Course Overview
RYA Day Skipper Practical develops the practical skills and confidence needed to take charge of a small cruising yacht by day in familiar waters. You will plan and execute short passages while managing the yacht, its systems and your crew.
The Phuket course is a five-day liveaboard training passage from Yacht Haven Marina. The changing anchorages, traffic, weather and pilotage around the Andaman Sea create a genuine cruising environment in which to practise command decisions.
🌞 Sailing conditions 🌊
Phuket offers year-round tropical sailing. The northeast-monsoon months are generally drier, while the southwest monsoon can bring fresher winds, tropical showers and larger swell on exposed Andaman routes. Phang Nga Bay provides more sheltered water, allowing the instructor to select suitable training areas for the day’s conditions.
⛵️ Places to explore 🏝️
Depending on weather and training objectives, the cruising area can include limestone anchorages in Phang Nga Bay, islands near Phuket and, on suitable passages, the Phi Phi Islands. The final route is always set by the instructor and is not a fixed holiday itinerary.
Who Is This Course For?
Aspiring skippers who already have basic sailing ability, suitable logged experience and navigation knowledge to Day Skipper shorebased standard.
Prerequisites
- Minimum 5 days and 100 nautical miles aboard a sailing yacht
- Basic sailing and crewing ability
- Navigation knowledge to RYA Day Skipper Theory shorebased standard
- Minimum age: 16 years old
Typical Itinerary
Check in from 18:00 on Sunday and complete yacht familiarisation before the practical programme begins by 09:30 on Monday. Each candidate takes responsibility for planning and skippering exercises during the Monday-to-Friday training week, which ends with checkout at 17:00 on Friday.
- Preparation for sea, safety briefing and passage planning
- Pilotage, navigation and handling under sail and power
- Berthing, anchoring, reefing and recovery of a casualty overboard
- Each candidate practises command, briefing and crew management
- Friday: consolidate skills and return toward Yacht Haven
Sailing Yacht on This Course
Practical courses are currently scheduled aboard our dedicated liveaboard training yacht from Yacht Haven Marina.
What Is Included
Included
- Five days of practical RYA tuition and assessment
- Onboard accommodation from Sunday to Friday
- Prepared bedding and one onboard towel
- Yacht safety and training equipment
- RYA completion certificate when the required standard is achieved
- Fuel, home marina fees and normal yacht operating costs
- Simple breakfast and lunch onboard
- Drinking water, tea and coffee
- Provisions for one simple onboard dinner if the itinerary requires an evening at anchor
Not included
- Flights and transport
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
- Supporting courses and optional services
- Accommodation ashore before or after the course
- Non-home marina fees, shared by the crew
- Non-home marina, park, customs and immigration charges unless expressly included
- Dinner ashore, soft drinks, alcohol, snacks and additional personal provisions
Optional extras
- RYA Marine Radio VHF/SRC€200 per person
- Course textbook€25 per book
- RYA logbook€20 per book
- Airport pickup€30 per trip
- Onboard air conditioning€5 per generator hour
Bookable extras can be selected on the booking page.
AC charge covers extra fuel, generator running hours and maintenance; settled onboard according to actual use.
Course Syllabus
- Preparation for sea and deck work
- Practical navigation and pilotage
- Meteorology and collision regulations
- Engines, maintenance and victualling
- Handling under sail and power
- Passage making and night cruising
- Emergency situations and crew management
Recommended to Bring
- RYA logbook if you have one
- Quick-drying clothing and non-marking footwear
- Sun protection and a light waterproof layer
- Soft luggage rather than a hard suitcase
- Passport-size photograph for certification
Supporting Courses
RYA Day Skipper Theory
Build the chartwork, navigation, pilotage, weather and passage-planning knowledge required for Day Skipper Practical.
View course informationRYA Marine Radio VHF/SRC
Learn how to operate a marine VHF radio confidently, including routine calls, distress and emergency procedures, Digital Selective Calling and essential radio protocol.
View course informationLocal Information
Flights and Arrival
Phuket International Airport is approximately 20–30 minutes by road from Yacht Haven Marina in normal traffic. Plan to arrive with enough time for Sunday-evening boarding. Airport transfer and accommodation before or after the course can be arranged separately.
Typical Weather
Phuket is warm throughout the year, but the monsoon seasons influence wind, rainfall and route planning. These are typical patterns rather than a forecast.
Mid Oct–Jan
24–31°C
Drier northeast-monsoon period with more sunshine and generally comfortable cruising conditions.
Feb–May
25–33°C
Hot, mostly dry weather. Winds can become lighter and more variable as the season progresses.
July–Aug
24–32°C
Southwest-monsoon sailing with tropical showers, fresher winds and more swell on exposed routes.
Sep–Mid Oct
24–31°C
Typically the wettest and most changeable period, with squalls and routes adjusted to conditions.
Your Next RYA Step
After Day Skipper, consolidate your command experience and build miles before progressing to Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore Theory and Coastal Skipper Practical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to complete Competent Crew before Day Skipper Practical?
No. Competent Crew is not a compulsory prerequisite, but you must arrive with basic sailing and crewing ability plus at least 5 days aboard, 100 nautical miles. If you are unsure whether your experience is sufficient, send us your sailing history before booking.
Do I need to complete Day Skipper Theory first?
Yes. Navigation knowledge to RYA Day Skipper Theory shorebased standard is required before joining the practical course. You can complete RYA Day Skipper Theory with Phuket Sea School in the classroom, or study online through Skippers Online or Ardent Training before arrival. Completing theory first lets the practical week focus on pilotage, yacht handling, passage execution and crew management afloat.
Can Day Skipper and Competent Crew students train on the same yacht?
Yes. The two courses are compatible and can work well together: Day Skipper candidates rotate through planning, briefing and command while Competent Crew students develop practical crewing skills. The instructor organises the week so every candidate receives suitable training and time at the helm.
How do accommodation, meals and provisions work?
The course is a liveaboard week, with check-in from 18:00 on Sunday, training from Monday morning and checkout at 17:00 on Friday. Onboard accommodation, prepared bedding and one onboard towel are included. Shared cabins or berths are the standard arrangement. A private cabin must be reserved using the applicable private-cabin tariff. Couples or friends may ask to be allocated together, subject to the assigned yacht and existing reservations. A simple breakfast and lunch are provided onboard each sailing day, together with drinking water, tea and coffee. Dinner is normally enjoyed ashore at the student's own cost. If the itinerary requires an evening at anchor, provisions for one simple onboard dinner are included. Soft drinks, alcohol, snacks and additional personal provisions are not included. Students share simple meal preparation, washing-up and normal yacht housekeeping as part of cruising-yacht life.
Is the Day Skipper certificate guaranteed?
No. This is a practical course rather than a separate final examination, but the completion certificate is awarded only when the instructor is satisfied that you have demonstrated the required skills and can skipper a small yacht safely by day in familiar waters. If you have not demonstrated the required standard by Friday, one or two additional training days may sometimes be arranged immediately afterwards, subject to instructor and yacht availability, at €300 per day. Additional training provides more time to develop and demonstrate the required competence but does not guarantee certification.
