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.Understanding the language of the marine world is like trying to learn a pirate’s secret code while juggling fish. You’ll wonder why a “sheet” isn’t something you sleep under but a rope that controls a sail. “Bowsprit” sounds like a sneeze, “booby hatch” isn’t a bird’s hideout, and “port” doesn’t come in a glass—it’s just left. If someone yells, “Man overboard!” don’t ask which direction they swam. And heaven help you if you think “scuttlebutt” is gossip—well, actually, you’d be right about that one. By the time you’ve figured out that “head” means toilet and “galley” isn’t an alley with gourds, you’ve already been hit with a wave and lost your hat to the wind they call a “nor’easter.”
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.
A fixed structure carrying a navigational light intended to assist mariners by marking a position, route or hazard.
The standard spoken code word for the letter L in the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet. It is pronounced “LEE-mah” and is used to spell names, call signs and other information clearly over marine radio. The same word is used in the NATO phonetic alphabet. Lima is also associated with International Code of Signals flag L,…
A length of rope, cordage or wire assigned to a particular working purpose aboard a vessel. Once cordage is selected and put to use it is commonly named for its function, such as a sheet, halyard, mooring line, painter or towline. Material, construction, diameter, stretch and termination are chosen for the expected load and handling…
A persistent inclination of a vessel to port or starboard when it would normally be upright. A list is commonly caused by uneven loading, movement of cargo or ballast, flooding, free-surface liquid or a structural or stability problem. It differs from heel caused temporarily by wind pressure, turning forces or wave action, although the terms…
An enclosed section of a waterway in which the water level is changed to transfer vessels between different levels. A chamber is closed by gates and filled or emptied through sluices, culverts or pumps until its level matches the waterway ahead. Locks range from manually operated canal structures to large controlled systems for ships, and…
An enclosed or partly enclosed compartment used to store equipment, supplies or personal belongings aboard. Lockers may be located on deck, under seats or bunks, in the cockpit or within machinery and accommodation spaces. Their name often reflects purpose or position, such as chain locker, gas locker, wet locker or cockpit locker, and those specialised…
The distance or speed value indicated by a vessel’s log instrument at a recorded time. A cumulative distance-log reading is entered in the navigation record at regular intervals and compared with the previous reading to find distance run through the water. Some instruments also display instantaneous speed through the water. The reading is affected by…
A chronological record of a vessel’s operations, navigation and significant events. Entries can include time, position, course, speed, weather, sea state, engine or sail changes, watch handovers, communications, drills, defects, incidents and persons aboard. The required content and retention depend on vessel type, flag, company and voyage; a private craft’s passage log may be less…
Angular distance east or west of the reference meridian, expressed from 0 degrees to 180 degrees. Longitude identifies a meridian on a chosen geodetic reference system and is written with E or W, commonly in degrees and decimal minutes or decimal degrees. The internationally adopted reference meridian passes through Greenwich, and longitude combined with latitude…
The continuous watch maintained by sight, hearing and all appropriate available means to detect and assess relevant hazards. A lookout may be a specifically assigned person or a duty shared within a watch, depending on vessel, conditions and applicable requirements. The task includes detecting vessels, lights, shapes, sound signals, navigation marks, floating objects, weather and…
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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