Courses and exams are different things
Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper are training courses. An instructor teaches you on board and you get a course completion certificate at the end. The Yachtmaster certificates are certificates of competence, gained by exam once you have the sea time. The RYA says there's no formal training course to become a Yachtmaster, but candidates who train first have a far greater chance of passing.
The ladder at a glance
| Level | What it is | Before you start | What it says about you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day Skipper (practical) | 5-day training course | Age 16. Basic sailing ability, 5 days, 100 miles and 4 night hours on a sailing yacht, and theory to Day Skipper level. | Ready to take charge of a 30 to 45ft cruising yacht and her crew on day trips in familiar waters. |
| Coastal Skipper (practical) | 5-day training course | Age 17. 15 days including 2 as skipper, 300 miles and 8 night hours, with boat handling to Day Skipper standard. | Prepared to skipper more demanding coastal passages, including passage planning, pilotage, bad weather and emergencies. |
| Yachtmaster Coastal | Practical exam (certificate of competence) | Age 17. 30 days, 2 as skipper, 800 miles and 12 night hours, half in tidal waters. First aid and SRC certificates. | Capable of safely skippering a vessel on coastal passages. |
| Yachtmaster Offshore | Practical exam (certificate of competence) | Age 18. 50 days, 5 as skipper, 2,500 miles and five passages over 60 miles. First aid and SRC certificates. | Competent to skipper a yacht on passages up to 150 miles from harbour. |
| Yachtmaster Ocean | Oral exam, plus a written test unless you hold the Ocean shorebased certificate | Yachtmaster Offshore (or MCA OOW for yachts under 3000gt), an ocean passage of at least 600 miles and 96 hours, and astro navigation done at sea. | Experienced and competent to skipper a vessel of up to 200gt on passages of any length. |
Each practical level has a matching shorebased theory course: Day Skipper theory, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore theory, and Yachtmaster Ocean theory. Motor cruising has an equivalent ladder, and Yachtmaster exams can be taken under sail or power.
Which one should you do?
- New to skippering: start with Day Skipper theory, then the practical. It's the point where you go from crew to being able to take a yacht out for the day.
- A confident Day Skipper: Coastal Skipper is the course that takes you on to longer passages, night sailing and harder conditions, with an instructor alongside.
- Plenty of logged miles: go straight for a Yachtmaster exam. Yachtmaster Coastal suits coastal cruising; Yachtmaster Offshore is the one most people mean by “Yachtmaster”. Check your logbook against the Offshore requirements.
- Working on boats: a commercially endorsed Yachtmaster is what employers and the MCA's career routes are built on. See Yachtmaster Offshore for superyacht crew.
Requirements change from time to time, so check the current details on the RYA's course and exam pages before you book.