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 bearing that supports and locates a rudder stock while allowing it to rotate. Vessels may have upper, lower and intermediate bearings carrying radial and axial loads. Wear, lubrication, alignment, seals and structural attachments affect steering accuracy and watertight integrity.
A loss of rudder lift caused when the water flow separates at an excessive angle of attack. Beyond the effective rudder angle, adding more helm may increase drag without producing more turning force. Speed, propeller wash, hull interaction and ventilation affect the angle at which stall occurs.
To sail with the wind well abaft the beam and the sheets eased. The sails are allowed to draw without being close-hauled, commonly on a broad reach or run. Course and trim must avoid an accidental gybe and excessive rolling or blanketing.
The IHO product specification for Electronic Navigational Chart data within the S-100 framework. It provides a newer data model and portrayal environment than S-57-based ENC products and supports richer machine-readable information. Carriage and operational use depend on approved systems, services and implementation schedules.
The IHO standard historically used to transfer digital hydrographic data, including Electronic Navigational Charts. It defines the object catalogue, attributes and exchange format used by current-generation ENC services. It is being succeeded for future services by S-100-family specifications such as S-101.
A speed at which a vessel can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within an appropriate distance. The collision regulations require continuous consideration of visibility, traffic, manoeuvrability, background lights, wind, sea, current, hazards and draught, with additional radar factors when fitted. Safe speed is therefore situational, not a fixed numerical…
A load-rated tether connecting a crew member’s harness to a strong point or jackline on a vessel. It is intended to prevent separation from the vessel and, where possible, a fall over the side. Attachment points, tether length, hooks, harness fit and a method of releasing under load require careful selection and inspection.
The distribution of aerodynamic force between a vessel’s sails and its relationship to the hull and underwater foils. Good balance produces manageable helm and efficient tracking. Reefing, changing headsails, mast tune and sail trim move the centre of effort and can increase or reduce weather or lee helm.
The progressive change in a sail’s angle from its lower part to its head. Some twist is needed because apparent wind normally changes with height and because the upper sail must exhaust flow cleanly. Sheet lead, vang, traveller and mast or rig controls adjust twist according to point of sail and conditions.
A flexible sealing membrane fitted around a saildrive leg where it passes through the hull. The structural installation normally includes an internal watertight seal and often an external fairing membrane with different functions. Inspection and replacement intervals must follow the drive manufacturer’s requirements because deterioration can permit serious water ingress.
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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