Nautilus Yachting > Learn To Sail > Learn To Sail
If you're a complete novice you may want to book an Royal Yachting Association (RYA) course. In your 1st week you'll gain a perfect introduction to life onboard and achieve RYA Competent crew. Or learn to sail on flotilla with a 6-day instructor onboard your yacht - perfect for couples and families trying out the unique experience of holidaying aboard your own yacht.
Beginners will start with RYA Competent Crew, but if you have crewing or motorboat experience sign up for RYA Day Skipper. Adults can book a cabin on a shared yacht at an RYA Recognised Training centre in Gibraltar, Greece or Croatia whilst families may prefer to book exclusive use of a training yacht, available in Greece, Gibraltar or Croatia. Maximum 5 students on each training yacht. But remember the instructor will not look after young children so best for children over 12.
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For families wanting to take part in a flotilla, you can add an instructor to your flotilla yacht on the Ionian flotilla in Greece. This is a great way for families to learn to sail together but remember the instructor will not look after young children and you will have to allocate a cabin for the instructor. This is not a formal RYA course so no qualification is gained but it is ideal for those with less experience who want to take part in the flotilla from the offset.
Beginners will need a 6-day flotilla course. This course is designed to take students with little or no experience to the level that they can skipper a yacht within our flotilla under the guidance of our lead crew. Plan a second week sailing with the flotilla, practising your new skills, or return later in the season.
More information on these courses can be found on our Learn to sail on flotilla page.
If you want to gain an RYA qualification, you can have exclusive use of the tuition yacht at the RYA Recognised centres in Aegina (Greece), Gibraltar, Sibenik (Croatia) and Dubai. For RYA courses a maximum of 5 students can be onboard, but some students can do Day Skipper course while others do Competent Crew course and some need not take part in any course. The course is not suitable for children under 12.
Couples willing to share a yacht with other students can share a tuition yacht in Gibraltar, Greece or Croatia. If you don't want to share or there are 2 couples, you can have exclusive use of the tuition yacht. For RYA courses only a maximum of 5 students can be onboard, but some students can do Day Skipper course while others do Competent Crew course and some need not take part in any course.
Beginners will do RYA Competent Crew course which provides a general introduction to yacht cruising. You will be shown how to tie knots, steer the yacht, handle the sails, moor up, use the anchor, basic navigation and how to be a welcome and useful crew member.
To do your RYA Day Skipper practical course you will need at least 5 days crewing experience on sailing yachts and have either completed the Day Skipper shore-based course or have a good knowledge of basic navigation. This practical course gives you the chance to take charge on short passages under instruction with advice and help from the instructor. You'll also get plenty of chance to practice mooring up in many different situations. By the end of the course you should have enough experience to skipper a yacht in a safe and seamanlike manner on short daytime passages.
If you want to learn on flotilla in Greece, beginners will need a 6-day flotilla course but if you just need to brush up your skippering skills you may only need a a 3-day flotilla course. These courses are designed to take you to the level that they can skipper a yacht within our flotilla under the guidance of our lead crew. Plan a second week sailing with the flotilla, practising your new skills, or return later in the season. As you have your own yacht, why not invite another couple along to share the cost?
Singles are welcome on the RYA courses run by the RYA Recognised Training centres in Gibraltar, Greece and Croatia. You will share a tuition yacht with other students (maximum 5 students per yacht).
Bear in mind that you will need a competent crew if you want to charter a yacht in the future so why not bring a friend along to learn how to crew.
The Greek government hopes that shelving the requirements will help to ease the wait times seen at airports in other European countries.
Whether you love fresh seafood, traditional mezze or stuffed gyros, Greece is synonymous with great food. Escape the crowds this summer and sample some of the finest culinary delights in locations that are perfect to enjoy after a day at sail.
Watch the video, ‘A Day on the Ionian Flotilla’ to get a glimpse into what you can expect from a flotilla sailing holiday in the Ionian with Nautilus Yachting. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more Nautilus Yachting sailing holiday videos!
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