A Guide to Sailing a Yacht in the Med

Do you dream of sailing through the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean sea, the warm breeze in your hair? Well, you’re in luck. At First Class Sailing we offer all the courses you need to gain the skills and experience to charter a yacht and sail around the Mediterranean.

We’ll teach you the ins and outs of sailing, meaning you can experience the fun and excitement of the open water, gaining the confidence you need to explore all the hidden secrets of the Med.

Enjoy sailing from island to island. Visit Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Italy and Spain, and explore beautiful coves and deserted beaches.

Three steps to sailing success

The official qualification that most charter companies require you to have is a Day Skipper Practical Certificate. This guide covers everything from the basics to getting the certificate, but if you have experience you can jump straight to step 2 or 3.

Step 1: Become a Useful Crew Member

Take the First Class Sailing RYA Competent Crew Practical Course and experience the unique thrill of sailing. This course is suitable for people who have done little or no sailing before. It lasts for 5 days and at the end you will achieve useful crew member status!

The course will teach you a whole host of useful skills, including how to understand orders and undertake general duties, sail handling, rope work, steering, what to do if someone falls overboard, the rules of the road, manners and customs and much more…

You will learn how to:
• Raise, lower and set the sails
• Tie knots and make the boat secure
• Keep yourself and others safe onboard
• Keep lookout and steer the boat

You will learn about:
• Nautical jargon
• Each and every part of the boat
• The correct maritime practices
• The weather forecast

Find out more about the RYA Competent Crew Practical Course

Step 2: Prepare to be a Skipper

Once you’ve grasped the basics, the next step towards setting sail is the RYA Day Skipper Theory Course. First Class Sailing offer this course across London and the South, however it can also be held in your office boardroom after work.

Because the course is classroom based, it can be carried out across a variety or evenings, weekends and some home study time via RYA approved online modules.

This in depth course will teach you how to plot a course to steer, prevent collisions and plan a passage.

We’ll also cover nautical terms that you may not be familiar with, latitude and longitude, anchoring, safety, position course and speed, navigational charts and instruments, GPS and electronic charts, the compass, tidal heights and tidal streams and an in depth look at the weather.

Find out more about the RYA Day Skipper Theory Course

Step 3: Become a Skipper

With both practical and theory under your belt, you now need to combine all this knowledge and get back out on the water with our RYA Day Skipper Practical Course.

This course is spread over 5 consecutive days, or two weekends (one short and one long), and at the end you’ll receive the Day Skipper Practical Certificate. Whilst most charter companies recognise this qualification, a few require you to have an International Certificate of Competence (ICC). Once you have the Day Skipper Practical Certificate, you can get an ICC simply by sending your certificate to the RYA.

Throughout this course you’ll learn how to:
• Be a skipper
• Handle a yacht under sail
• Manage the deck
• Enter and depart harbours
• Interpret shipping forecasts
• Read a barometer
• Sail at night
• Moor a yacht

You’ll also learn about preparing for sea, maintenance and repair work, victualling (food and stores), passage making and rules of the road. Plus, navigation skills including how to work out where you are, getting to grips with the tide and how to identify buoys.

We’ll also cover what to do in emergency situations, you’ll practice recovering crew members fallen overboard (don’t worry, we won’t throw anyone in the sea), learn about life rafts and rescue procedures.

Find out more about the RYA Day Skipper Practical Course

Don’t forget your VHF License

It is a legal requirement that at least 1 person on board has a VHF Radio license. You can get a VHF License by taking a 1 day course followed by an assessment. These are offered over weekends in London.

Find out more about the VHF Radio Course

Tie up here for the evening

Our experts are on hand to help you plan your steps to Mediterranean sailing success. Do get in touch to speak to a friendly member of the First Class Sailing team.

Posted by: First Class Sailing