RYA Day Skipper - the tips you won't find online!

A frank account of my Day Skipper course experience. If you are thinking of doing it then my advice is GO FO IT!!! Sailing is the best thing ever!!!
Make sure you stay tuned to the end for the tips no one is talking about.....;-)

[@patrickstratford9798]

Brilliant video!! Really comforting to hear someone express all the fears I'm experiencing as I plan to do my theory for the day skipper course. Very helpful and informative thank you so much. Onwards and upwards!!

[@donnasailing]

Good luck, you will smash it!

[@timwright4676]

Such fabulous positivity and passion - loved it!

[@donnasailing]

Thank you ❤

[@juliannorton262]

Fantastic video thank you! It spoke to me in many ways with issues I’ve had learning to sail, from theory on line learning (never again!) trying to grasp theories that just would not go in and ideally learning locally. I’ll take your advice and find a local sailing school and a book on leadership for the novice! Great video I look forward to the next one!

[@donnasailing]

Glad you enjoyed it! I will most definitely be making more if we ever get out of this bloody lockdown. My plan this year was to crew as much as possible to get more experience and hopefully buy my own boat in a couple of years 🤞🤞

[@sagescott3117]

Thanks so much for this Donna, I'm about to start a DS course and I really value the points you make here. I'd love to see more videos on your sailing adventures!

[@donnasailing]

I've just got back from a trip up the Northumberland coast and shot some footage on my phone which I will upload soon.

[@bhavnapatel7729]

Thank you for making this video Donna!! and for your authentic tips :) especially as a 5ft tall girl who is about to give her day skipper test your tips are so helpful

[@donnasailing]

Oh my pleasure. So glad to hear another woman is learning to sail. Your height will not stop you either. Every time you go out sailing you will get stronger and there will always be someone at your yacht club or marina of you need it. Best of luck to you and fair winds ⛵❤

[@davidtimperley4241]

What a great and honest insight into your own experience of the DS course. As for the physical strength thing, just find away that works safely for you.

[@donnasailing]

Thank you David. Yes, i have since discovered the Windlass!

[@user-ge8sz6dt4r]

Brilliant thank you for taking the time to put this together. Really helpful before I do my DS practical next month!

[@donnasailing]

Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. I've made the videos I have, as I guess it was something I was looking for myself. Good luck and just enjoy it, amazing memories ❤

[@richardkelly1124]

Enjoyed this for the info and your enthusiasm Donna - it will help me get ready for my practical in a month...am doing the navigation online already but so far its ok as i did it 20 years back so it can be good for recap. thanks for the vid

[@donnasailing]

No problem, I'm aiming to make more when I get the right gear to edit. Best of luck for your practical ❤

[@jeffeaton701]

Outstanding video....thank you so much! Currently taking the theory class on-line with two chapters left to complete. Yes, great advice to go back over the sections as needed. Practical in Greece in mid-April. Thank you for the realistic scenarios at the drop of the hat. Cheers!

[@donnasailing]

Good luck, you will smash it. Enjoy the sunshine and beautiful food. My mate who did her practical in Corfu said it was the best time of her life.

[@charlesglass802]

What a great perspective and many useful tips! I took my day skipper practical a year ago during during covid restrictions so can relate to what it must have been like. Took the theory course at home, and yeah, it was a little challenging but fun! Dying to get out on the water again! Fair winds!

[@donnasailing]

Fair winds to you too! If you dont have a boat then do what I've done, join a yacht club and offer your services as crew. It's a great way to get out and get more experience. The openness and kindness of the sailing community has blown me away so far ❤

[@charlesglass802]

@@donnasailing top tip! Thank you! ❤️

[@mgs9003]

thanks so much. Happy sailing. Stay safe. You are a nice person.

[@donnasailing]

Thank you xx

[@grahambolton4361]

Excellent. Really enjoyed it. Got my DS in two days time. Separately - the coo ends about misogyny - thing is you look for sailing stories on KZbin and they do appear to be less about sailing. Once again, this was helpful. Thank you

[@StevenJQuinlan]

As someone who is just wrapping up with the online theory course, I have to second the idea that doing it in a classroom if you've got no background in sailing is incredibly important. There were dozens of places where I was making mistakes and it took a ton of effort to figure out the mistake I was making before submitting my end of module quizzes because it will tell you what you got wrong, but not why or how, and without a teacher who understands the material it is very easy to walk into a mental blind alley with a topic if you don't know anything about it before going in. I'm trying to find a local school to do my practical with, and honestly watching this video helped tremendously.

