To attain the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore candidates must pass a practical examination of their skippering ability. A Yachtmaster is capable of skippering the yacht on extended offshore passages by day or night.

He or she will essentially be a much more experienced Coastal Skipper and can do the same things more smoothly, for longer periods and in more arduous conditions.

Early in the week the instructor will asses your strengths and weaknesses and coach you in the areas required to pass the examination however our experience normally leads us to work on the following areas; passage planning, man overboard recovery, close quarters handling, skippering techniques, navigation in restricted visibility, pilotage and knowledge of the International Collision Regulations. The instructor will debrief you fully as the week progresses and ensure that you get time to work on those weaker areas. Before joining the course, students should have the pre-requisite experience outlined above, navigation theory to RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster theory level and a thorough knowledge of the Collision Regulations.

The examiner will ask each candidate to skipper the yacht on several short passages and complete various demonstrations of their skippering and sailing ability over the course of the weekend.


Example Itinery

SUNDAY

• 1830 Arrive at Puerto Calero and check in at school reception cabin
• Receive wet weather gear & lifejackets. Meet the instructor, and move onto the yacht to settle in
• Stowe away personal kit
• Instructor's safety briefing and yacht familiarisation talk
• Go ashore for evening meal and drink. A good chance to break the ice, have a relaxing evening and chat to the instructor about what you want to achieve from the week.

MONDAY

• 0800 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
• Recap safety procedures on deck.
• Engine start controls and rigging/slipping of mooring lines and fenders
• Slip mooring and under engine exercises giving everyone a chance to steer the yacht under power
• Practice coming alongside and leaving various pontoons with everyone rotating jobs and having the chance to practice in a variety of wind and tide situations
• Short sail to an anchorage or mooring buoy giving everyone the chance to get used to the yacht under sail practicing the basic sailing manoeuvres of tacking, gybing and putting in and shaking out of reefs. This will give everyone the chance to refresh the basics of sail handling and trim
• 1300 Lunch at a mooring buoy or anchorage. Discuss the use of liferafts and how to handle emergencies such as flooding, fire and collision
• The first skipper of the day will plan a short passage taking into account wind, tide and pilotage information from the charts and almanacs
• The Instructor will demonstrate MOB procedures on route with and without the use of an engine. Each student will get the chance to practice this manoeuvre.
• On route the instructor will demonstrate the use of spinnaker or cruising shute if weather conditions allow.
• 1830 Enter Puerto Calero and moor up. Stow sails and tidy up on and below deck
• 1900 Debrief on day's events
• Prepare cross channel passage plans as re quested by examiner
• 2000 Supper ashore and, if needed finishing of pre prepared passage plans

TUESDAY

• 0800 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
• 0930 The first "Skipper" will plan a trip to an anchorage for lunch. On route each crew member will practice MOB. The instructor will recap the procedure for deciding a good anchorage and working out the required heights of tide
• Prepare to enter anchorage. The designated skipper will organise the foredeck crew to prepare the anchor and chain in anticipation of arrival
• 1400 Lunch on route
• 2nd "Skipper of the day" plans a trip to an evening destination that involves a cross tide course and entry into a shallow harbour.
• Set sail for evening destination revising the collision regulations on route. Instructor will explain the procedures for handling navigation in restricted visibility followed by a simulated exercise to find a buoy in fog
• 1730 Arrive at Puerto Calero or at anchor and prepare supper
• Debrief the day's events
• Each candidate will plan a leg of a night sail that will involve entries or departures from harbours or finding unlit marks as a navigational exercise
• 1900 Depart for night sail exercise
• 0100 Arrive at destination

WEDNESDAY

• 0900 Showers at marina facilities, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
• 1000 Carry out some more manoeuvring under power using pontoons and mooring buoys
• The instructor will demonstrate how to sail onto a mooring buoy in a wind against tide situation followed by each student having the opportunity to have a go
• 1200 Lunch at anchor or on route
• 1300 1st Skipper of the day will plan a short trip to the evening destination. On route the instructor will demonstrate the use of electronic navigational aids such as GPS and Chart plotters.  Each student will practice using waypoints.
• Discussion on route about crew management and skippering techniques
• Each student practices MOB on route both with and without an engine
• 1900 Arrive at evening destination and meal ashore

THURSDAY

• 0700 Showers ashore, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
• 0930 Practice sailing on to and off pontoons
• 1115 1st "Skipper of the day" plans a short trip to lunchtime anchorage
• 1130 Set sail for lunch time destination practicing Man Overboard on route. Practice some slightly advanced sail trim techniques and rudderless sailing
• 1330 Lunch on route
• 1400 The instructor will demonstrate how to sail onto a mooring buoy in a wind with tide situation followed by each student having the chance to practice
• 1500 The second "Skipper of the day" plans a passage to a night time destination
• Depart for evening destination with discussion on route about weather and the factors that affect yacht stability
• 1900 Arrive at destination and debrief the day’s events
• Meal ashore

FRIDAY

• 0900 Showers ashore, breakfast, clean up and get weather forecast
• More practice

SATURDAY

• EXAM

Dates

• 10/10/10 - 15/10/10
• 31/10/10 - 5/11/10