RYA Day Skipper Online Theory

1. 01 Nautical Terms
2. 02 Seamanship
3. 03 Safety
4. 04 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (IRPCS)
5. 05 Compass
6. 06 Navigational Drawing Instruments
7. 07 Position, Course and Speed
8. 08 Navigational Charts and Publications
9. 09 Tides and Tidal Streams
10. 10 Chartwork
11. 11 Visual Aids to Navigation
12. 12 GPS
13. 13 Meteorology
14. 14 Navigation in Restricted Visibility
15. 15 Pilotage
16. 16 Marine Environment
17. 17 Passage Planning

How the Course Works

Step 01

Online Learning

Work through the interactive modules at your own pace. Each section includes clear explanations, diagrams, and practice exercises to reinforce your learning.

Step 02

Instructor Support

You'll be assigned a dedicated RYA Yachtmaster™ Instructor to answer your questions via email, phone, Skype or FaceTime.

Step 03

Course Materials

All charts, books and equipment are sent First Class in your free Urban Truant bag, including:

• Quality plotter and dividers for chartwork
• RYA training charts and almanac
• RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Notes

• Quality plotter and dividers
• RYA training charts and almanac
• RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Notes
• Unlimited instructor access
• Free shipping in Urban Truant bag

• What is the RYA Day Skipper theory course?

  RYA Day Skipper theory is the shorebased course that gives you the navigation and seamanship knowledge to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day. You'll cover chartwork, tides, pilotage, weather, buoyage, electronic navigation and the collision regulations across a minimum of 40 hours of study.

  It's the knowledge half of the Day Skipper qualification, and it pairs with the five-day practical course where you put it to work on the water. We teach both, so the theory you learn online is the same theory our instructors build on when you come to Hamble for your practical.

  You can start your theory course with little or no experience, and most people take it before their practical course, so they arrive ready to work on skippering skills rather than learn navigation from scratch.

• How long does Day Skipper theory take to complete?

  Day Skipper theory takes a minimum of 40 hours of study set by the RYA, plus time for the exam. Studying online, you set the pace, and most people work through it over a few weeks to a couple of months by doing an hour or two at a time.

  The chartwork and tidal-height sections are the ones that reward slowing down, because they're methods you'll use for real once you're skippering. You can repeat any lesson or exercise as often as you need before moving on.

  Leave a little time beyond the 40 hours to redo any tests that you found hard; the exam mirrors the exercises you've already done, and going in familiar with the format takes the pressure off.

• How much does Day Skipper theory cost?

  RYA Day Skipper theory with Urban Truant is £260, which includes the online course, your chart and plotting kit, tutor support and the exam.

  The physical course materials are provided to support your online study: you'll plot on real charts using your Portland plotter and ultralight dividers rather than working on screen alone, and these tools carry over into your practical course and your own sailing.

  It's worth checking whether your quoted price includes all course materials and postage. With Urban Truant, everything is included, and there are no hidden costs.

• Is Day Skipper theory hard?

  Day Skipper theory is well within reach for most people, and the maths goes no further than adding and subtracting. The chartwork and tidal calculations take the most practice, because they're new skills, and they're taught in clear steps that build up gradually.

  The parts students find fiddliest are working up a course to steer and calculating secondary port tidal heights; both follow a set method, and we include templates to help the process sink in. Once the method lands, they tend to become the satisfying bits.

  Learning online suits this well, because you can rerun a tricky lesson or redo an exercise until it clicks, at your own speed.

• Can you do Day Skipper theory online?

  Yes, you can complete RYA Day Skipper theory entirely online and sit the exam from home. You work through narrated lessons, exercises and tests at your own pace, and you earn the same RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Certificate as a classroom course.

  Online study suits people fitting learning around work and family, and you get instructor support by email or phone whenever a topic needs unpicking.

  Because we run the practical courses too, we can line up your Day Skipper practical at Hamble for when the theory's done, so your learning carries through from the screen to the helm.

• Do you need to do the theory before the practical course?

