The Royal Yachting Association has recognized Modern Sailing Academy as the only sailing school in the United States to offer RYA Sail Cruising courses and certification.

Located in beautiful Sausalito, California, Modern Sailing Academy has been leading advanced and offshore sailing education for over 15 years. The RYA was established in Great Britain in 1953, and began overseeing boating education in 1967. RYA training has long been embraced internationally as representing the highest standard of training for both students and instructors. In addition to offering RYA programs, MSA is the one of the only sailing school in the San Francisco Bay area to offer Coast Guard Captain's License Training.

We are offering the practical component of the Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Certification. There is a theory portion that will need to be completed before taking this course. In order to take the theory portion, you should be qualified as an ASA skipper and have taken Coastal Navigation (ASA 105) or have equivalent experience. The theory course will cover more complex aspects of navigation at sea including how to work out secondary tidal heights, position fixing, navigating in restricted visibility, passage planning, computing a course to steer, and the capabilities and limitations of electronic navigation aids.

The theory portion of the Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster certification is available as a correspondence course from the following Distance Learning RYA Centres:

Ocean Training

Sea Navigate

Practical Course Details:

Sail Cruising Coastal Skipper Practical
& Yachtmaster Test Prep: 5 days

You should have completed the theory portion or have knowledge up to Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Shorebased standard. Your practical ability should be to Advanced Coastal Cruising (ASA 106), and you should have 15 days on board (2 days as skipper), 300 miles, 8 night hours.

During this course, you will be given the opportunity to improve your close quarters boat handling skills under power and sail. Preparation of the yacht for heavy weather cruising and navigation in restricted visibility is also discussed and practiced.

This course assumes that you have completed the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Shorebased course or have equivalent knowledge.

By the end of this course the successful Coastal Skipper will have sufficient knowledge to skipper a yacht safely on long coastal and offshore passages by day and night. This course is suitable those who wish to go on to take the RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster examination.

• Syllabus
  *Preparation for sea
  *Handling a yacht under sail and power
  *Passage planning
  *Adverse weather conditions
  *Pilotage and entering unfamiliar ports
  *Passage making and ability as skipper
  *Emergency situations

Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore Exams:
2 days

To take the RYA Coastal Skipper exam you need a Restricted Radio Operator's Certificate, a current First Aid Certificate and a minimum sea time of 30 days, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles, and 12 night hours (with the Coastal Skipper Practical Course Completion Certificate the sea time requirement is reduced to 20 days (2 days skipper), 400 miles and 12 night hours).

To take the RYA Yachtmaster exam you need a Restricted Radio Operator's Certificate, a current First Aid Certificate and a minimum sea time of 50 days, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles, 5 passages over 60 miles, including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper.

Remember that the examination is essentially a test of ability to take charge of a yacht, so your experience as skipper is most important. The exam for the Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster is basically the same; the Yachtmaster has to demonstrate ability in more complex situations and show a higher level of expertise. The candidates may be given the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge or competence in the areas listed below. In each section the examiner will expect to see the candidate take full responsibility for the management of the yacht and crew.

• Exam syllabus
  
  *International Regs for preventing Collisions at Sea
  *Safety
  *Boat Handling
  *General seamanship, including maintenance
  *Responsibilities of skipper
  *Navigation
  *Meteorology
  *Signals