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Sailing Course Questions
Short answers to what people actually ask, including the ones the industry tends to answer vaguely. Where a question deserves more than a line, it has its own page.
Getting started
Can I learn to sail with no experience?
Yes. Australian Sailing, RYA, IYT and ASA all run courses designed for complete beginners.
Do I have to start in a dinghy?
No. Starting in a dinghy is useful, but it has never been a requirement.
Is dinghy sailing useful before yacht sailing?
Yes, genuinely useful — but not mandatory.
Can adults start directly on cruising yachts?
Yes. Courses like RYA Competent Crew are built for exactly that.
Can I start directly with RYA?
Yes. There is no domestic prerequisite before entering the RYA scheme.
Is Competent Crew for complete beginners?
Yes. RYA currently lists no previous experience requirement.
Can children learn sailing?
Yes. Tackers starts from about age seven.
What is Tackers?
Australian Sailing’s junior pathway, built around fun and water confidence first.
What is OutThere Sailing?
A social sailing pathway aimed at teenagers who have outgrown Tackers.
What comes after Tackers?
Junior dinghy sailing, racing, or other youth development programs.
What is the Australian Sailing adult dinghy pathway?
Start Sailing 1, Start Sailing 2, Better Sailing, then optional racing development.
What is the Australian Sailing keelboat pathway?
Start Crewing, Start Helming and Start Skippering, with Spinnakers and Start Racing beyond.
Schemes and qualifications
What is the RYA?
A major international training organisation with a deep cruising-yacht pathway.
What is IYT?
International Yacht Training Worldwide — recreational and professional yacht education.
What is ASA?
American Sailing, whose certifications are offered by selected schools internationally.
Which is better, RYA or IYT?
Neither is automatically better. The right one depends on your goal, your boat and what is taught near you.
Skipper and Yachtmaster
Is RYA Day Skipper a boat licence?
No. It is a training certificate, not a licence issued by any government.
Does Day Skipper make me an expert skipper?
No. It is an important stage in skipper development, not the end of one.
Is Yachtmaster a five-day course?
No. Yachtmaster is an examination against a standard, taken after qualifying sea time.
What is the difference between Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster?
Coastal Skipper is a training course. Yachtmaster is a Certificate of Competence.
What is mile building?
Sailing undertaken specifically to accumulate practical experience and sea miles.
Does every mile count toward Yachtmaster?
Not necessarily. Verify current qualifying requirements before booking a passage.
Chartering
Do I need an ICC?
It depends entirely on your destination, your eligibility and the charter operator.
Is the ICC a global boat licence?
No. It is recognised in some jurisdictions, not universally.
What qualification do I need to charter in the Whitsundays?
It varies by company, and your logged experience is usually assessed alongside any certificate.
Should I take a catamaran course before chartering a catamaran?
Strongly advisable, particularly if all your experience is on monohulls.
What is bareboat charter?
A charter where you operate the vessel yourself, without a professional skipper aboard.
Safety, radio and technical
Do I need a marine radio qualification?
It depends on the equipment aboard and the operating context.
What is SROCP?
An Australian Short Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency.
What is LROCP?
An Australian Long Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency.
What is Safety & Sea Survival?
Specialist training for managing serious emergencies at sea — and not only for racers.
Is sea survival only for racers?
No. It is arguably more relevant to short-handed offshore cruisers.
Owners, couples and private tuition
Should yacht owners take a diesel course?
Yes — most engine failures at sea are simple faults an owner can fix.
Should yacht owners learn electrical systems?
Basic electrical understanding is valuable on any modern cruising yacht.
Can I learn on my own yacht?
Yes. Many Australian instructors offer own-boat tuition.
Is private tuition better?
It gives more individual attention; group courses teach crew work and teamwork.
Can couples train together?
Yes, and several schools structure courses specifically around it.
Should both partners learn to skipper?
At minimum, both should be able to handle an emergency and take control of the boat.
Working on the water
What is a sailing instructor course?
Training and accreditation for someone who intends to teach sailing.
Can Yachtmaster be used commercially?
Only with the right endorsement, and subject to the jurisdiction you work in.
Is Yachtmaster automatically an Australian commercial qualification?
No. Australia’s domestic commercial certificates are administered by AMSA, separately.
What is AMSA Sailing Master Coastal?
An Australian domestic commercial Certificate of Competency.
What is AMSA Sailing Master Offshore?
An Australian domestic commercial certificate for higher-level sailing operations within its limits.
About this site
Does SailingSchools.com.au list sailing clubs?
Not in the main directory — we list dedicated schools and training providers.
Why not list clubs?
Because a club running occasional courses is not a training organisation, and mixing them makes the directory less useful.
How do you verify schools?
Accreditation, course lists and prices are checked against the school and carry the date checked.
Still not sure where to start?
Three questions — have you sailed before, what boat do you want to sail, and what is your goal — give you a starting course and the schools that teach it near you.