[@donnasailing]

Thank you so much, I was searching for something like this myself and found nothing, that's why I made it.

[@bigbearbigbear9701]

Great video Looking forward to doing mine. Happy sailing

[@donnasailing]

You will love it, best decision I ever made

[@EKoMtv]

Excellent video Helped me and thanks Rob

[@davidgannon5120]

Great vid , im studying for the DS at the mo so really appricated the insights

[@donnasailing]

Thanks for that. Would happily make more if i could actually get out to practice. Good luck for your Day Skipper :-)

[@davidgannon5120]

Ya its complete lockdown here in Ireland, heres hoping things improve in the Spring and we can get out on the sea again

[@eamonnevans4206]

I am about to undertake the theory course and later next year the practical day skipper course. So many thanks for the tips. I am sure I will make the same and many more mistakes as you experienced. Well done and happy sailing. Eamonn (Worcester)

[@donnasailing]

Making some small mistakes is generally the best way to learn! Fair winds, enjoy!

[@MikeBottomley]

Brilliant video donna ....I'm about to take my new boat to Royal Quays as I return to sailing after 30 yrs ...very interesting to hear your tips and wonder if you can recommend a sailing school .. cheers mike

[@johnjgraphicdesigns]

A very honest video, warts and all. I'd have you as a skipper any day.

[@user-fi9nb1xr3y]

this helps me alot even though at the same time it makes me scared I am doing my day skippers in the next couple of weeks I am excited but very nervous because as you said if your not that smart in maths it then could be a lot more stressful.but thank you for this information

[@marklewis9959]

Great advice thanks 😊

[@Ploddingalong67]

Thank you for this insight - taking Day Skipper theory at present. Classroom option not viable thus online it is. Currently living in landlocked Wiltshire which means I will relocate to the a coast to acquire local knowledge for practical exam! Could return to the north-west to do this or frankly, anywhere in the UK as my employment is via a national agency. Grateful for the tips, thank you for uploading and enjoy your sailing! One of the passages I wish to take will be north-east to Scandinavia, proper adventure across the North Sea!

[@donnasailing]

If you are flexible in location I recommend Largs/Inner Hebrides, best sailing trip of my life. Good luck with your course!!!

[@tomhermens7698]

Drive to the Hamble. Plenty schools there.

[@flyingmedic]

Donna I feel you will be a most excellent yachtswomen in future. You are thinking independently of the most relevant aspects of sailing. Thank you for sharing too. Paul (Kent)

[@donnasailing]

Thanks Paul. I'm about to edit and share footage from my recent adventure, all my gains and mishaps included. Doing the editing on my phone so bear with me....

[@flyingmedic]

@@donnasailing Splendid I will look forward to that. I have a good experience of sailing but recently I have been very busy at work so I turned to motor yachts. Still really good fun but too expensive and less range. My wife and daughter have on been on the motor boat so now it’s a convince and convert operation to get them into sailing. The Southampton Boat show last week helped enormously:-)

[@HRJ1411]

Great video!

[@Kelly-yw7hk]

OMG I wanna cry, I'm currently doing my theory and im struggling so much! It's like different language. My OH is way ahead of me. Thank you so much for this video. Really helped my confidence, especially from a female pov.

[@donnasailing]

Ah dont worry, I was the same then kicked everyones arses towards the end 🤣🤣🤣. Seriously though It's a marathon not a sprint and the more mistakes and misunderstandings now, the better things will stick once the penny does drop. Good luck!!! ❤

[@ChrisThorpe4508]

Arrangements for the Heads sounds a bit interesting - I shall never last!!!! Liked all your tips though - thanks for making the video.

[@levicastagna1384]

Well done….i feel prepared

[@simontaylor4873]

Great tips, already done the DS theory, now coastal skipper, Covid delayed the DS practical but fingers crossed for this May! many thanks for sharing :), so have you continued to sail boats?

[@donnasailing]

Will keep my fingers crossed for you. Well i was crewing a little with some of the guys from my course but no actually skippering since i passed thanks to lockdown. My aim is to buy a small sailboat in the next couple of years if I can and crew with local racers in the meantime. Can't wait to get back out there.

[@addijad]

Thanks for that, really useful, Ive just started the online threory, unfortunately I couldnt find a classroom coarse anywhere close. I would have preferred that. Also got the compedent crew coarse next friday so it will be interesting to see how the guy/s on the Day skipper practical get on ! Doing mine in the solent.

[@donnasailing]

Hey sorry for the late reply. How did you get on?

[@addijad]

@@donnasailing No worries, actually found a whole series of tutorials on KZbin from City Sailing which are really good. Due to do the practical this weekend and the following weeknd...

