Learn to Sail

Charter Prep Course

Unlock the world of independent sailing with our comprehensive Charter Prep Sailing Course. This hands-on program is meticulously designed to equip you with the essential skills and knowledge required to confidently and safely maximize your bareboat charter. Whether you’re dreaming of exploring the idyllic Australian coast or the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, this course provides the practical experience and theoretical understanding to make your sailing aspirations a reality.

Confident Yacht Handling Under Sail & Power:

Master fundamental boat handling skills in various conditions, including maneuvering under sail and using the engine in open water – crucial for safe charter operations.

Effective Sail Trim & Performance:

Learn to adjust sails for optimal efficiency in varying wind conditions, maximizing speed and comfort during your charter.

Safe Anchoring & Mooring Techniques:

Gain proficiency in selecting appropriate anchorages and safely picking up moorings, vital for overnight stays and accessing different locations.

Safety First: Mastering Onboard Emergency Procedures:

Learn vital safety protocols, including understanding life jackets, flares, and emergency procedures, ensuring you can react quickly and effectively in critical situations.

Fundamental Navigation & Pilotage:

Develop core skills in chart reading, basic plotting, and utilizing navigation tools to safely plan and follow your charter routes.

The RYA Competent Crew course provides a comprehensive introduction to sailing fundamentals. Participants will gain practical skills in essential categories including basic seamanship, sail handling and ropework, helmsmanship, and onboard safety procedures. This hands-on training ensures students develop the core competencies required to be a confident and effective member of a sailing crew

Course Duration

2-Days

Start and Finish Times

Start at 9:00 am on the first day, and finish no late than 4:30pm on the last day of the course.

Minimum Age

16 years

Course Format

On the water, on either a yacht or catamaran.

Course Highlights

  • Experienced Instructors: Learn from our passionate and certified RYA and ASA instructors.
  • Small Class Sizes: Benefit from personalized attention and maximize your learning.
  • Beautiful Location: Enjoy practical training in the pristine waters of the Sunshine Coast.
  • Comprehensive Learning Materials: Access all necessary resources to support your studies.

Who Is This Course For?

This well thought out Charter Prep Sailing Course is designed for individuals who are:

  • Aspiring Bareboat Charterers (with or without prior experience): Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or new to the world of independent yachting, this course provides the essential skills and confidence needed to make the most of a bareboat charter experience.
  • Seeking to Maximize Charter Enjoyment: You understand that a solid foundation in fundamental skills translates to a more relaxed, capable, and ultimately more rewarding sailing holiday.
  • Wanting Practical, Hands-On Training: You value learning by doing and desire real-world experience in essential yacht handling, sail trim, anchoring, navigation, and safety procedures.
  • Planning a Bareboat Charter in Australia or Elsewhere: You’re looking to gain the specific skills and knowledge required to safely and confidently navigate and manage a chartered yacht in diverse cruising grounds.
  • Proactive About Safety and Preparedness: You prioritize safety and want to equip yourself with the necessary skills and understanding to handle various situations that may arise during a charter.

Specifically, this course is beneficial for:

  • Individuals with some sailing experience looking to transition to confident bareboat chartering.
  • Those with limited or no prior sailing experience who wish to gain the fundamental skills required to responsibly and enjoyably charter a yacht.
  • Past charterers who want to refresh their skills and build a stronger foundation for future voyages.

Our Charter Prep course empowers you with the practical abilities and theoretical knowledge to confidently take the helm and fully embrace the freedom of bareboat chartering, ensuring a memorable and successful sailing adventure.

Yearly pricing

Pricing

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Basic

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$290

Pro

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$790

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What’s Included

What’s Not Included

  • Lunches for both days

    Lunch

  • Expert instruction from ASA-certified instructors
  • All necessary safety equipment.
  • Refreshments, including coffee, tea, and water.
  • PUPF 50+ sunscreen to protect you from the sun.
  • Transportation to and from the course location.

