The RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Motor Cruising Day Skipper course which is offered by The Iberian Sea School is a four day practical course. It is recommended by the RYA that clients should first complete the RYA two day Helmsman's Course or if not at the very least have had two or three days motor cruising experience as crew.  The RYA Day Skipper practical course gives you a chance to take charge on short passages under instruction with plenty of advice and help from the instructor and will normally give you over 100 miles for your RYA logbook. By the end of the course you should have the confidence to skipper a suitably crewed motor cruiser.

Whilst it is not a pre-course requirement for a client to complete The 5 day 'RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course' prior to doing the practical course, the knowledge gained from this course will greatly enhance both the enjoyment  and the practical application of the syllabus in the Day Skipper practical course.  Alternatively there is a new 2 day RYA Basic Navigation and Safety Course, this course is aimed at recreational water users across all water activities to provide a basic understanding of navigation and safety whilst afloat.

If clients don't have enough time to do either the 5 or 2 day RYA Shorebased  course, then I suggest that they extend their 4 day Day Skipper Practical Course into 5 days by attending a one day theory course with me in my classroom near Vilamoura. My 4 day practical courses are normally from Tuesday to Friday inclusive, and so the theory day would be on Monday to lead you straight into starting the practical course on Tuesday.

The Day Skipper Practical course can be done either in your own boat, as long as it is at the least 23 feet in length (7 meters), or The Iberian Sea School's motor cruiser Lady Amber a Cranchi Endurance 41 based at Lagos Marina.

Lady Amber is easy to drive, she does exactly as you ask of her, and after 2 or 3 days of practise backing her into a pontoon berth backwards with just a foot or two either side, you will be amazed by how easy it is.

Most important of all, everybody enjoys my Day Skipper courses, they are fun. We do coastal passages and visit a different harbour or marina every day as well as boat handling exercises in a marina. Despite the size of this web site The Iberian Sea School is not a large organisation, I am The Principal, Chief Instructor and the only Instructor. So you will be given all your instruction by me and as a result benefit enormously from my long experience as an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor and Examiner.

Martin Northey.