  You need navigation understanding to the level of Day Skipper theory, and if you don't already hold that level of knowledge, the online theory course is your solution.

  On our practical courses, the five days are for boat handling, pilotage, use of electronic aids, mooring and taking charge, and there isn't room to teach chartwork and tides from the beginning. Students who've done the theory first get far more from the week.

  From running both sides, the smoothest path we see is theory first, then the practical course while it's still fresh, so the two reinforce each other.

• What does the Day Skipper qualification let you do?

  The RYA Day Skipper qualification shows you can take charge of a small cruising yacht on short passages in familiar tidal waters by day. With the theory and practical together, you'll have the navigation, pilotage and handling to skipper with a crew aboard.

  The Day Skipper Practical qualification is the level most charter companies ask for before they'll hand over a bareboat, especially in the Mediterranean, and it supports an application for the International Certificate of Competence for sailing abroad.

  The theory certificate proves the shorebased knowledge behind all of that, and the practical course is where you show you can apply it afloat, which is why the two go together.

• Does Day Skipper theory expire?

  No, the RYA Day Skipper theory certificate doesn't expire. Once you pass, it's yours permanently. It records the knowledge you showed at the time, so the thing worth keeping current is your own skill if you've been away from the water for a while.

  Charter companies and insurers sometimes ask for evidence of recent experience alongside the certificate, particularly after a long gap, so a refresher helps when you come back to it.

  If your navigation has gone rusty, working back through the online course is an easy way to sharpen up before a bigger trip or your next practical course. On request, we provide full lifetime access to the entire online course material after you have completed the final exams, so you can revise and remind yourself at any point.

• What's covered in the Day Skipper theory syllabus?

  The Day Skipper theory syllabus covers position fixing, chartwork, electronic navigation, tides and tidal streams, buoyage, lights, pilotage, passage planning, weather and the collision regulations. Together they give you what you need to plan and navigate a short coastal passage safely.

  Navigation and tides sit at the centre, because they're the skills you lean on most as a skipper. You'll learn to work up a course to steer, calculate tidal heights, keep track of your position and read a chart with confidence.

  The weather module teaches you to interpret a forecast and read the sky and barometer, and the safety and collision-regulations sections make sure you understand your responsibilities before you take charge.

• Do you need sailing experience before starting the theory?

  No sailing experience is needed to start Day Skipper theory. It's a shorebased course, so complete beginners are welcome, though a little time afloat first helps the pilotage and navigation make sense.

  A lot of people study the theory over winter and book their first practical courses for spring, which works nicely because the classroom knowledge gives the on-the-water learning something to attach to.

  If you've never sailed, a taste of it through RYA Competent Crew or crewing for friends is useful background, though the theory itself asks for no prior qualification.

• Can you fail Day Skipper theory?

  Yes, you can fail the Day Skipper theory exam, though it's uncommon and resits are included. The exam checks your navigation, tides and knowledge of the collision regulations, and students who've worked through the course and the tests usually pass first time or with just a few revisited questions.

  If a paper doesn't go your way, you can resit the part you found hard rather than the whole thing, with your instructor pointing you to where to focus.

  The surest preparation is doing the practice exercises as you go; they're built in the style of the exam and show you early where your understanding needs firming up.

• Is Day Skipper enough for an ICC?

  Holding the RYA Day Skipper practical certificate lets you claim an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) without a separate test, which covers you to charter and sail in many European and inland waters. The theory certificate is the shorebased foundation beneath it.

  Requirements differ by country and change from time to time, so check your destination before travelling. Some European canals and rivers also call for the CEVNI endorsement.

• How is the Day Skipper theory exam structured?

  The Day Skipper theory course finishes with two assessment papers: a Chartwork paper and a General Assessment Paper covering all areas of the course, each timed at 120 minutes. Once submitted, one of our instructor team will review your answers and provide personal feedback, and if further detail or information is required your instructor will reset individual questions at no cost. Our team will work with you until we are mutually happy that you will be as safe as possible while you navigate at sea.