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.
The aerodynamic interaction between adjacent sails, especially a headsail and mainsail. The sails alter pressure and airflow around each other, affecting lift, separation and the useful operating angle of the combination. Effective slot width and shape depend on trim, overlap, twist and apparent wind rather than a simple nozzle action.
The gradual reduction of buried rope material at the end of a splice. A correct taper spreads the change in stiffness and load over a suitable length instead of creating a hard stress concentration. The pattern must follow the rope manufacturer’s method for the fibre and construction.
The roughly fortnightly variation between larger spring tides and smaller neap tides. Spring tides occur near new and full moon when lunar and solar tidal effects reinforce one another; neaps occur near the quarter moons when they partly oppose. Local timing and range are modified by coastal geography and weather.
The bodily sinkage and change of trim experienced by a vessel moving through shallow or confined water. Accelerated flow around the hull lowers pressure and reduces under-keel clearance, with magnitude increasing strongly with speed and blockage. Allowance depends on hull form, water depth, channel geometry and vessel speed.
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. It establishes minimum international requirements for seafarer competence, certification and watchkeeping, supported by the STCW Code. Flag and port states implement its provisions through national administrations and approved training.
A small, strongly constructed sail intended for use in severe weather. Storm jibs and trysails reduce sail area while maintaining control and balance when ordinary sails are unsuitable. They need dedicated strong attachment points, accessible stowage and practice before conditions make rigging dangerous.
An abnormal rise or fall in sea level produced mainly by wind stress and atmospheric pressure during a storm. It is additional to the astronomical tide and can greatly increase coastal flooding or reduce depths. Impact depends on storm track, intensity, timing with tide and coastal or seabed shape.
A sealing arrangement around a rotating propeller shaft where it passes through the hull or stern tube. Types include packed glands, lip seals and mechanical face seals, each with specific lubrication, cooling and adjustment needs. Leakage, heat and wear must be monitored because failure can admit substantial water.
The horizontal angle at which a sheet pulls a sail relative to the vessel’s centreline or sail plane. It influences angle of attack, slot geometry and pointing ability. Lead position must also give suitable vertical pull so foot and leech tension remain balanced.
A short-duration force substantially greater than the steady load, caused by abruptly stopping or accelerating a mass. Slack snatching tight in a mooring line, tether or tow can create severe shock loading. Elasticity, controlled handling and avoiding slack reduce peak force, but every component and attachment must still have adequate capacity.
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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