ISSA Sailing Yacht Courses
The ISSA have designed several sailing yacht courses which may be of interest to beginners, Intermediate standard sailors and to the more expert sailors too.
Yacht Crew is the beginners course we recommend or ISSA Keelboat Crew. This course teaches absolute beginners to sail a vessel well in just 4 days. Its fun and it enables you to join our PWSC club for free.
For those who wish to charter we recommend the ISSA Inshore Skipper or ISSA Offshore Skipper course. The Zero Hero Course is ICC compliant and the best value course and most popular course run by SIA. Are you good enough to go to sea on a rented boat?
Experts may well benefit from consolidating their skills and hopefully adding to them by taking a Yachtmaster Offshore Course. Are you ready to do this and good enough? Its a tough course and you have to work hard to become a Yachtmaster Offshore Skipper.
Zero to Hero – ISSA Combined Fastrack Yacht Course – 14 Days
The Zero to Hero Course is SIA’s most popular course. Why? The answer is a thorough course, which is very attractively priced and offers a fun introduction to becoming a recreational yacht skipper. The course is essentially 4 courses that can be learned as one option, the ‘classic course’ 14 days in duration or two other options – the dates of courses are explained on this link in detail.
The 4 elements to the course are Yacht Crew, VHF Radio, Inshore Skipper 1 and Inshore Skipper 2. There are handbooks that are available to students for elements to this course. These can be purchased at the shop individually or in the near future as a compendium edition.
Subjects covered in this course are as follows;
- Safety
- Tides and Currents
- IALA Buoyage
- Understanding the Compass
- Navigation using Charts and Chart Plotters
- Engines
- Rules of the Road
- Weather
- Modern Yacht Electronics
- VHF Radio
- Pilotage and Passage Planning
- Boat Handling in confined areas
- Anchoring
- Points of Sail and Sail Trimming
- Berthing
- Knots and rope handling
COURSE AVAILABILTY: This course is 14 days duration
Phuket courses start 1st – 14th or 15th – 28th each month
Pattaya courses start on 7th – 20th each month
– the start date you select below is an indication, we will contact you directly to confirm availability
Yacht Crew – ISSA Yacht Crew Course
The ISSA Yacht Crew Course is great starter course for beginners to sailing or power boating. Our course teaches you to sail a yacht or keelboat in light to moderate boating conditions on all points of sail. The course is 90% practical and 10% theoretical. This means you leave us not being an assistant but knowing how to sail and being an active and competent crew member. Our course is designed so you can then join an Inshore Skippers Course and gain further experience and competence.
Sail in Asia are very keen for students to gain experience in a variety of yachts and types of yachts through participation in this ISSA Yacht Crew course. We have keelboats, yachts, trimarans and RIBs in our fleet and with luck you will get a chance to sail all of these types of yachts by course end. This will enhance your competence and experience as a Yacht Crew.
COURSE AVAILABILTY: This course is 4 days duration – the date you select below is an indication, we will contact you directly to confirm availability
ISSA VHF Radio Course
VHF Radio is a very important safey net system that marine craft use every day. The basic vhf radio is now updated with a DSC VHF Radio that is able to send either analogue or digital radio transmissions. The VHF Radio Course is a yachts main safety system as it is possible to use in many situations that a mobile telephone would not! Consequently the radio is marinised (weather proofed) and thus rugged and reliable.
The course covers all aspects of use. Simple communications, professional channels, Channel 16, ship to ship channels and of course the Emergency and Urgency channel 16. Students learn to send messages that are normal and routine from yacht to yacht ,right thru to sending Mayday Relays, to other vessels, or coastguards. The VHF radio course is assessed by a one hour exam and by a course handbook with assessments and exercises.
COURSE AVAILABILTY: This course is 1 day in duration – the date you select below is an indication, we will contact you directly to confirm availability
Inshore Skipper ISSA Yacht Course
Inshore Skipper is a 10 day course that has three elements to it. VHF Radio, Inshore Skipper 1 and Inshore Skipper 2. The ISSA course hand book is very comprehensive and is what is required for ICC compliancy. The ISSA Inshore Skipper handbook has been written on every subject that is required for sailing or chartering a yacht. This also includes a section on engines and modern navigation chart plotters.
