SAILING COURSES

Yacht Skipper (Polish Yachting Association – PYA) course in Croatia

Intensive sailboat training and holiday atmosphere at the same time?
It is possible! We’d like to invite you for a one week Yacht Skipper Course in Croatia.

Polish Yachting Association Certificate of Competency is broadly recognized in the EU and allows to be a Skipper of Sailboats with Auxiliary Engine of a length of up to 18 m without geographical limitation.
During the course you’ll not only gain knowledge necessary to pass the exam. We’ll go through the training program as per Polish Yachting Association syllabus. In addition we’ll teach you maneuvering in narrow harbours, stern – in, bow – in and Mediterranean style berthing, alongside docking and anchoring. We’ll thoroughly teach all the maneuvers which might be useful during your independent cruise, especially in the Mediterranean. We’ll do our best, so that you’re no longer stressed while entering and leaving the harbour.

Prior to the course each of the participants will receive basic training materials as well as a comprehensive list of recommended literature. On the last day of the course there will be a theoretical and practical exam held.

Main attractions of the course:

  • a very picturesque area
  • maximum of eight participants on each boat
  • accommodation on the yacht
  • new, well – equipped sailboats, perfectly prepared for training
  • experienced instructors
  • spacious marina enabling stress-free maneuvering lessons: berthing: alongside, stern – in, bow – in with a wind from various directions; working on the mooring lines and springs; maneuvering sailboat under power in a closed quarters
  • we teach maneuvers rarely practiced on the courses, like anchoring and mooring to a buoy
  • possibility of a night passage
  • Polish examination committee
  • beautiful, sunny and dry weather most of the time
  • delicious Croatian cuisine

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COURSE AND THE EXAM:

  • 18 y.o. on the day of the exam
  • 200 hours seatime in two independent cruises. In practice, if you have approximately 150 – 160 hours, you’ll be able to complete the missing seatime in the course of the training

Training takes place in Marinie Mandalinie in Sibenik and it starts on Saturday at 3pm. Each participant is accommodated in a shared double cabin on a yacht. Classes and trainings are scheduled starting from Sunday to Friday. The exam is schedule for the evening of the last day of the course. Check out takes place the next Saturday.

Detailed agenda of each day will be determined by the weather conditions.

Accommodation, training and exam will take place on the sailboats constituting our charter fleet. Modern and safe Hanse455 (13,95 m.) – S/Y My Portofino or S/Y Victoria One. Both vessels are very well equipped (i.e. chartplotters with the most up-to-date nautical charts, bow thrusters, two helms and electric anchor winch). They’re perfect for training especially in the Mediterranean.

Participants of the course will be accommodated in the double cabins by the leading instructor at the beginning of the course -( taking into consideration couples and singles).

THEORY:

1) Knowledge about the sailboats including:

  • Yacht’s installations and their safe usage as well as assessment of their technical state
  • Use of inboard and outboard internal combustion engines

2) Pilotage:

  • Navigational signs and lights
  • Nautical charts and nautical literature
  • Understanding nautical charts
  • Basic knowledge of tides and tidal streams
  • Preparation for entering the harbour

3) Navigation including:

  • Sailboat instruments (depth sounders, GPS, multi function devices etc.)
  • Basics of terrestrial navigation
  • Basics of blind navigation

4) Meteorology:

  • Basics meteorological instruments and their use
  • Radio meteo forecasts, system of gale and storm warnings, and navigational warnings

5) Signalling and communication:

  • Mayday calls, GMDSS procedures, use of pyrotechnics (flares, rockets) and VHF
  • Warning signals

6) Safety, emergency and abnormal procedures:

  • Basic information about Search and Rescue
  • Drills in case of: fire onboard, rigging failure, collision or other accident
  • Storm preparation and survival tactics
  • First Aid, Basic Life Support cooperation with a helicopter and SAR teams
  • Man Overboard
  • Hypothermia
  • Emergency landing

7) Passage planning:

  • Limitations for entering and exiting the harbours
  • Distance and duration of the passage
  • Potential threats during the passage
  • Preparation of the vessel and the crew

8) Basics rules of road and International Rules Preventing Collisions at Sea

 

PRACTICE:

1) Boat handling under sails:

  • Optimal rigging taking into consideration weather conditions and wind force
  • Meeting another vessel, overtaking
  • Tacking, gybing, approaching the buoy, berthing and leaving berth, heaving to, man overboard maneuver

2) Boat handling under power:

  • Anchoring and docking (berthing)
  • Man Overboard

3) Crew Management:

  • Leading the crew
  • Running a happy boat
  • Execution of various tasks related to a particular situation

Price includes:

  • Practical and theoretical course
  • Accommodation on the yacht
  • Insurance
  • Harbour fees in the embarkation and disembarkation harbour

Price does not include:

  • Food
  • Transportation to the course
  • Parking fee
  • Harbour fees in ports other than embarkation and disembarkation harbour
  • Fuel used during the course
  • Transit log (yacht preparation, gas, final cleaning, bedding)
  • Examination fee: 350 PLN (optional 50% discount for students under 26 y.o.)
  • Certificate issue fee 50 PLN (optional 50% discount for students under 26 y.o.)
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