All our courses are engaging, interactive and fun! Whether formal training or simply looking to brush up, we take online learning to the next level.
Sailing EssentialsFreeA free course great for anyone who spends time on the water.
Essential Navigation & SeamanshipRYA course for beginners. Learn charts, tides, pilotage, and core seamanship with simple practice tasks.
Day Skipper TheoryMost PopularRYA course for inshore skippers. Plan day passages using chartwork, tides, weather, and COLREGs.
Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster® TheoryComing SoonRYA course for advanced navigation and passage planning, secondary ports, tidal streams, and offshore weather.
SRC (VHF) Marine Radio CourseRYA Short Range Certificate radio course. Study online, then take the practical exam with an RYA assessor.Are you looking for something nautical related? Our directory is an extensive list of courses and places associated with the marine industry. Hop over and search now.
We believe every day’s a school day on a boat! That’s why we built Nautical Know-How, dedicated to answering your questions. Even better, if it can’t answer your question immediately, you can request it, and we’ll add it to our knowledge base.
Nautical Terms & TerminologyUnderstanding the language of the marine world is like trying to learn a pirate’s secret code while juggling fish. Let us explain why a sheet isn’t for your bed, why “heave ho” doesn’t mean throw up (most of the time), and why “dead reckoning” is surprisingly less ominous than it sounds.
Why do we have tides?Have you ever wondered what causes the tides? Check out this video, which introduces the forces that create the tides we experience on Earth.
What causes our weather?A video introducing the drivers behind our weather, part of our RYA Day Skipper & RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster® Offshore theory courses.
Buoyage FlashcardsFlashcards designed to help remember the buoys in the IALA system. If you want to learn them in detail, our module ‘Getting in and out of harbour‘, covers the IALA system and different buoys used.
Interactive Rule Book (COLREGs / IRPCS)Whether you’re a novice sailor or a seasoned skipper, we can help you navigate the IRPCS confidently and clearly. Our easy-to-use, easy-to-understand, plain English rule book with helpful interpretations of what each rule means.
The Salty Sea BlogFrom salty old sea dogs to fresh-faced deckhands, this blog is for anyone who finds peace, adventure, and a bit of mischief on the water. So hoist the main, set your course, and let’s sail into the stories, lessons, and musings that make life on the sea so irresistible.An RYA practical course teaching safe and responsible operation of a personal watercraft. Training covers controls, low- and higher-speed handling, stopping, manoeuvres, collision avoidance, local restrictions, safety equipment and emergency action. The certificate may be requested by operators or authorities but legal requirements vary by location; it is not permission to disregard local age, licensing…
An advanced RYA practical powerboat course for planning and conducting demanding coastal passages by day and night. It develops pilotage, navigation, boat handling, weather decisions, crew management, collision avoidance and emergency response in a suitable planing or displacement craft. The course-completion certificate is distinct from the RYA/MCA Advanced Powerboat examination and Certificate of Competence.
An introductory RYA practical course providing supervised experience of basic powerboat handling. It covers preparation, personal safety, controls, steering, stopping, low-speed manoeuvres and awareness of other water users. It is a basic participation-level award with operating limitations, not the broader Powerboat Level 2 certificate commonly used as the foundation for independent handling.
An introductory RYA practical course for newcomers participating in the handling and operation of a motor cruiser. It introduces onboard safety, basic controls, engines, ropework, securing, steering and crew tasks during a short practical experience. The course is a first step into the Motor Cruising Scheme and does not qualify the holder to take independent…
An RYA advanced practical module developing efficient boat handling, sail trim and performance in a multihull. Training applies the five essentials, balance, trim, sail setting, centreboard or keel effects and tactical handling to improve speed and control across a range of conditions. It develops existing sailing ability rather than serving as an introduction. The exact…
An RYA practical module developing the planning and execution of a short day passage in a multihull. It combines pilotage, weather, local hazards, equipment, crew preparation and decision-making with sailing away from the immediate training area. The certificate records course completion, not unrestricted command competence. Conditions, operating area and supervision remain subject to experience, centre…
An RYA introductory racing course for sailors beginning to take part in organised multihull races. Training introduces starting, course sailing, basic rules, boat handling, speed and simple tactics so the sailor can complete a race and understand the sequence of an event. It assumes basic sailing control and is the first step in the RYA…
An RYA advanced practical module developing versatile boat handling and problem-solving in a multihull. Exercises may include stopping, sailing backwards, reducing sail, anchoring, picking up a mooring, recovering a person overboard, and launching or recovering in different circumstances. The aim is controlled seamanship across varied situations, not simply higher speed. Content and techniques are adapted…
An RYA practical module teaching the rigging and use of conventional or asymmetric spinnakers in a multihull. It covers preparation, hoisting, trimming, gybing, dropping, crew coordination and recovery from common handling problems. Spinnaker gear can produce high loads and rapid sail movement, so the course builds on established sailing skills and uses techniques appropriate to…
The first adult RYA National Sailing Scheme practical course, introducing sailing in a multihull. It develops basic steering, sail control, points of sail, tacking, gybing and awareness of launching and recovery under instructional supervision. Completion is an introductory milestone rather than evidence of independent competence in all conditions; Level 2 develops decision-making and self-reliance.
If you belive the Earth is flat, you're about to fall of the end...
If you belive the Earth is flat, you're about to fall of the end...
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