Level 3 Coastal Skipper
LEARN ALL YOU NEED TO CRUISE THE HAURAKI GULF AS AN OVERNIGHT SKIPPER!
What To Expect
Completion of the RNZYS level 2 Cruising Course – on board is a prerequisite for this course. Sorry- we can’t make any exceptions to this.
Our Level 3 Cruising course is a three-day course run in our or a member’s 55ft race yacht (the same as the level 2 boat) and limited to just 5 students.
The course starts on Friday we’ll teach you how to dock in a marina and then have a planning/Navigation session and safety briefing at the RNZYS. Saturday morning we’ll cruise to the first destination discussed in the planning session. Over the weekend we’ll sail around 50NM per day which could be up to 8 hours a day. You will have the full onboard experience like with our level two, just slightly longer – staying on the vessel, water and power consumption, provisioning and general life on board. Your days will be spent cruising around the island getting practical experience anchoring, navigating, managing water and power consumption and much more. You will finish the course by bringing it all back together and sailing back to Auckland on Sunday evening.
This is an all-inclusive course; the fee covers food, drinks and accommodation on board.
What the course covers
During the Level 3 cruising course you will gain an understanding of safety on the water, navigation, tides, Identifying vessels and navigational marks, Maritime Collision avoidance rules and processes, using a VHF radio, engine maintenance and of course sailing skills, as well as practical application of the Coastguards Boat Master course (with the intentions of improving understanding for people that have completed the Boat Master course or help prepare people to take the boat master course);
For those students working towards gaining the SLC (International Sailing Licence) this course covers the practical components of the NauticEd Bareboat Charter Master Rank.
The International Sailing License and Credentials (SLC) is a recreational sailing license valid for all yacht charter companies worldwide including Europe and the Seychelles. To gain an SLC, the candidate must complete the RNZYS courses up to Level 3 Coastal Skipper, pass an online suite of theoretical knowledge courses and tests appropriate for bareboat chartering, log previous sufficient sailing experience, and demonstrate sailing skills according to internationally established sailing standards. After completion, the SLC can be issued electronically very quickly.
In addition the course covers:-
Sailing without a rudder
Recovering a person overboard at night
Hoisting and Reefing Sails
Anchoring and docking
Planning a voyage
Water and Power conservation
Collision avoidance
Vessel identification
Advanced Navigation and Chart work
What is included
At the beginning of your course you’ll receive a one-month trial membership at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. You’ll be able to use the facilities and get a full taste of what being an active sailing member of the RNZYS is like!
The course includes all safety gear, food, drink and accommodation.
On graduation you receive a Yachting New Zealand Level 3 Coastal Skipper certificate
By the end of the course you will have an understanding and confidence to skipper a yacht to cruise around our wonderful Hauraki gulf and maybe beyond.
The Sailing Office will provide help with the next stage of your journey: crew placement, Level 2 Race Crew Training course, Level 3 Advanced Race Crew Training, advice when purchasing a yacht or even volunteering in race management.
Click on the photos to see more 🙂
Common Questions
Where do we meet?
Main foyer of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, 181 Westhaven Drive.
What should I bring?
You should pack;
- Warm jumper. Wool is best in case of colder weather
- Warm jacket, wind and water proof if possible
- Thermal top and bottom if possible because of cold weather (the night sail will be cold)
- Sun cream (SPF 30+)
- Sun hat, Beanie, Sunglasses
- Drink bottle
- Sailing gloves
- Casual (off water) clothes, any personal items and toiletries.
- Sleeping bag and towel.
Life Jackets and harnesses are provided.
You are welcome to bring swimmers if you want to go for a swim in your down-time.
What is a SLC?
The International Sailing License and Credentials (SLC) is a recreational sailing license valid for all yacht charter companies worldwide including Europe and the Seychelles. To gain an SLC, the candidate must complete the RNZYS courses up to Level 3 Coastal Skipper, pass an online suite of theoretical knowledge courses and tests appropriate for bareboat chartering, log previous sufficient sailing experience, and demonstrate sailing skills according to internationally established sailing standards. After completion, the SLC can be issued electronically very quickly.
What if it's bad weather will the course be cancelled?
If there is a very bad weather forecast we’ll be in touch and look at rescheduling the course.
Can the boats capsize?
No. Our boats are keelboats and are impossible to capsize.
How much of the course is theory versus practical?
Approximately two thirds of the time is on the water/practical, and is two thirds theory.
Why SLC rather then ICC?
The ICC (International Certificate of Competency) has come from an EU directive and is valid in Europe.
The SLC is issued by NauticEd, exceeds the requirements for the ICC and is valid worldwide not just Europe.
We have previously offered the ICC, but from 2022 have switched to the SLC as we believe it offers better value to our students, is accepted in more places, and can be issued quicker (there can be processing delays for the ICC).
Does RNZYS offer RYA courses?
We run YNZ (Yachting New Zealand) courses YNZ Level1 seamanship and YNZ Level2 seamanship; RYA (Royal Yachting Association) is the British equivalent of YNZ. Both are endorsed and recognised internationally by the sailing governing body ‘World Sailing’.
Will I get a certificate after my course?
Provided you pass the course (most do) you will get a YNZ certificate which is Internationally recognised by World Sailing.
Should I do any preparation before the course?
Completion of the RNZYS level 2 cruising course is a pre-requisite to starting this course.
Will I be able to skipper a boat on my own after the course?
After this Level 3 course you will have all the information you need to skipper a boat safely yourself. We still do recommend you gain more experience and confidence as a crew before doing any long trips as a skipper.
How do I continue to sail after I finish the course
We have a lots of frequent and cruising regattas at the club and we can help place you on a RNZYS member’s boat. We can also help you if you are looking to purchase your own yacht.
Should I become a member of RNZYS?
Yes! In fact if you sign up to a course you are already a member as the course includes one month membership to the RNZYS which allows you to use all the facilities at the club. After three months you can decide if you wish to carry on the membership, which we strongly encourage you to do. As well as sailing, the RNZYS offers great dining in the member’s bars and quarterdeck restaurant, rooms for meetings, fantastic social functions, family events, use of Lidgard house at Kawau island and it is an all round great club.