Let’s Boat Inshore Skipper Course — Croatia
Join the ISSA Inshore Skipper Course
Go from complete beginner to confident skipper with one week of hands-on training in Croatia.
7 days on board · Groups of 3–4 · 2 instructors · Yacht, catamaran, or powerboat. Online theory combined with a week of practical training on the water. The ISSA certificate meets the requirements of UNECE Resolution 40 (TRANS/SC.3/147) for the International Certificate of Competence (ICC).
Inshore ISSA Skipper Course Overview
Anyone who’s into sailing and wants to learn to skipper a boat — and just as much, anyone with zero sailing experience who wants to start from scratch; anyone who wants an official international ISSA license that doesn’t need constant renewal; anyone planning to charter a yacht as skipper down the line, not just tag along on someone else’s. If you only need the theory, without the on-the-water week, check out our separate Theoretical Training course.
How to handle a boat under sail and power in coastal waters: onboard safety, navigation, passage planning, choosing safe anchorages, mooring in different conditions, reading the weather — the full path from zero to skippering on your own.
Runs as a group course or in a Private format — go Private for more one-on-one attention, or to train together with your own friends, colleagues, or family. Groups are capped at 3–4 students with 2 instructors at all times: we don’t believe one instructor can give a large group the attention and knowledge they deserve.
The Private format is the same course with the same crew of 2 instructors — but the yacht is just for you and your group: minimum 1 student, maximum 4 per boat. More than that, and we bring in additional yachts, each with its own crew of 2 instructors. The Private format is priced at €8,940 per boat (up to 4 students), regardless of how many of the 4 spots you actually fill.
We know our price isn’t the lowest you’ll find. But we’d rather not lure you in with a low headline price and then pile on mandatory extras. The course price already includes everything essential — yacht rental, all training materials, license fees, fuel, and more (see the full list in “What’s Included”).
Engaging, easy-to-follow theory materials, a week of hands-on practice aboard a yacht, an international license, and your own crew of Let’s Boat instructors — book the course and become a skipper.
course at a glance
- Type:
- Theory + Practice (package)
- Duration:
- Theory — online, self-paced; Practice — 7 days aboard a yacht
- Location:
- Croatia — depending on the season, group, and boat availability: Pula (Istria), Zadar, Šibenik, Split, or another Croatian sailing area; the exact marina is confirmed before the course
- Certificate:
- ISSA Inshore Skipper or ISSA Inshore Power Yacht Skipper (agreed with our manager after booking, based on what you'll be training on) + ISSA VHF Operator + Let's Boat School diploma
- Boat Type:
- Training is available on different boat types — monohull yacht, catamaran, or powerboat (by arrangement)
A week on the water, an international license, and your own crew of instructors — book the course and become a skipper.
What Your License Allows
You’ll agree on your training track with our manager after booking — based on what you want to train on:
Sailing yacht or catamaran (ISSA Inshore Skipper certificate): up to 24 metres in length; day and night sailing; up to 20 nautical miles offshore.
Motorboat (ISSA Inshore Power Yacht Skipper certificate): up to 16 metres in length; day and night sailing; up to 20 nautical miles offshore.
Want both certificates? That’s possible with a custom program — get in touch.
Training Stages
Theory → Practice → Exam → Certificate
- Self-paced online theory
- A week of hands-on practice aboard a yacht (or catamaran) in Croatia
- The exam (practical assessment + theory tests)
- Your ISSA license and Let’s Boat School diploma.
What You'll Learn
Navigation & Passage Planning: pilotage in coastal waters, collision regulations (COLREGs), navigational aids (buoys, marks, lighthouses), terrestrial navigation, navigating in restricted visibility, electronic navigation, GPS operation, using a magnetic compass, working with bearing lines, chart reading and plotting your position, passage planning, logbook keeping.
Safety, Regulations & Emergencies: safety briefings, handling emergency situations, man-overboard procedures — approach under sail, approach under power, and recovery, safety when anchoring, safe fender handling, crew management in routine and emergency situations.
Boat Handling & Manoeuvring: safe handling of the yacht under sail and power, anchoring solo and with the crew, handling lines, ropes and springs, knots, working the sheets and halyards, operating the dinghy.
Systems, Engine & Maintenance: yacht construction basics, operating the inboard and outboard engine plus troubleshooting both, fuel and water systems, waste disposal system, basic sailing equipment and how to use it.
Meteorology, Communication & More: meteorology (theory and practice), international signalling code, VHF radio communication (a separate certificate included in the course), ecology and social skills for life aboard.
Day-by-Day Course Program
Meet your instructors and crew, get to know the yacht, settle in aboard, and stock up on provisions and everything else you’ll need for the week (we’ll help you with the list). Go over the training plan and agree on the route. One more evening ashore — and you’re already part of the crew.
The heart of the course — a week of real practice aboard the yacht. The exact rhythm and order of topics depend on the weather, the location, and how quickly your crew picks things up, but by the end of the week you’ll have done everything a real skipper does: handling the yacht under sail and power, mooring and anchoring, manoeuvring in the marina and open water, working the yacht’s systems, passage planning, watching the weather — plus everything else on the course syllabus. Step by step, theory turns into skill, and wanting to sail turns into knowing how.
