Join us on board one of our fully equipped training yachts for this exciting introduction to yachting. You will experience the thrill of being on the open water helming a yacht in the busy bay of Gibraltar and just a stones throw from the African coast. Accommodation is included onboard the yacht in our home marina where you can sample a wide range of restaurants and bars or even wander into Gibraltar town centre for even more variety. You may of course prefer to stay ashore in a hotel (at your cost). This is a 2 day course starting and finishing in Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar.
What to expect:
A brief introduction to sailing for complete beginners. You'll achieve a basic undertanding of the yacht, ropework, rules of the road, man overboard recovery, clothing and equipment, emergency equipment and precautions and meteorology. This course counts as 2 days training toward your RYA Competent crew course.
What's included?
- Accommodation onboard throughout the course
- Lunch and refreshments
- Waterproof clothing
- Bedding and towels
- Safety equipment
- Mooring fees
- All charts and publications
- A jolly good Instructor!
- Fun!
On successful completion you'll be awarded the RYA Start Yachting certificate.
Experience required:
None – just a sense of humour and a desire to learn how to sail!
Course schedule:
Starts: 09:30 Saturday at Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar.
Ends: 16:30 Sunday at Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar
This is a 2 day course.
Accommodation on board is available on the Friday evening by prior arrangement at a cost of £60 (this can be booked online).
What's next?
On completion of this course you will have experienced steering a yacht, sail handling, ropework and be aware of safety on board. Holders of the Start Yachting certificate can go on to complete the Competent Crew course in a reduced time of 3 days.
Once you’ve completed the RYA Competent Crew course, the perfect next step is our RYA Day Skipper Fast Track course which will allow you to charter and skipper yachts all around the world!
Note: If you already know that you love sailing and have longer term ambitions, you might want to consider our Novice to RYA Day Skipper programme, which offers the RYA Competent Crew, RYA Day Skipper Theory and RYA Day Skipper practical courses in one 14 day experience.
How to book:
It's easy! Just select the course date you want below. Click on book, confirm that this is the course and date that you want and then complete your details on our secure online booking system.
SELECT YOUR COURSE
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Course cost:
Low Season (1st November - 31st March) from:
£249
High Season (1st April - 31st October) from:
£299
Option for own cabin:
Low Season (1st November - 31st March) from:
£349
High Season (1st April - 31st October) from:
£399
Have a question?
If you have any questions please email us or call on +44 7925 784407 or see our Frequently Asked Questions.
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See what our clients say
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Great week with Jolly Parrot our instructors Ian and Lissie were excellent and prepared us above and beyond for our Yachtmaster assessment at the end of the week. Would definitely recommend for any of your training.
Ben
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Amazing 10 days with my instructor Ian working on my yacht master coastal prep course, which I successfully passed the day after the course. Great company couldn’t recommend them enough booking was easy and very well informed thanks to Rachel working behind the scenes.
Greg
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Absolutely incredible! Recently, I completed Jolly Parrot’s ‘Novice to Day Skipper’ course, and it was one of the best experiences of my life! Not only did I learn to sail, but the course also improved my confidence massively. The instructors were all so lovely and incredibly knowledgeable. Greg was my instructor for the Day Skipper portion and I couldn’t imagine anyone better suited for the job - An excellent instructor with impeccable humour. I met some amazing people during this course (namely my crew mates Bene, Doug and Flo), and overall had a wonderful time :)
Georgia
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Novice to Day Skipper course with Alex & Jason I was eager to learn to sail and at the same time to have relaxing time (holiday-like). It worked well for me, the instructors were cool and I was lucky to meet good colleagues sailors and have good time on the way. Keep rocking Jolly.
Nikola
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16-week Fast-Track I completed the 16-week Fast-Track program with Jolly Parrot, starting as a complete beginner with no prior sailing experience. From the moment I stepped aboard, the instructors—Ian, Greg, Rob, and Jason—became my guides, transforming my raw inexperience into something far more seasoned and confident. With their patience, skill, and unshakable belief in every student, they taught me far more than I could have imagined. If you’re considering joining, I can wholeheartedly recommend Jolly Parrot. The program is well-structured, and the instructors are highly knowledgeable, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to develop their sailing skills.
Tobias
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We spent a wonderful 11 days in November 2021 with Jolly Parrot. I completed the Coastal Skipper Combined course and my wife the Comp Crew. Instructors Flipper, IanG, Hailey, and Tom were all exceptional in their own unique way and we came away with more rounded skills and knowledge as a result of their patient teaching methods. Clive and Rachel did a fabulous job of shuffling schedules and boats to accommodate our different experience levels. Expect to be challenged on the Coastal Skipper course! We made some abiding memories, some long-term connections and friends, and hope to return soon for the next challenge maybe a mile-builder.
James
