yachtmaster course greece

The RYA theory (shorebased) sail training courses are designed to complement the practical sailing courses.

The shorter courses cover subjects that are important to give students a rounded knowledge, while the longer courses, Day Skipper (shorebased) for example, giving essential background information for the practical courses.

Some people suggest it isn’t necessary to complete the theory courses, however, we do not recommend you skip these courses in the hope of ‘simply picking it up’ during the practical courses; you will have enough to think about without trying to work out the theory at the same time as completing the practical courses.

This course provides a basic introduction to navigation and safety for anyone new to boating.

Day Skipper (shorebased) course

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to chart work, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship. You will learn how to make decisions on board regarding the safe passage of the vessel you are skippering.

Although not a mandatory requirement for completing the Day Skipper (practical) course, we do not recommend you skip this theory course. Some sailing schools happily omit this and believe you will pick it all up during the practical course, however, once you have completed this course you will understand how wrong this is!

Yachtmaster Coastal & Yachtmaster Offshore (shorebased) course

This course is the most advanced RYA sailing theory course and combines theory for both Yachtmaster Coastal (previously known as ‘Coastal Skipper’) and Yachtmaster Offshore. It is an advanced course in navigation and meteorology for candidates aiming to take their Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore certificates of competence.

Marine Radio Short Range Certificate course (VHF Radio)

If you operate a marine radio (fixed or handheld) you are required by law to hold an operator’s licence. This course teaches you the procedures for the safe operation of a radio and gain a Short Range Certificate.

Note that although this is a pre-requisite for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster examinations and we show it as such, any skipper wishing to use a VHF radio is required to hold an operator’s license. Consequently this course is applicable to anyone wishing to skipper a yacht irrespective of certification level.

If you do not hold an operator’s license you should not use the VHF radio! Indeed in some countries you are not permitted to skipper a yacht, even on flotilla, unless you hold a VHF operator’s license.

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The largest range of RYA courses in Greece

RYA Practical Sail Cruising Courses in Greece - 2023/24

During our RYA practical sail cruising courses in Greece you will sail to and overnight at nearby islands, bays and harbours. You will live aboard a school yacht, experience the joys of cruising in the Greek Islands, whilst gaining valuable qualifications. Your experienced and fully qualified RYA Instructor will be a fluent English speaker and guide you through the syllabus, whilst ensuring you enjoy your time afloat and ashore.

Course Name

Full Information

RYA Start Yachting

Rya competent crew, rya day skipper, rya coastal  skipper, rya yachtmaster practical preparation, rya yachtmaster practical examination, own boat tuition, remember to check here to see if any discounts apply to the course you are interested in..

Simply looking to refresh your skills? See here

Prices includes all tuition, snacks whilst aboard, fuel, mooring fees, use of wet weather gear, linen and towels (where appropriate) and Greek VAT at the appropriate rate. Please note accommodation and some meals are also included on a school yacht for many of our courses. Please view a courses full information to see if this applies.

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• Competent Crew
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RYA Coastal Skipper in Greece

Your next step from day skipper.

The RYA Coastal Skipper in Greece course teaches you the skills and techniques required to safely skipper a yacht on coastal or offshore passages by day or night. It is the ideal bridge between Day Skipper and Yachtmaster Coastal.

This 5 day course provides a great opportunity to sail further afield within the Ionian, meet more challenging conditions and gain more experience in sail and power handling, passage planning and emergency situations.

We require that you have boat handling abilities to Day Skipper standards and have completed the RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore theory . There is no time during the Coastal Skipper practical course to be learning new theory!

What to expect

Busy but fun days on the Coastal Skipper course Greece – we have a large syllabus to get through so setting off by 9am is key, that means getting up early to have breakfast and preparing the boat for sea

Limited swim stops – although there will be times for a quick dip, you must remember you are on a course and we have limited time to get you through the syllabus. We don’t allow kayaks or paddleboards on courses as they get in the way when training.

Provisioning – we recommend students to start a kitty between themselves at the beginning of the week, please remember the students are to provide food and water for your skipper during the course. We recommend provisioning the boat between you all for eating breakfast and lunch onboard, then plan on heading to a taverna in the evenings with maybe one evening meal being cooked aboard.

Cabin arrangements – obviously there is a limited number of cabins, 2 or 3 on the training boats. Cabins are sold first come first served, with one cabin always reserved for our instructors. Please speak to the office when booking to see cabin availability.