[@Tom-mn1fd]

Hi Donna Just watched u vid on tips for ds. Really helpful Doing my ds next month can’t wait to get it done. Sailfast.

[@donnasailing]

Hey sorry I must have missed your comment. Hope you smashed it!

[@Tom-mn1fd]

@@donnasailing sorted. Looking for boat now

[@Tom-mn1fd]

Liking u videos u spend good time sailing most others do low sailing hrs and spend more time on land😃

[@livingstressfree2126]

very useful thanks

[@MrDavewoolley]

Thanks for this Donna. I have been a dingy sailer but since retiring I have been longing to move to the coast and get a boat. I have always been a learn by doing type but want to do the day skipper course. The fear of failure is a massive problem for me so the classroom and being under scrutiny on a practical course fills me with dread (yes, stupid I know). Hopefully one day I will master my stupidity before I’m too old. 👍😊

[@donnasailing]

Hi Dave, thanks for the comment. I hear you, i felt the same before I did it. I was actually the slowest in a class full of guys to absorb the information but eventually it just clicked. There is no such thing as failure in this class as its the instructors job to get you through. Even if like me, you are slower at learning (which i doubt if you can do dinghy sailing!), so what? What other people think of you is none of your business. If I can do it, so can you...life is too short! You will love it I promise ❤❤

[@donnasailing]

PS, you are most definitely not stupid in my book. It takes intelect and courage to identify what is stopping you from following the path you want.

[@MrDavewoolley]

@@donnasailing Bless you x

[@alaneverett2531]

Hi just found this very useful im trying to teach myself to sail my old boat but sounds like i might need help 😅🙂 stay safe and thanks for sharing

[@donnasailing]

Respect for even having the balls to try and teach yourself! I do know a couple of skippers that are self taught but they have got themselves into a couple of scrapes, albeit trivial. I'm a year qualified now and still learning.

[@alaneverett2531]

Many thanks for your reply yes looking into on line course just need to get going looking forward to seeing moore sailing from you take care

[@TheMacmatthew]

Great video Donna, thanks very much. This might be off topic but I’m looking into the Day Skipper license but I’m battling to establish if the Day Skipper license allows you to sail a vessel and anchor overnight? I know you can sail from sunrise to sunset but does having a Day Skipper license mean you are limited to staying in a marina overnight or can you anchor somewhere overnight so long as you aren’t sailing during the night?

[@Kestrel222]

It's not a license. DS Practical confers a course completion certificate, not a license. You're not limited to doing anything, it's your own competence that determines that. The insurer of your vessel might stipulate some conditions as to what you may or may not do, however, that's it as far as you being permitted to do things goes.

[@andycarr5876]

Fantastic video Donna and judging from the reviews that people have written your video has been extremely helpful to a lot of others too because as you’ll know not everyone leaves a review. So thank you for that. Sorry to go on but I don’t think everyone realises it’s actually quite time consuming and mentally challenging in some capacity to put a film together that your happy to show the world. Especially if your not a trained TV presenter or film director. I know it’s a lot easier to produce decent quality picture because of the cameras available and it’s even possible to use your mobile phones these days and achieve something good. Well anyway just to let you know. I do have a question though, once you have completed any of these RYA offshore courses do you have an exam at the end of the course which is included with the course or is it a case of you complete your course and then you have to book (and pay) to take an exam at a date available later. Then after passing your exam your then able to take a practical course and the same thing exam with the course or you need to book yourself an exam test date or whatever. I have a couple of other questions but I think I’ll leave it there for now as I have gone on a little haven’t I 😂 Thanks 🙏🏽

[@donnasailing]

That's fine, ask away. So I did my theory once a week for 2 month and did 2 exams at the end. One was on col regs and the other was navigation (plotting course etc) I'm very rusty on this now! Then after I booked the 1 week practical separate and there is no exam, you are constantly being assessed. Does that help? Happy to answer any other questions you may have x

[@donnasailing]

Also thanks for the feedback ❤⛵

[@SVTONICBoatWives]

Great video, Thanks for your tips we are going to be doing our Day skipper this year fingers crost. Just starting to learn the bookish stuff I am like you, I learn by doing so with Corvid here in France that is proving difficult. Do you have any books that you can recommend on top of the RYA skipper booK?

