What is the Maximum Boat Size for Day Skipper?

First Class Sailing is one of the UK’s leading sailing schools, offering the full range of RYA courses including Day Skipper. We often get asked what the maximum boat size is for Day Skipper by prospective students, but it’s an answer that isn’t as straight forward as you might think.

Firstly, the RYA requirements for the Day Skipper are that the course be taken on a boat that is sized between 7 and 15 metres. So, the maximum boat size you will learn on with Day Skipper will be 23 up to 49 feet.

Once you have passed your RYA Day Skipper qualification, you can then get out on the water with increased confidence. But what is the maximum boat size you can skipper once you have made the grade?

This is where the answer isn’t as simple as you might hope.

In the UK you don’t need a license to skipper a boat under 24 meters (or 80 gross tons). In theory you could actually skipper a 78 foot yacht with a Day Skipper qualification or even no qualification at all.

But it’s very rare this would ever happen, as no company will let someone with just a Day Skipper qualification charter a 24 metre yacht.  Yacht charter companies are unlikely to charter you anything above 50 foot if you have only a Day Skipper qualification.

RYA qualifications are fairly widely recognised.  However, some charter companies prefer you have an ICC (International Certificate of Competence).  To get an ICC you need to send your Day Skipper qualification to the RYA with an admin fee and they will issue you with one.  Alternatively you can take an ICC test.  This is a practical test that usually lasts a few hours.

Like the Day Skipper certificate the ICC covers you for yachts up to 24m in length in coastal waters.

If you are wishing to work on boats using your Day Skipper or ICC qualification, then you will need to take the PPR Course to get your certificate commercially endorsed.

Posted by: Heighway