Your yacht will be in great condition and fully MCA coded for RYA Coastal Skipper in Greece training.

See the RYA description of Coastal Skipper in Greece course.

NOTE – all our RYA courses are taught in English.

Read about A Typical RYA Course Week in our blog!

SEE OUR ENTIRE RANGE OF RYA COURSES HERE

How you can take the course..

Join a yacht with other people. We like to teach a maximum of 4 people at a time as we feel it gives you that extra attention and time from the instructor and also space on board the yacht.

LOW season – £1,070 per person

Mid season – £1,280 per person, high season – £1,400 per person, to book please get in touch, note: cabin accommodation may be shared and saloon berths may be used.

Charter a yacht for 7 days with partners, friends or family (Suggested Maximum 4 people). Training this way as a familiar small group gives more personalised tuition, more time in charge of the yacht and additional spaces and comfort.

This is the price of the RYA training yacht PLUS the cost of one of our RYA Instructors. Contact Us for details

Note: Skipper will require a cabin

2024 group course availability: enquire, accommodation may be in the saloon, check exact cabin arrangements upon booking enquiry..

Please email us about courses and we will advise on availability.

What you will learn

• Passage planning
• Preparation for sea
• Yacht handling under power
• Yacht handling under sail
• Adverse weather conditions
• Emergency situations

Knowledge of

• The effects of fouling on boat speed and fuel consumption

Understands

• Fuel consumption at different speeds and can calculate fuel required for a passage including reserve
• Customs procedures
• Plan coastal passage, taking into consideration the capability of the vessel, navigation, victualing, weather, ports of refuge, tidal heights and tidal streams, publications required and strategy.
• What safety equipment is required for offshore passages
• Prepare a cruising vessel for sea, including stowage, safety briefing, watch keeping, delegating responsibilities, equipment and engine checks.
• Prepare a pilotage plan, taking into consideration soundings, transits, clearing bearings, buoyage, port or harbour regulations, and tidal factors.
• Pilot a cruising vessel by day and at night
• The practical uses of integrated electronic aids to navigation, including AIS, radar, electronic navigational charts (ENC’S), and raster navigational charts (RNC’S)
• Take charge of a yacht and direct crew
• Organise the navigation, deck work and domestic duties of a cruising vessel on passage
• Be aware of the significance of meteorological trends
• Be aware of crew welfare on passage
• Use electronic navigational equipment for planning and undertaking a passage, including the use of waypoints and routes
• Control the cruising vessel effectively in a confined space under power, including all berthing and unberthing situations in a variety of conditions
• Avoid excessive use of power
• Use the sails to control the yacht in a confined space
• Anchor and moor in various conditions of wind and tide
• Sail effectively on all points of sail, including downwind techniques
• How to handle a cruising vessel in strong winds
• General conduct in restricted visibility
• Prepare a cruising vessel for heavy weather
• Navigate in restricted visibility
• The actions to be taken when abandoning to a life raft, and during helicopter and lifeboat rescues
• How to carry out the aftercare requirements on a casualty who has been in the water
• Describe to a crew member the effects of cold-water shock on a casualty who has been in the water
• Recover a man overboard under power and sail

Course Details

This course is for individuals or families/groups

This course lasts 5 days + 1 free sail day

Student ratio is 4 students to 1 instructor

REQUIREMENTS

Minimum age

• Coastal/Yachtmaster Theory (strongly recommended)
• 15 days at sea
• 8 night hours
• 2 days as skipper
• Boat handling to the standard of RYA Day Skipper .

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Master 200 Preparation Course 

MCA Master qualification for vessels less than 200GT

Comparable to the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore certification, the MCA Master qualification for vessels less than 200GT holds significant value, particularly in foreign ports where officials are accustomed to recognizing MCA or Flag State endorsements. The Master 200 certification encompasses two operational tiers: 'limited', enabling operation within a range of up to 150 miles, and 'unlimited', granting permission for worldwide navigation. The Master 200 examination is conducted orally at one of the MCA offices.

Duration: 5 days

Course Overview:

Our Master 200 Preparation Course spans five intensive days, designed to equip you thoroughly for the challenges of the Master 200 examination. We commence with a comprehensive assessment to gauge your existing knowledge, tailoring our instruction to suit your needs.

