Choosing to complete your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award by sea makes the Silver expedition an adventure unlike any other. You’ll join a crew on a traditional sailing boat, learning new skills during both practice and qualifying stages. With expert support and plenty of teamwork, you’ll gain confidence and independence while meeting your Award requirements.
Day 1 – Arrival and Preparation
Meet your skipper and shipmates at 4pm. After introductions, you’ll prepare the vessel by stowing kit, organising food, and setting out your expedition goals.
Days 2–3 – Practice Expedition
The first two full days at sea are spent learning essential sailing and navigation skills. You’ll be introduced to passage planning, helm duties, sail handling, and living on board as a team. This stage ensures you are fully prepared for the qualifying section.
Day 4 – Rest Day
A short break mid-expedition gives you time to recharge, review your progress, and enjoy some shore time or relaxed moments on deck.
Days 5–7 – Qualifying Expedition
Over these three days, you’ll take more responsibility for sailing decisions. You’ll be expected to plan and carry out a passage, work on advanced navigation, and coordinate as a team to guide the boat safely in and out of harbour.
Day 8 – Departure and Assessment
On the final morning, you’ll complete your expedition presentation and meet with the DofE Assessor, who will review your teamwork, navigation, and independence. Departure is at 4pm.
Your Silver expedition takes place along the varied south coast of Devon and Cornwall. Weather conditions guide the route, but possible highlights include exploring hidden anchorages, learning tidal navigation in estuaries, and experiencing busy harbours. This coastline offers the perfect balance of challenge and beauty for the Silver level.
The meeting point is Plymouth, a city steeped in seafaring history. It provides quick access to sheltered waters as well as open sea passages, giving you a wide range of sailing experiences within the same expedition.
Accommodation is on board the sailing vessel throughout the week. You’ll share bunk spaces and live closely with your fellow crew, learning how to support each other through daily routines and sailing responsibilities.
Meals are prepared together on board, giving you practical experience of planning and cooking at sea. The boat serves as your floating home, providing everything from your classroom to your dining room and living quarters.
Before taking part, you’ll need to complete the RYA Essential Navigation online course at home. This ensures you have a foundation in chart work, passage planning, and safety.
No extensive sailing experience is required, but an interest in working as part of a team and willingness to learn on the water is important for success.
The centre has decades of experience helping young people achieve their DofE Awards through sailing. Every expedition is designed to be inclusive, supportive, and challenging in the right ways.
Alongside earning your Silver Award, you’ll gain practical sailing experience, new friendships, and a sense of independence that goes far beyond the sea. Many participants also achieve the RYA Start Yachting qualification during their expedition.
The Silver expedition is longer, running over eight days, and includes both practice and qualifying sections. You’ll build on the basics learned at Bronze level and take more responsibility for navigation and boat handling.
It’s a step up in both duration and challenge. You’ll also complete the RYA Essential Navigation online course in advance, ensuring you arrive with the knowledge needed to succeed.
No, you don’t have to complete Bronze before Silver. Participants can join at Silver level if they feel ready for the challenge, provided they complete the required online navigation course.
That said, previous sailing or DofE experience can be useful. If this is your first sailing expedition, the staff will provide additional guidance to help you adjust.
This is an online course that introduces you to navigation, passage planning, and safety at sea. It typically takes 6–8 hours to complete and includes a course pack with charts, plotters, and practice exercises.
Completing the course beforehand ensures you are prepared for the navigation tasks you’ll face during the expedition. It also gives you skills that are transferable beyond DofE, useful for anyone interested in sailing in the future.
Each day includes sailing activities such as hoisting sails, steering, and navigating, as well as day-to-day tasks like cooking and tidying. Everyone takes a share in the work to keep the boat running smoothly.
During the Qualifying section, you’ll take more responsibility for planning routes and managing the boat. This gives you the chance to demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills in a practical environment.
Yes, Silver expeditions include a rest day halfway through the trip. This gives the crew a chance to relax, recover, and review progress before starting the Qualifying section.
The rest day may involve going ashore to explore or simply enjoying some downtime on the boat. It’s a welcome break in what is otherwise a busy and structured schedule.
The Assessor will join the crew toward the end of the expedition. They’ll observe how you’ve planned and carried out your Qualifying expedition, assessing teamwork, navigation, and independence.
You’ll also give a presentation about your expedition. The assessment is designed to confirm that you’ve met the DofE requirements while recognising the skills you’ve developed.
Professional skippers and watch leaders are on board throughout to provide training, support, and guidance. They’ll teach you the skills you need and ensure that safety is always the top priority.
During the Qualifying section, they step back to let you take more responsibility while still keeping a watchful eye. This balance allows you to grow in confidence without ever feeling unsupported.
You’ll sleep in shared bunks below deck, living closely with your crewmates for the duration of the expedition. This teaches cooperation, tolerance, and adaptability in a shared space.
Meals are prepared together in the boat’s galley. This practical side of life at sea is part of the DofE experience, building independence and teamwork skills.
Completing Silver at sea offers a completely different set of challenges. You’ll learn navigation, sailing techniques, and teamwork in a unique environment.
It’s also a chance to live independently, taking responsibility for everything from cooking to boat handling. These experiences build resilience, confidence, and skills that apply to many areas of life.
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