Whitsunday Sailing Courses

Here’s why you will love the sailing courses on offer in the Whitsundays

The Whitsunday area offers a range of sailing courses from Introductory Sailing, Competent Crew Certificates to Coxswains. The most popular course done in the Whitsundays is the Competent Crew Course for those wanting to get more than a bit of hands on experience and learn the actual running of a sail vessel.

For those just wanting to pull a few sails up and get a general idea, then joining a cruise maybe enough. There are quite a few sailing vessels that offer the Introductory Course during a normal overnight sailing cruise. This is an average extra cost of around $100 for the Introductory Certificate on top of the cruise cost.

The Competent Crew Certificate offered in the Whitsundays is recognized all over the world. A great way to start if you are looking at doing more sailing over the years. The cruise will be skippered by qualified AYF instructors who teach you a variety of practical and theory components involved with the sailing of a yacht. Competent Crew Courses will cover the setting of sails, charting courses, rope work, helmsman ship, safety, anchoring and more. These courses are generally three days and two nights and are an average cost of $680 per person. This cost also includes meals while on the vessel.

Sailing Training Certificates

Whitsunday Marine Academy is a Yachting Australia Approved Training Centre. Yachting Australia is the the governing body for sailing and power boating in Australia and has been entrusted with significant responsibilities in the areas of training and safety standards.

Whether you are an experienced or first time sailor, we promise that an AYF Course will be the highlight of your holiday in Australia – incorporating snorkelling and the exploration of the Whitsundays in one neat package.

Introductory certificate

Pre-requisite: none 
Duration: 3 days / 2 nights

Syllabus: personal safety, ropework, working as a sheethand, relative direction, the compass, the chart & steering.
PRICE: $450 p/person

Competent Crew Course

Pre-requisite: AYF Introductory or similar experience 
Duration: 3 days / 2 nights or 6 days / 5 nights

Syllabus: knowledge of sea terms, parts of yacht, sail handling, personal safety, equipment, man over board, distress signals, manners and customs, rules of the road, dinghies, meteorology, coping with sea sickness, helmanship, sailing engines.
PRICE: $499 p/person (3day) $990 p/person (6 day)

Inshore Certificates

Pre-requisite: AYF Competent Crew and 20 logged days at sea
Duration: 6 days / 5 nights

Syllabus: nautical terms, ropework, anchorwork, safety, international regulations for the prevention of collision at sea, basic sailing, towing, stability, navigational charts and publications, navigational drawing instruments, compasses, chartwork, position fixing, tides and tidal streams, pilotage, visual aids to navigation, passage planning, navigational and restricted visability, meterology.
PRICE: $1100 p/person