Day Skipper Theory

Our free downloads are specially designed to support students working through their Day Skipper Theory course. From essential navigation plotting sheets and tidal curve templates to plain English guides on COLREGS and buoyage, these resources are perfect for reinforcing your learning during the course—and they’re just as useful when you’re skippering your own passages later on. Whether you’re revising at home or planning your first coastal cruise, our growing collection of student-friendly tools will help you stay confident and well-prepared on the water.

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Adjustments for Deviation

This handy mnemonic helps us remember which way to apply adjustments for bearings. Magnetic (compass) to True, True to Compass, Easterly Variation or Westerly Variation.  CADET (Compass Add East...More Details
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Adjustments for Variation

This handy mnemonic helps us remember which way to apply adjustments for bearings. Magnetic (compass) to True, True to Compass, Easterly Variation or Westerly Variation. CADET (Compass Add East for...More Details
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Barometric Pressure Change Meanings

A list containing the common weather scenarios that can be interpreted from changes in air pressure. Knowing what the changes in barometric pressure indicate can help us forecast and monitor the weather. ...More Details
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Beaufort Scale

Details of the wind strength and other expected conditions for each Beaufort scale 0 to 12. The Beaufort scale is taught in the Weather (Meteorology) module of the Sailing Essentials & Day Skipper...More Details
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Calculating Variation

How to calculate variation using the information found on a Compass Rose of a chart. Charts have the necessary information to calculate variation appropriate for their coverage area. They provide the...More Details
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Chart Annotations

Standard annotations for use when navigating using charts or chart plotters. Using standards enables navigators to understand each other's work. This is useful when taking over from someone else, either...More Details
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Clearance at low-water

Worksheet to help calculate how much clearance there will be at low water. This supports the Solving depth conundrums topic in the How much water? module of the Day Skipper theory course. ...More Details
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Cockpit Pilotage Plan

This example plan, specifically designed for executing pilotage in the cockpit, supports the Planning Pilotage session in the module Getting In and Out of Harbour of our Day Skipper Theory course. ...More Details
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Creating a Cockpit-ready Pilotage Plan

When creating a cockpit-ready plan for pilotage, we should note a few critical pieces of information. Our plan needn’t be limited to these, but it should capture enough to satisfy each of their requirements. The...More Details
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Depth needed now for clearance at low water

Worksheet to help calculate the depth we need now to retain enough clearance at low water. This supports the Solving Depth Conundrums topic in the How much water? module of the Day Skipper Theory course. ...More Details
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Dilution of Precision Scale

Table of HDOP ranges and their associated meanings. When establishing the accuracy of our GNSS (GPS) fix, we need to understand the Dilution of Precision (DOP), sometimes referred to as Horizontal Dilution...More Details
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Engine Checks

Engine checks are an important part of a pre-departure preparation procedure. The WOBBLE mnemonic provides a simple way to run through the checking procedure and reduce engine problems at sea. ...More Details

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