundings, night pilotage, and the common mistakes that catch out even experienced sailors. Focused on practical, Day Skipper-level seamanship for confined and shallow waters.
Module 12
Learn to plan a safe coastal passage from berth to berth. This module covers the APEM framework (Appraisal, Planning, Execution, Monitoring), weather checks, tidal windows, hazard identification, waypoint selection, escape ports, crew briefing, fuel and engine checks, pilotage notes, conservative decision-making, and why good planning covers both the voyage and the arrival. Focused on practical, Day Skipper-level judgement for small cruising yachts.
Module 13
Practical weather knowledge for short coastal passages. This module covers pressure systems, fronts, fog, sea breezes, the shipping forecast, Beaufort scale, weather warnings, local effects, cloud clues, and go/no-go decisions — everything an RYA Day Skipper needs to read weather confidently and cautiously.
Module 14
Learn to choose, set, and monitor an anchor safely on a small cruising yacht. This module covers anchor types, scope ratios, seabed suitability, choosing an anchorage, swinging room, setting and recovering the anchor, anchor watch, tide and wind considerations, and common beginner mistakes — all at RYA Day Skipper theory level.
Module 15
Master the ropework and knots every Day Skipper needs aboard a cruising yacht. This module covers rope terminology, materials and construction, the eight RYA essential knots (bowline, round turn and two half hitches, clove hitch, figure of eight, reef knot, sheet bend, double sheet bend, rolling hitch), cleating technique, coiling and stowing, securing fenders, mooring line arrangement, and common beginner mistakes — all at RYA Day Skipper theory level.
Module 16
Understand the essential engine checks and warning signs relevant to a small auxiliary yacht engine. This module covers pre-start checks, fuel and oil awareness, cooling systems, battery management, gearbox basics, warning signs after starting, common beginner mistakes, and simple troubleshooting — all at RYA Day Skipper theory level. The focus is on skipper awareness and safe practice, not mechanic-level repair.
Module 17
Understand the essential actions, priorities, and terminology used in onboard emergencies on a small cruising yacht. This module covers distress, urgency, and safety categories, Mayday and Pan Pan awareness, VHF/DSC basics, flare types and usage, flooding and fire response, collision procedures, abandoning to a liferaft, skipper priorities, emergency preparation and drills, and common dangerous assumptions — all at RYA Day Skipper theory level.
Module 18
Learn the immediate priorities and practical awareness needed during a man overboard (MOB) situation. This module covers the critical first actions, crew coordination, flotation aids, recovery approaches under sail and power, cold water dangers, and common beginner mistakes — all at RYA Day Skipper theory level.
Module 19
Apply the COLREGS in realistic small-craft encounters. This scenario-driven module tests your ability to make the right call when vessels converge — crossing, overtaking, head-on, sail versus power, narrow channels, and more. Every question puts you in the cockpit and asks what you should actually do. Designed to build practical judgement, not just rule recall.
Module 20
Build the awareness, planning skills, and cautious mindset needed for safe sailing after dark. This module covers night vision preservation, cockpit light discipline, lookout duties, fatigue management, night pilotage, harbour entry in darkness, conservative passage planning, and common beginner mistakes — essential knowledge for any Day Skipper venturing out at night.
Module 21
Develop the judgement, priorities, and mindset expected of a safe small-craft skipper. This capstone module covers go/no-go decisions, crew management, fatigue awareness, weather margins, risk assessment, communication, conservative seamanship, and the leadership habits that tie the whole Day Skipper course together — all at RYA Day Skipper theory level.