Throughout the course, we delve into the Master 200 syllabus, delving into critical topics such as:

Business, Law and Regulation,

Electronic Navigation, Radar operation,

Watchkeeping protocols,

Navtex procedures,

Bridge management, and more.

Additionally, we cover vital aspects including:

Masters' responsibilities,

ColRegs Rule 19 for restricted visibility,

GMDSS operations,

Responses to Bridge control failure

Pollution prevention strategies

Garbage management protocols

Stability principles,

Codes of practice and the LY code

CoSWP guidelines

 Legal obligations

Salvage procedures

Safe manning standards

regulations concerning hours of work and crew agreements.

Qualification Requirements:

To enroll in the Master 200 Preparation Course, candidates must meet specific prerequisites and possess a Notice of Eligibility from the MCA. These requirements include:

RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence, commercially endorsed by the RYA

RYA Yachtmaster/Coastal Skipper Shorebased certificate

Personal Survival Techniques certification (STCW A-VI/1-1), or a non-STCW RYA Basic Sea Survival qualification

Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention training (STCW A-VI/1-2)

Elementary First Aid certification (STCW A-VI/1-3)

Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities training (STCW A-VI/1-4)

GMDSS Restricted Operators Certificate (ROC)

HELM Operational Certificate (Human Element Leadership and Management)

For those pursuing the Master 200 unlimited designation, additional prerequisites are necessary, including RYA MCA Yachtmaster Ocean certification, RYA Shorebased Yachtmaster Ocean qualification, and GMDSS General Operators Certificate (GOC).

Pre-Examination Requirements:

Before sitting for the Master 200 examination, candidates must complete and submit a Notice of Eligibility (NoE) to the MCA. It is advised to allow a minimum of 28 days for the processing of the NoE to ensure timely scheduling of the examination.

Get in Touch

+30 698 6764 740

[email protected]

• Sivota Bay, 31082, Lefkada
• Call us: +302102206871

RYA Coastal Skipper

Rya coastal skipper course from: €990,00.

The RYA Coastal Skipper with ionianMode in Greece is a great course to follow up with after the RYA Day Skipper course and pave the way for the MCA/ RYA examination

The RYA Coastal Skipper course is the ideal practical course to follow the RYA Day Skipper. It is also considered the stepping stone to an MCA / RYA examination.

An already qualified and experienced sailor will get the confidence to undertake longer and more difficult passages, as this course is designed by aiming exactly on this.

To gain the confidence you need for coastal and offshore passages your instructor will guide you through practical exercises and chart work to improve your boat handling, your navigation, and leadership skills.

The Weekly Schedule 

• The tuition yachts are ready for accommodation by Sunday midday.
• On day one you will join the yacht and you will meet the rest of the crew and your instructor. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed and briefed by your instructor about the basics regards the yacht and the surroundings. Once everyone has arrived we will have the chance to discuss the course and the plan for the week.
• The Day Skipper and the Coastal Skipper candidates will have the chance to revise the theory and the competent crew candidates to familiarise themselves with the yacht and her equipment.
• The course starts on Monday morning from our base in Lefkas (Sivota Bay) and finishes on Friday afternoon. We have a fun morning on Saturday and around noon we return in our base.
• During your training, you will sail a minimum distance of 100NM around the islands of the Ionian and you will visit the most interesting and beautiful ports of the area.
• On our daily routine, we will have lunch and swim stops in one of the most idyllic bays of the Ionian islands and we will spend the night in a different destination at a time, where you will have the chance to explore the local culture and cuisine of Lefkada, Kefalonia, and Ithaca.
• The yachts for Private Tuition are ready for accommodation by Sunday midday, the course starts on Monday and finishes on Saturday at noon back in our base.
• By Sunday 09.00 we will have to leave the yachts for our base crew to get her ready for the next group.

About the Course 

You will prepare more complex passage plans and pilotage and you will navigate with limited visibility. You will learn how to prepare and handle heavy weather and you will expand your meteorology knowledge.

By the end of the course, you will have gained experience and built up confidence to undertake coastal and offshore passages which are more demanding.

Further Information? Contact Us

INDIVIDUALS Join our tuition yacht together with other students and learn how to sail in the Ionian combing training with holidays. You will share the yacht with maximum another 4 students plus the instructor . Provisions for breakfast and lunch as well all the expenses of the yacht are included in the price. Accommodation may be shared and saloon berths may be used.