Yacht handover, the practical and theory exams, a wrap-up of the week, and a graduation celebration. Everyone who completes the course and passes the exam has their documents submitted for official certification. Farewell gifts from the Let’s Boat crew, promises to stay in touch and meet again out on the water — and then everyone heads home.
The Course in Photos
No two weeks aboard are exactly the same — but here’s what training actually looks like: mooring drills, hoisting sail, cooking together on board, and the moment a crew takes the helm on their own for the first time. Real photos from actual Let’s Boat courses — not staged, not AI-generated, no special photoshoots.
Prerequisites
No sailing experience required — this course is built even for complete beginners. No prior certification needed either: all the certificates you need are issued as part of the course. Minimum age is 16 — the youngest age at which ISSA issues an Inshore Skipper license — with no upper age limit.
License & Certification
Upon completing the course, you receive the ISSA certificate for the track you agreed on with our manager after booking — Inshore Skipper (sailing yacht or catamaran) or Inshore Power Yacht Skipper (motorboat) — plus an ISSA VHF Operator certificate and a Let’s Boat School diploma. Your ISSA certificate meets the requirements of UNECE Resolution 40 for the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) — so it functions as an ICC equivalent. Want both certificates? That’s possible with a custom program — get in touch.
What’s Included in Your Let’s Boat Inshore Skipper Course
The course price covers everything you need for training and a week aboard the yacht — no hidden extras on the essentials.
✅ What’s Included
- Boat charter/rental
- 2 instructors throughout the entire practice week
- All berths at the home marina throughout the week
- Accommodation aboard the yacht: a private twin cabin for each student (no cabin-sharing)
- Comfort charter package: towels, bed linen, final cleaning, dinghy with outboard motor
- Fuel
- Consumables and training materials
- Issuing all certificates after the course, plus delivery
❌ What’s Not Included
- Transport to and from the marina
- Food
- Mooring/berth fees outside the home marina
- Refundable security deposit for the yacht
- Personal expenses
Our Instructors
Pavlo Biletskyy:
Co-founder of Let’s Boat and an ISSA-certified instructor. He grew up on the banks of the Dnipro River in Kherson, in a family that has taken the sea seriously for five generations: his great-great-grandfather was a harbourmaster and boat owner, his grandfather fished his whole life and was the one who taught the brothers to love the water, and his father was a professional sailor who sailed halfway around the world.
Oleksii Biletskyy:
Co-founder of Let’s Boat and Pavlo’s brother. He holds the same ISSA competencies and certificates as Pavlo — they trained and qualified together every step of the way. He simply has a bit less time in sailing, for the very good reason that he was born later.
Yachts for course
Training happens aboard modern, well-equipped yachts — not old, worn-out boats. A few examples of the yachts our courses most often run on:
Luna Grossa
Beneteau Oceanis 38.1 / 2022
- Length
- 10
- Cabins
- 5
- WC
- 2
- Air Condition
- Big dinghy
- Invertor 220V
- Generator
- WiFi
- 2 refrigerators
Star Light
Beneteau Oceanis 385 / 2022
- Length
- 11
- Cabins
- 5
- WC
- 2
- Air Condition
- Big dinghy
- Invertor 220V
- Generator
- WiFi
- 2 refrigerators
- Gloves for line handling — save your hands from rope burn
- Sunglasses, ideally with a strap — so you don't lose them overboard
- Non-slip shoes with light soles — won't damage the deck or slip on it
- A sun hat
- A windbreaker or waterproof jacket — for evenings and spray
- Sunscreen
- A fleece or hoodie — if the season calls for it
We'll send you a full list of the clothing and gear you'll need before the course starts.
Get Ready for Your Training
We work with trusted partners who can help you get ready for your training — from choosing the right sailing clothes and footwear to selecting practical gear and accessories for life on board. If you’re not sure what you need, we’ll point you in the right direction and help make preparation easy.
What Our Students Say
Hear from our happy customers who have embarked on their dream sailing journeys with us.
All dates for Inshore Skipper Course in Croatia
Choose dates that are convenient for you.
FAQ
The price covers the theory block plus 7 days of practice aboard a yacht: a private twin cabin for each student (no cabin-sharing), 2 instructors on board the whole time, and all training materials and fuel included. No extra or hidden fees — see the full breakdown in “What’s Included”.
The theory block is online and self-paced. Practice is 7 days aboard a yacht.
It depends on the training track you agree on with our manager after booking — sailing yacht/catamaran or motorboat. That gives you either ISSA Inshore Skipper or ISSA Inshore Power Yacht Skipper — plus, either way, an ISSA VHF Operator certificate and a Let’s Boat School diploma. Want both certificates? That’s possible with a custom program — get in touch.
No, it’s issued as part of this course.
3–4 students and 2 instructors at all times.
Practical training takes place in Croatia. Depending on the season, group preferences, and yacht availability, the course may run from Pula (Istria), Zadar, Šibenik, Split, or another Croatian sailing area. What we can promise is an interesting and appropriately challenging training ground — the right mix of real-life conditions, varied manoeuvres, and hands-on experience.
From age 16, with no upper age limit.
No — the course is built even for complete beginners, no prior experience or preparation needed.
The program is flexible and adapts to the weather and the group’s pace. If conditions rule out a specific drill (say, anchoring), we spend that day on another skill (like reefing the sails) and come back to it once conditions allow.
Our instructor team is fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.
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