We’re booked in for the RYA Day Skipper theory course with MSA next month and wondering what to expect. We’ve both done a bit of sailing (mostly dinghies and a bit of cruiser racing) but the theory side is new territory for us.
Is it very heavy on the chartwork? Neither of us has touched a chart plotter or done tidal calculations before. Should we do any prep beforehand?
Any advice from people who’ve done it recently would be really helpful!
I did mine a few months ago and honestly it’s not as bad as you might think! The chartwork takes a bit of getting used to but once it clicks, it clicks. Tip: get comfortable with using dividers and a Portland plotter before you go — there are YouTube videos that help. The tidal calculations are a bit fiddly but MSA explain it well.
Good that you’re thinking ahead. The course covers a lot of ground — navigation, meteorology, collision regulations, passage planning — but it’s all logical when you approach it systematically. I’d say brush up on your basic compass work and try to understand the buoyage system (IALA Region A) before you start. That’ll give you a head start.
Don’t stress too much about tidal calculations — here in the Med the tides are minimal so it’s less of a factor in practice. But you still need to learn it for the exam! The COLREGS are probably the most important part to really nail down. They’re the rules of the road and you need them every time you go out.