Sailing Experience 

It is important that you tell us about your sailing experience before chartering a yacht with us.

Whether you are an experienced sailor or a complete novice you can enjoy chartering a yacht and sailing in some of the world’s finest sailing areas. There are several options for all levels of experience:

Absolute Beginner

As an absolute beginner we can provide a skipper for a skippered charter and ensure that you and your crew have a safe and enjoyable yacht charter.

You can take a sailing course in your chosen holiday location and gain recognized sailing qualification whilst enjoying your holiday

Enroll in a RYA sailing course with our partner company Commodore Yachting to reach Day Skipper before setting sail on your charter yacht.

Remember, the more experience you and your crew have the more you will enjoy your holiday. If you take a skippered charter you may find that taking a Competent Crew course beforehand will be worthwhile.

Many countries are asking for at least one crew member to have a minimum of Day Skipper or ICC in order to skipper a yacht. Croatia also requires the skipper to hold a VHF Radio license. If you are an experienced sailor with no formal qualifications you will need to have an ICC. In addition your first mate should have a minimum of Competent Crew.

Level 1

You will require a minimum of one of the following:

ICC or RYA Day Skipper (compulsory for skippering a yacht in Croatia)

5 days or 100 miles as skipper on an equivalent size yacht

Weather: 5-20 knots wind

Level 1 areas offer generally calm conditions with light winds although you should be prepared for stronger winds on occasions. Berthing may be stern to on a harbour wall or you may have to anchor.

Level 2

You will require a minimum of one the following:

ICC or RYA Day Skipper (tidal) qualification

10 days or 200 miles as skipper on an equivalent yacht

RYA Day Skipper qualification
Weather: 10-20 knots wind

Level 2 areas offer generally calm conditions with afternoon sea breezes winds although you should be prepared for stronger winds on occasions. Berthing may be stern to on a harbour wall or you may have to anchor.

Level 3

You will require a minimum of one of the following:

RYA Day Skipper qualification with experience to a higher level

RYA Coastal Skipper qualification

ICC qualification with experience to a higher level

20 days or 400 miles as skipper on an equivalent yacht
Weather: 10 – 30 knots wind

Although often benign level 3 areas can offer some challenging sailing and are an excellent choice for skippers and crews wanting to experience more interesting sailing conditions. Navigation may involve accounting for strong tides and large tidal ranges. You may have to berth or anchor in strong winds and be prepared for catabatic winds at night.

Please bear in mind that in all sailing areas there is always the possibility of much stronger winds on occasion. The winds strengths shown are those typically encountered and each destination will be graded according to the type of conditions most likely to be encountered. However this is only a guide and designed as an aid to the selection of right holiday for you and your crew. We recommend that you research the prevailing weather conditions before booking your charter. A good source for local weather can be found at Weather Underground 

We always recommend that to get the most out of your charter your experience exceeds the minimum required. An excellent way to gain experience and improve skills is to take a RYA sailing course, Milebuilding Trip or Boat Handling Day. You can also take a skippered or assisted charter, we can help you decide which option is best for you based on our experience of both training skippers and of the sailing areas.