[@donnasailing]

Hey thanks for getting in touch. I only used the RYA book which to be honest i didnt find too detailed. I actually had to get the attention of my teacher, pull him to one side and ask him to explain the navigation to me over and over until it stuck. Once it did stick I have never forgotten it. I also learned from following people on here. Patrick Laine goes into lots of nav and and practical skill breakdowns in his channel. I would recommend following him if you don't already. He is also in France. I can't wait for this covid to go, our marinas are closed here. 😥. Good luck with your day skipper.

[@SVTONICBoatWives]

@@donnasailing Thanks for that, we do follow Patric, he is a great sailor as you say he goes into a lot of detail on his videos. we would love to meet him as he is not for from us one day maybe;)

[@donnasailing]

@@SVTONICBoatWives you guys could have a Chateuneuf Du Pappe together 😂

[@donnasailing]

Oh I forgot to add, I also used apps on my phone to learn my colregs and rules of the road. They are a great tool to help you to revise and even to keep it all fresh in your mind once you pass. If you go on to the app store and search 'Colregs', lots will come up. I also have some cards with the different light combinations for night sailing, handy to store on board if you happen to lose power; it's impossible to remeber them all in the beginning.

[@SVTONICBoatWives]

@@donnasailing Thanks for that you have been a great help, I will go and have a look. Happy sailing;)

[@alexanderrhind9341]

Hi Donna, Brilliant video. Thanks for sharing; which Collison Regulations app would you suggest downloading? Thank you

[@donnasailing]

Oooooh it was a few years ago now so I can't remember. But I do remember I had 3, one for rules of the road, one for lights/signals/bouyage and one for sounds and shapes. Hope that helps!

[@donnasailing]

Or it may have been sounds and signals and then lights and shapes

[@tonyadeney1245]

good job on video - (audio level bit low for older computers) - thinking doing course south coast

[@DavidJones-mi7ce]

Fantastic girl thats the way to learn gardian of the deep davy jones Locker

[@paulgomm3157]

Great to see such enthusiasm for sailing I agree with the male dominated part of your video and the chauvinism my other half has found it very hard to deal with I have been trying to increase the equality side of our sport at my club it’s a very slow process but I can see changes in attitudes over the years I’m glad you spoke up as this can only help

[@PaulSpencer-DentBASS]

Hello Donna As a DS student I also need some hours on a vessel. I’m in North Yorkshire, so if/when you get to go out on your boat/a boat and you need crew, perhaps bear me in mind?

[@donnasailing]

I dont have a boat but there are always people looking for crew at Hartlepool maria. Contact all your local yacht clubs and register. That's what I'm doing now, just network and be social. I've learned so much in the last year just crewing for others, the racing folks will teach you so much more than the cruisers too.

[@donnasailing]

Ps, if I do get a boat, I will give you a shout and if you get one before me you give me a shout 😁

[@cherylpoulter270]

What was the app you recommend again please?

[@mcc.o.4835]

Thank you for the video. I'm in the U.S. and I'll need to go elsewhere to take the practical. Any recommendations on how best to do this? My nearest location is Ontario Canada on Lake Ontario.

[@donnasailing]

Come to Northumberland!

[@mcc.o.4835]

@@donnasailing That would be quite the trip. Never been to northern England. Sailing on the North Sea would be pretty cool.

[@seanoceallaigh4392]

Did you have any trouble winching the jib sheets. Maybe I needed to use my body more but I seemed to come to a dead stop beyond which I couldn't turn anymore ?

[@donnasailing]

I did but i found as long as i used the winch and maximum effort (i tiny and not particularly strong) i could get them to where they needed to be. I actually found myself over compensating if im honest 😂

[@SCARTHYBOY692]

Hi Sean! (RYA instructor here) you can practice mobility exercises if you’re so inclined to. I’ve used it for years making sure I’m race ready! Bigger boats bigger winches and racing involved everything done at X10 pace!! What I do it get yourself in a position imagining you’re just about it to haul in a winch handle so good steady feet, probably just leaning over bht watch your bottom back incase it starts to hurt! Have your arms in ski pole position and imagine you are whisking a pot or actually hailing in a winch with some kind of resistance such as a weight, kettle bell ect. I found 2kg weights good as you can get 2 hands on it! And just start spinning both anti clockwise and clockwise for a couple of seconds, break and carry on until your arms just can’t do it anymore! My schedule is: 5 mins warm up doing stretches (focus on your back muscles as you don’t realise how important they are) 20 sec winch simple effort 10 second break 20 second more effort but not exhausting 10 second break 20 second full effort 10 second break Repeat this until exhaustion! Also another one if you find yourself strong but struggling is your mobility. So yoga and even jsjt doing dynamic stretched before you go sailing can help!