    Lunch

  • Personal sailing clothes, prepare for all weather.
  • Dinner & Breakfast.
  • Alcohol - You can BYO. but theres limited space
  • Additional Snacks - BYO favorite snack.
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Paul Moitzi profile picture
Paul Moitzi
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Thank you Mark for the invaluable 5 days sailing under your instruction. It was a great experience and I learnt so much in a great way I cannot thank you enough My sailing now is my next chapter in life Cheers to you Oh and thank you Racheal for all your work in making it happen and your food prep, it was was fantastic Cheers Paul
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Nimalan Perumal profile picture
Nimalan Perumal
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Great training, polish my mistake and wonderful learning with buddies Paul and Puncho. Mark is a special trainer with wisdom deep as ocean. Special thanks to Rachel for tucking me in last minute. It’s just the best 4 days of full on practice training and sailing making mistakes and celebrating the success. Thank you 🙏 sunshine sailing Australia for giving me the opportunity.
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Xiang Zhao profile picture
Xiang Zhao
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I did my RYA level 2 powerboat certification last weekend here. Our instructor Mark is a legend. He is patient, knowledgeable, kind and experienced. You will definitely want someone like him who actually sailed around world for couple of times and who deeply loves and respects ships and the ocean. Sunshine Sailing Australia is great! Good location, nice boats, friendly staff and great beforehand information, etc. Highly recommended.
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Adrian Perkins (Bronze) profile picture
Adrian Perkins (Bronze)
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Sailing the Sunshine Coast is an amazing opportunity for anyone from any Walk of Life
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Sharn Levis profile picture
Sharn Levis
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We just completed our ASA 101 and Day Skipper! We had never sailed before but have had time on the water in our own power boat. Rachel was amazing at catering this course to suit our future goals and experience. We travelled all the way from North WA, so everyone went out of their way to make sure we were able to complete the courses, even with the weather being completely against us on the first week! We absolutely loved the ASA course on the little monohull. Seb was a great instructor, making it fun but informative. Then we went on to the Day Skipper for 5 days live aboard on Allegro. It was great to see the difference between a monohull and catamaran and put our new skills into practice. Mark was our instructor for the RYA Day Skipper and what a wealth of knowledge he is! We feel very lucky to have had him to learn from. He is one of the most patient instructors we’ve ever met and loved hearing all of his sailing stories. The other crew members were really good fun too. Definitely a trip we won’t forget! Thanks again to Rachel and Dave for making it happen for us and thank you to Seb and Mark for teaching us the ropes! Sharn and Tristan :) Karratha, WA.
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Warren Jackson profile picture
Warren Jackson
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We did the day skipper course on our boat with sunshine sailing . Our instructor, Mark was very experienced a great communicator and easy to get along with . We learnt soo much
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Robbert de Ruijter profile picture
Robbert de Ruijter
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Brilliant sailing course. Clear instruction, heaps of hands-on practice, and a really supportive, professional instructor. Learned a lot, gained confidence on the water, and genuinely enjoyed every day. Highly recommended.
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Michiel Mel profile picture
Michiel Mel
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We did the competent crew course two weeks ago. We had a week with a decent wind and swell and even though we were just beginners, we left the boat confident after five days. The instructor covered a lot more than we needed to know for this course, but still we were very comfortable. I would highly recommend this sailing school.
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Luke Duindam profile picture
Luke Duindam
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Great exposure to real sailing, Mark put us through some very realistic scenarios which was very useful for learning. Plenty of patience for all and any questions. I benefitted greatly from my experience.
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Damien Carter profile picture
Damien Carter
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We wanted to send a big thank you to the team at Sunshine sailing. We’ve just come back from an incredible week out on the water completing our Day Skipper and Competent Crew course. A huge thank you to Nate our instructor for the week. Nate’s extensive sailing experience was very evident from the outset and his calm and patient approach made a world of difference to the crew. We couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. Also a big thank you to the owners of Sunshine sailing Rachel and David. You can tell they both love what they do and it shows in spades in every dealing we had with both of them before and after we completed the course. We’d highly recommend using Sunshine sailing to anyone considering gaining more sailing experience. We hope to see you all again for the next course. Thanks again for an incredible week. Regards Damien and Peta.
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