You don’t need any previous experience to enjoy a flotilla holiday. And if you have sailed before but never got around to getting a skippers certificate or qualification, there are options for you too.
Usual Requirements
Requirements have been tightened in recent times. Generally, to sail a yacht on flotilla your skipper will need at least either:
- An RYA Day Skipper Practical certificate, ASA104 or equivalent national certificate OR
- An International Certificate of Competence (ICC)
However there are some local variations:
- In Greece, many flotillas will no longer accept the Day Skipper (though Coastal Skipper and Yacht Master qualifications are fine). There’s an easy solution for UK nationals or those resident in the UK: The RYA will issue Day Skipper holders with an ICC. This service is free for RYA members, otherwise about £50.
- In Croatia, one person on board must hold a VHF radio certificate.
- For flotillas visiting Montenegro, there must be two qualified skippers on board, holding either RYA Day Skipper, ICC or similar certificates. At time of writing, the authorities are accepting a Day Skipper Theory certificate for the second skipper as well as the practical certificates
- In Turkey, they will consider skippers without certificates, provided you can warrant that you have sufficient experience skippering (not crewing) a similar sized yacht.
Note that you do not need your qualifications at time of booking, so long as you have have them at least a week before you travel.
No previous experience
If you’ve never sailed a yacht before, you won’t want to just jump on and go. A yacht weighs the same as a truck and you wouldn’t hop in one of those and drive through the town centre. Especially if, like a yacht, it had no brakes! Sailing isn’t rocket science but it helps to know who has right of way, how to navigate, how to set the sails (and reduce them if the wind picks up) and how to park.
There are several solutions:
- A skipper can be provided. You can still help sail the yacht but with the comfort of knowing there’s an expert on hand. This option is available on almost all flotillas.
- You can take qualifications before you go. From complete novice to skipper will take a couple of weeks.
- You can have tuition during your flotilla, or your skipper can fly out a week early and do a course beforehand. This will get you up to speed more quickly as sailing in the Mediterranean is easier than elsewhere. See the section on Learn to Sail options for more details. This option is available in Greece, on the Levkas and Ithaca flotillas, and all Peloponnese and Saronic Gulf flotillas from Poros
- Of course you’re not limited to joining a flotilla. You could take a skippered charter or join a cabin charter.
Previous experience, no qualifications
Your options will depend on the extent of your experience:
- If you have previous skippering experience, such as from previous charters, through owning your own yacht, or from club sailing, then:
- In Turkey, you may be accepted based on a resume of your past skippering experience.
- In Greece, you may, in a limited numer of ocations be able to take an ICC exam immediately prior to sailing.
- take an ICC before you go. This can be done in as little as a weekend at an RYA sailing school.
- If you have previously done a pre-flotilla course, even if with a different company, this is sometimes accepted in Turkey
- If you have done some yacht or dinghy sailing but little or no skippering, you can take an instructor on board and gain a qualification as you go.
- The options for those without previous experience (see above) are also available.
Note that in Croatia the authorities have now issued a list of recognised certificates (including the RYA Day Skipper and ICC). If you do not have a recognised certificate you will have to have an instructor or skipper on board. Checks are carried out and penalties for breaches are applied to both the skipper and charter company, including fines, on the spot exams, and imposition of professional skippers. So if you want to skipper yourself in Croatia, there is no solution but to get a certificate first.