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.
An all-round white light displayed as part of the prescribed signal for a vessel at anchor. It enables other mariners to recognise the presence and status of an anchored vessel after dark and in restricted visibility. The required number, position and visibility range depend on vessel length and the applicable collision regulations, so the signal…
A compartment designed to stow an anchor, anchor rode or associated anchoring equipment. It is commonly located near the bow so the rode can lead to the windlass, bow roller or hawsepipe, but arrangements vary. A chain locker may be a separate compartment below the windlass into which cable self-stows as it is recovered. Drainage,…
A bow fitting with one or more rollers that supports and guides an anchor and its rode during handling. The roller reduces friction and helps lead chain or rope between the water, windlass and stowage position. Its geometry must suit the anchor so that the anchor launches, returns and nests without damaging the stem, pulpit…
A place where vessels anchor or may anchor. An anchorage may be officially designated and charted or simply a location selected by a mariner. It may serve leisure craft, ships awaiting a berth, quarantine or other operational needs, and it is not necessarily sheltered or provided with good holding ground. Selection requires assessment of depth…
A coating applied to a vessel’s underwater surfaces to prevent or reduce the attachment of marine organisms. Marine growth such as slime, algae and molluscs increases resistance through the water, reducing speed and increasing fuel or energy use. Antifouling systems include biocidal paints and non-biocidal coatings or surface treatments. Products must be suitable for the…
The wind velocity experienced on a moving vessel, resulting from the actual wind combined with the vessel’s motion. It is a vector quantity with both speed and direction. A masthead instrument measures apparent wind relative to the moving vessel; true-wind information is calculated by combining that measurement with vessel motion and, depending on the system,…
On land or, when describing a vessel, stranded on the shore. The context determines whether the word refers simply to a person or object being on land, or to a vessel that has been driven or run onto the shore. A vessel resting on the seabed away from the shore is more precisely described as…
Behind a vessel or in the direction beyond its stern. An object astern lies behind the vessel, while a vessel moving astern is travelling stern-first. An “astern” propulsion command requests thrust in the reverse direction, although the resulting motion and steering response depend on the vessel and existing way. Astern is normally used as an…
A VHF-based system that automatically exchanges vessel identity, position and movement data. Commonly abbreviated to AIS, it transmits dynamic information such as position, course and speed together with entered or programmed information such as identity, vessel type and voyage details. Compatible vessels, shore stations and aids to navigation can receive and display those reports. AIS…
An automatic steering system that controls a vessel’s rudder or steering mechanism to maintain a selected heading or course reference. Depending on the installation, an autopilot may steer to a compass heading, wind angle or navigation input. It does not navigate independently, detect every hazard or remove the need for a proper lookout. Its performance…
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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