We try to keep it simple… all our scheduled courses* are priced at £120 per day, so £240 for a weekend and £600 for a 5-day course. To keep it simple, unlike some training centres, that price is all-inclusive. It includes instructor time, accommodation, all onboard meals, drinks, snacks, mooring/ marina fees, fuel and use of our sailing waterproofs. The only additional cost would be if the crew decide to go ashore for a wee shandy…

* The RYA Yachtmaster Preparation & Exam week is costed slightly differently.

Where we sail during any given week or weekend depends heavily on the weather, but in general, we have the whole of the spectacular Firth of Clyde as I playground. One weekend courses, we are generally limited to a distance of 25-35 miles of Kip Marina on the Saturday as we need to get back on the Sunday.

On an RYA Competent Crew/ RYA Day Skipper course 5-day weekday course, we can reach almost anywhere on the Firth of Clyde given the appropriate weather and wind conditions, spending time around the islands of Bute and Arran, and often venturing as far south as Campbelltown on the Kintyre Peninsular.

On the RYA Coastal Skipper course, 5-day weekday course, with a need to complete longer passages, we aim to escape the Firth of Clyde, heading over to Northern Ireland or up to the islands of Islay and Gigha. RYA Competent Crew students are most welcome to crew on our RYA Coastal Skipper courses on the understanding that there may be a few longer days than on the standard RYA Competent Crew/ RYA Day Skipper course.

Our weekend courses start at 7:30pm each Friday evening, meeting at our classroom in Kip Marina, running through until between 3-4pm on the Sunday afternoon.

Our 5-day weekday courses start at 7:30pm each Sunday evening, meeting at our classroom in Kip Marine, running through until between 3-4pm on the Friday afternoon.

Note, we can offer some flexibility if a 7:30pm meeting time is a challenge, with the option to arrive later in the evening (within reason) or at the latest to join the rest of the crew for breakfast at 8am.

While every week and weekend is different a general plan looks something like this…

First Evening

7:30pm - Meet at our classroom, sort out the food for the weekend/ week, grab your set of waterproofs, then head down to the yacht.
8:00pm - A basic briefing of the yacht, including use of the heads, where the exits are, where the fire-fighting equipment is, and as importantly, where the kettle and biscuits are stored.
8:30pm onward - Get the kettle on, open the biscuits and get the charges out. With support from the instructor, skipper students will then work together to establish a high-level plan for the weekend/ week based on weather, wind, tide and crew members, with non-skipper students getting involved as much or as little as they wish, and a more detailed plan for the first day.

First Day

8:00am - Breakfast while listening to the Coastal Guard weather and safety briefing on the VHF at 8:10am.
8:45am - A full safety briefing and yacht familiarization.
10:00am onward - Leave Kip Marina and go sailing.

Sailing activity during each day on the water will depend on the course(s) being delivered. Each evening during the course will be spent at a marina or on a mooring, based on the plan created by the skipper students. There will be an opportunity to explore ashore when at a marina and with the use of the yacht's tender when on a mooring.

Last Day

Approx. 2-3pm - Arrive back at Kip Marina. Pack personal belongings and clean the yacht.
Approx. 3-4pm - Complete a course debrief, fill in logbooks and issue certificates (as appropriate).

Yes, all courses are open to anyone wishing to accompany another student completing an RYA course or just as a personal experience, experience builder and/ or mile-builder.

What you will need to bring will be based on personal preference, the weather and the time of year that you join us on the water, remembering that it can be a little more chilly out on the water than it is on land, even in the summer.

A list of suggested personal items to bring with you can be found above, but you most certainly don't need to bring everything on the list with you.

Note… we do provide sailing waterproof if you need them, but we don't provide bedding; any footwear that keeps your feet warm and dry is fine (no need to buy sailing boots especially), and a pair of earplugs is recommended if you aren't accustomed to sleeping on a yacht with all its unfamiliar noises.

If you aren't sure which course is the right one for you, then give us a call but in general…

RYA Start Yachting if you have never sailed on a yacht before and just want to give it a try to see if you like it.

RYA Competent Crew if you have never sailed on a yacht before but want to jump in feet first and go for it. On this course, with no course prerequisites, we will teach you to sail a yacht, allowing you to go off and crew independently or move on to the RYA Day Skipper course.

RYA Day Skipper if you already know how to sail a yacht and now want to start taking responsibility for skippering it. This is the minimum qualification you will need as a new skipper to charter a yacht in many places around the world, although some locations will need more experience and/ or the RYA Coastal Skipper qualification. To be able to complete the practical course, you will need theory knowledge, either by completing the RYA Day Skipper theory course or by self-study to the same level. To be clear on that… you don't need the RYA Day Skipper theory certificate to complete the RYA Day Skipper practical, but your theory knowledge must be at that level, which will be put to the test throughout the practical course.

RYA Coastal Skipper if you already have good experience of skipper a yacht and wish to take things to the next level, opening up additional sailing grounds for chartering, to build on your experience through the additional areas covered on the practical course, or just for personal satisfaction. As with the RYA Day Skipper course, there is no need to hold the RYA Coastal Skipper/ Yachtmaster theory certificate to complete this practical course, but your theory knowledge must be at the RYA Coastal Skipper/ Yachtmaster theory level.

International Certificate of Competence (ICC) if you are already a competent sailor and skipper but have no formal qualifications that are often required to charter a yacht abroad. The ICC is a pass/fail exam, however, we run it over a weekend to give some limited opportunity to receive some instructions alongside the examination of the specific skills on the ICC sheet. The ICC exam includes both theory knowledge and practical skills. The ICC is a lesser qualification than the RYA Day Skipper, so anyone holding the RYA Day Skipper practical certificate can apply to the RYA for an ICC (at an additional cost).

No, you don't need to complete a formal RYA theory course before participating in an RYA practical course, HOWEVER, you do need theory knowledge at least to the level of the theory course associated with the practical course, i.e. if you are attending the RYA Day Skipper practical course you need an understanding of sailing theory to at least the level of the RYA Day Skipper theory course. While the theory will not be directly tested on the practical course, you will be required to utilise all elements of the required theory throughout the practical course.

If in doubt, give us a call… or just sign up for the theory course!!

All practical sailing courses include onboard accommodation unless stated otherwise.

Our yachts have three double cabins, together with a large saloon that also doubles up as a double cabin for sleeping purposes. Couples will always be assigned a private cabin, and we will always try to arrange students across all yachts so that everyone has their own private sleeping space, however, due to the limits of a sailing yacht, there may be a need to share a double cabin with an unrelated student of the same sex. That said, with the use of full-sized partitions, we are able to separate the double cabins so that everyone can enjoy some privacy.

If you have any concerns about sleeping arrangements, please don't hesitate to get in touch, and we will see what we can do to support you in any way that we can.

Kip Marina offers plenty of free and secure parking. We don't have any security issues at the marina, but it is supported by 24-hour security guards and CCTV. Just park your car outside our classroom when you first arrive, and your instructor will direct you to the best place to park your car for the week/ weekend.

If you come in a motorhome, which a surprising number of our students do, while you can always use the car park for free, there is an option to arrange an electric hook-up if you would like to stay in the area on either side of your course. Just ask at the marina reception for details.