Becoming a Day Skipper

From classroom conundrums to night-time navigation, dinghy instructor Margaret Norris decides to give big boats a go

- Margaret Norris

Have you ever wondered what to do now summer’s over? Do you feel like setting yourself a challenge for those dark winter months? Then why not think about doing a Day Skipper course which comes in two parts: theory and practical, the theory providing the groundwork for the practical. The course gives you the skills to skipper a boat safely, navigate from port to port and moor up at the end of the day.

Being a glutton for punishment, I did my theory course twice – separated by a couple of years for reasons now forgotten. The course was 40 hours long so was spread out over five eight-hour days, giving the brain a real workout! The teacher had us moving around the classroom doing various exercises, watching videos as well as poring over charts to break up each session. We worked individually as well as in teams too.