PRIVATE TUITION For small groups of friends and families who want to learn how to sail together the option of a private tuition is ideal as you won’t share the yacht with someone else except your instructor. Charter a coded vessel from our fleet considering a cabin for your instructor and combine training with holidays. (fuel, provisions, the cost of the instructor’s meals and mooring fees are not included in the price)

Next Steps After the RYA Coastal Skipper Course

The coastal Skipper course is considered the necessary stepping stone to build up your confidence and improve your skills before attending an MCA / RYA Yachtmaster examination. After the course, you will be given an individual debrief from your instructor who will advise you on the next steps if you are willing to become a professional skipper and get your Yachtmaster qualifications. The next step is to get the necessary qualifications and prerequisite experience.

More information about the RYA Scheme can be found at the official RYA Website www.rya.org.uk

What’s Included

Training by certified & experienced RYA instructors

Reeds Skipper Handbook

Ingredients for continental breakfast, and snack lunch on board, *Feel free to bring your provisions

Soft drinks

Fuel, gas, water

Bed linen & towels

Course material included

• WiFi unlimited internet (speed depending on mobile signal quality)

What’s not included

Cost of drinks & meals ashore

Cost of transfers and flights to/from our base

Please note that it is difficult for us to cater to special diets. If you need specific ingredients, which may be difficult to find in Greece, we suggest you bring them with you

Ideal for those who want to improve their skippering skills

Ideal for those who want to prepare themselves for professional qualifications

Student – instructor ratio 5 /1

Focus on boat handling techniques

Focus on preparation for demanding passages

Adverse weather training

Improvement of skippering skills at night

Minimum of 100 N.M

Minimum of 6 Ionian destinations

Improvement of navigation, pilotage, passage planning, skippering skills

You will need to bring a passport sized photo

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Milebuilding Trips

Course information, course description.

If you start your RYA journey but wish to build extra experience in between your courses this is for you. A milebuilding week with us is a dream trip for anyone with ambitions to go blue water sailing. You’ll learn what it’s like to live on a yacht for extended periods and to sail in more out of the way places. Such a trip will give you the chance to not only put hundreds of miles under your belt but also improving your confidence and advancing your practical knowledge.

You have RYA qualifications and wish to build them up.

You potentially have an upcoming trip and want to gain more confidence and experience.

You are enthusiast to learn and participate into sailing the boat.

You want to add hundreds of miles into your RYA logbook.

What will you learn?

During your trip, the crew will be divided into watches, who take turns on duty. Advanced sailors will be appointed watch leaders, but everyone in the team will take part in steering, trimming sails, navigation, catering, and using the yacht’s equipment.

You will learn to grow confidence on board and improve your sailing and decision making while on passage.

What is included?

Your own yacht cabin on board (only to share with your partner if applicable) with all the necessary items for your comfort: bedding and linens, towels, pillows.

Adding all the miles you will do in your RYA Logbook to keep track of all your progress and experiences.

Despite not being an intensive course, an instructor on board throughout the trip to guide and advise you when needed.

Price List Milebuilder (per person)

Price List Milebuilder (per person) - 2025

All prices for practical courses include all yachts expenses, breakfast and lunch. All activities ashore and dinner are at your own expense. Your travel expenses to get to Aegina are not covered.

Find out more

Argolic milebuilders.

These trips visit the beautiful Argolic Gulf, close to our normal sailing area but a little too far to include in a week’s RYA tuition. The Argolic is very beautiful with high mountains and pretty fishing villages. It’s also very unspoilt, making it a perfect choice for those who want to get ‘off the beaten track’.

You’ll cover about 250 miles on this trip and visit the picturesque city of Nafplion in the north as well as stunning Monemavasia in the south.

Cyclades Milebuilders

The Cyclades islands are one of the world’s most renowned cruising areas. At these times of year we usually avoid the worst of the Meltemi, which in mid-summer can keep yachts in port or create uncomfortable sailing conditions.

You’ll cover around 350 miles in all, including two night sails, and two Yachtmaster qualifying passages. As with all sailing, the route is weather dependent!

Other trips

From time to time we offer other milebuilding trips in different areas of Greece and on different types of boat – including a catamaran. Do not hesitate to contact us to be kept informed of the possibilities.

Is Learning to Sail in Greece Right for You?

Read what some of our sailing students have to say, explore our course catalogue, and contact us for more information about each course and our availabilities to come and sail in Greece!

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