[@johnmac4094]

Hey, dinghy sailor here with previous but dated yacht experience, I’m going to ask possibly a dumb question here, but it’s one I have to ask.. no one talks about sailing much on these DS vids, does the whole power under sail and the art of that come under competent crew? So much as DS is purely navigation based?

[@donnasailing]

Hi John, Im a little unsure about what you mean. I actually didn't do the competant crew course as i had some experience sailing with my dad before. The practical DS is not really navigation focused at all if that helps to know?

[@SimeonDavies]

Hi. In my experience it is taught at all levels before and including DS.

[@donnasailing]

John, after getting a little more experience recently I think I can answer your question now....and yes, you are right. The more experience I am getting now the more I'm getting to grips with the art of sailing and power under sail. You dont necessarily get that with the day skipper, especially now that covid restrictions come into play. I'm actually starting to think that the concept of power under sail comes with time and practice, it can be taught, but it won't stick until you have lived it and felt it. Hope that answers your question.

[@lacelotte7385]

Who did you do your practical exam with in the NE, Donna?

[@donnasailing]

Northumbria Sailing school. The owner is Melvin Wallhead and he is a fantastic instructor.

[@tomhermens7698]

Turn sound up!!!!!!

[@donnasailing]

That's the loudest it goes I'm afraid, just recorded this with my phone. I've just invested in a decent mic so my next sailing vids will have better sound. 😁

[@conniepothas9760]

Hi there, im a 58 Y old woman and hoping you can give me some advice. Im trying to figure out how to get a skipper license. I can't do it the easy way by just going down to the Yacht club and doing the expensive course's, so I'm trying to work out how to do all the theories on online courses. And work for free to get the practical. Is that possible? I don’t know the industry at all. Thanks from SA

[@donnasailing]

Hi I'm not sure but you can still sail if you dont have the day skipper qualification as long as you know what you are doing. You could volunteer to crew at your local yacht club. Offer people help with boat jobs in return for some tuition. If you crew for people then you will learn so much. Some yacht clubs run theory courses and may do you a deal in exchange for any help or skills you can offer to benefit their club. You can also do the practical separate to the theory to give you time to save for both. Hope this helps.

[@donnasailing]

Also by offering yourself as crew then you will make friends and meet people who sail. Its amazing how much people help eachother in the sailing community. I wouldn't have got this far with my own boat now without the help of others. I was completely clueless. I'm not sure what the rules are in SA but here you can definitely sail and have a boat without a day skipper licence. I would however 100% not recommend just sailing with no experience and no licence.

[@conniepothas9760]

@@donnasailing Thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to help me. Much appreciated. I will give it a try.

[@ditchdogger1]

Very good but I get the impression you are no landlubber?? Your dad sails?

[@donnasailing]

He does, although we dont see eachother too often so I'm getting experience with local yachties who are kind enough to let me crew for them.

[@ragamuffinthepollywog]

Struggled to hear it with the volume at 100%.

[@notanotherrick]

I actually came for the sailing (which I enjoyed) but I'll stick around for the rest, enjoyed that too.

[@donnasailing]

Thank you so much for your lovely comment ❤

[@notanotherrick]

Thank you for taking the time to read & reply 😁

[@Christopherj1492]

Trouble is no one is doing classroom courses now

[@donnasailing]

That's a shame, I would have really struggled without my teacher but then most people would pick it up quicker than me 🙈

[@oceanlifecafe]

But!! This IS online?!?

[@paulpietka3062]

Your Video/voice is not really clear to understand :(, although I have it on full volume on my Headphones, still the street is louder

[@bbharim]

5 ft 2! Marry me, Donna, and we'll be happy on our Yellow Submarine in an Octopus's Garden! Okay, I'm your Dad's age, never sailed, but dreaming of retiring to my boat in Simonstown on False Bay Yacht Club. Very near "My Octopus Teacher." Have to earn all my RYA qualifications, starting at the beginning. Of course Math and Physics is my thing, I'm a nerd. I'm small and old, a Oneye, but determined. Thanks for sharing.

[@SuperLitherland]

would have watched this but audio too bad sorry

[@andycarr5876]

Must be your equipment only because it’s perfectly fine on my phone. Maybe try watching it on another device maybe. Hope that helps because it’s definitely worth watching again if it’s something you would like to find out.

[@marcg1043]

Can’t understand a word….too quiet

[@andycarr5876]

Try listening again because it’s fine now

[@debbiebebington9803]

Hi as a day skipper you should not passage at night as your insurance will not cover you.also your Limited to 20 nautical miles in familure waters only. I was a skipper out of North Shields for a long time anyway well done Pet 👏