Sailing schools
Learn to sail with RYA & ASA courses
Besides learning the ropes, you need a grasp of marine navigation. Below you will find
an advanced online course on coastal navigation, which teaches you to find your position without relying on modern equipment like Radar of GPS. With these nine chapters you will learn how to set a course and sail to your destination by using only nautical charts, a compass and your common sense. Note, that I moved the navigation courses to my new domain, just follow the links below.
The aim of this navigation course is to teach you how to navigate safely while using the minimum of resources: methods that have been in use since the Middle Ages, and are still applied by the professionals. This marine course is highly recommended by the RYA, ASA, ISAF, US Sailing, and is widely used by instructors of the Auxiliary Coast Guards (USCG Auxiliary). Moreover, it is uses by many yacht clubs and sailing schools.
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Positions: longitudes and latitudes, parallels and meridians, great circles, the nautical mile, a knot, and the international date line.
- Nautical Charts: projections, mercator, gnomeric, horizontal geodetic datum, chart sounding datum, vertical scale, and symbols of the chart.
- Compass: magnetic course, compass course, true course, variation, magnetic deviation, secular variation and other compass corrections.
- Plotting: lines of position, ranges, transit fix, position fix, cross bearing, dead reckoning, estimated position, snellius construction.
- Piloting: running fix, double angle on the bow, four point fix, special angle fix, dipping range, geographic range, elevation, chart datum, vertical sextant angle.
- Tides: spring tides, neap tides, ranges, semi-diurnal, diurnal, chart datum, drying heights, charted depth, height of light, rule of Twelve, rule of seven.
- Tide Prediction: shoal problem, bridge problem, rule of twelve, rule of seven, observed depth, tide tables, tidal curves, tidal atlases.
- Currents: oceanic surface current, deep oceanic current, gyres, sailing directions planning guides, pilot charts, tidal streams, chart diamonds, drift and rate.
- Navigation aids: lateral and cardinal marks, direction of buoyage, light characteristics, light houses, light list, leading lights, IALA A and IALA B.
RYA & ASA sailing schools in Greece
Cruising and sailing areas of the Greek islands: These pages will familiarize you with Greece. Indeed, the Greek islands are ideal for learning to sail and getting your RYA or ASA certificates. The Ionian sea as well as the Aegean has no tides, and navigation is easy. Moreover, Greece has an astonishing amount of ancient monuments, archaeological sites and medieval castles to visit after the lessons.
The best sailing schools can be found in the Saronic Gulf near Athens, and the adjoining Cyclades are ideal for nightly passage making, landfalls and milebuilding weeks.
Request free advice on RYA & ASA sailing schools: Lots of visitors have told their experiences with sailing courses to me and with their stories I am able to give you free advice on sailing schools and RYA or ASA courses.