The ISSA Inshore Skipper should be a competent learner skipper by course end but be aware that if you don’t practice your new skills on completing a course you lose them after a while. SIA are aware of this and every course member is given a free membership of Phuket Water Sports Centre and with this we expect many students to come and sail at weekends or in holidays. Check out our Phuket Water Sports Club and see if it gives you a bonus you didn’t expect?
COURSE AVAILABILTY: This course is 10 days duration – the date you select below is an indication, we will contact you directly to confirm availability
Offshore Skipper – ISSA Yacht Course
ISSA courses are unique in that theory and practice are seamlessly interwoven and as a consequence students learning is vastly improved. Our Offshore Skipper course requires candidates to have mastered the collision regulations, navigation (DR, EP, Fixes, GPS, Course to Steer etc), tides and currents and have a good knowledge of the ISSA Inshore Skipper Syllabus. Students wishing to attend this course need to have 800 sea miles properly logged and hold an ISSA Inshore Skipper or RYA Day Skipper certificate.
The course is a 14 day course combining practical and theory in yacht seamanship and navigation for students who have completed a foundation course (Zero to Hero Classic) with Sail in Asia and also a 14 day course for students who have alternative accreditation, (RYA, ASA, AYA etc) or significant time lapses, since their original Theory was learnt. The 14 day course, prepares you for the ISSA Yachtmaster Offshore, – when you have gained the necessary mileage and other pre-requisites.
The Yachtmaster Offshore (Sailing) course is the highest level sailing course for recreational yachtsmen. The course is aimed at proficient Offshore Skippers who have the necessary skills, experience, knowledge and managerial qualities required to run a blue water sailing yacht effectively and safely.
The course covers the following topics:
- Safety
- Crew Management
- Handling Yacht under Sails and Power
- Man Over Board
- Mooring
- Navigation
- IALA Buoyage and Pilotage
- Tidal Heights and Streams
- Secondary Ports
- Position Fixing
- Passage planning
- Meteorology
- IRPCS
- Electronics
- VHF Radio
- DSC
- First Aid at Sea
COURSE AVAILABILTY: This course is 14 days duration – The Offshore Skipper Course dates can be found on this link. Private courses can be run by Sail In Asia
ISSA Master of Yachts – Monohull
The ISSA Master of Yachts (Sailing) course is the highest level sailing course for recreational yachtsmen. The course is aimed at proficient Offshore Skippers who have the necessary skills, experience, knowledge and managerial qualities required to run a blue water sailing yacht effectively and safely.
The course covers the following topics:
- Safety
- Crew Management
- Handling Yacht under Sails and Power
- Man Over Board
- Mooring
- Navigation
- IALA Buoyage and Pilotage
- Tidal Heights and Streams
- Secondary Ports
- Position Fixing
- Passage planning
- Meteorology
- IRPCS
- Electronics
- Electronic Charts and Apps
- VHF Radio
- DSC
- First Aid at Sea
COURSE AVAILABILTY:
MoY Courses run on
3rd -12th MAY 2025
3rd-12th OCTOBER 2025
Please select in calendar below – any questions please contact us direct using the WhatsApp button below
Boat Master – ISSA Yacht Course
The ISSA Boat Master Course is for candidates that have crewed on a small boat but have a very elementary understanding of sailing or powerboat handling. The aim of the course is to increase the candidates’ nautical knowledge to competently take on the duties of a beginner Boat Master on a small yacht or motor boat, during the day and up to 20 NM from shelter in fair weather, and moderate sea conditions.
Upon completion, and after 600 NM or 1 season regular boating the students are eligible to undertake the ISSA Inshore Motor Yacht or Inshore Sailing Yacht Skipper Course.
Our handbook covers the following course topics:
- Safety at Sea
- Parts of a boat
- Hull Types
- Engine Operation
- IRPCS
- Launching and Recovering a slall yacht or keelboat
- Handling yachts under power
- Meteorology
- Navigation
- Position Fixing
- IALA Buoyage
- Passage Planning
- Tidal Streams and Currents
- Anchoring
- Electronics
- Basic First Aid at Sea
COURSE AVAILABILTY: This course is 5 days duration – the date you select below is an indication, we will contact you directly to confirm availability