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 direction of an object measured clockwise from compass north. It includes both magnetic variation and the observing compass’s deviation. Applying deviation gives a magnetic bearing and then applying variation gives a true bearing, using a consistent sign convention.
The graduated directional display in a magnetic compass. It is marked in degrees and often cardinal and intercardinal points and aligns with the local magnetic field. The vessel’s heading is read at the lubber line while allowance is made for deviation, heel and reading error.
The angular difference between the direction indicated by a magnetic compass and true direction. It is the combined effect of magnetic variation and compass deviation, with sign determined by the adopted convention. Error can be found by comparing compass observations with a reliable true bearing or transit.
The restraint of cargo so it cannot shift, tip, roll or break free during a voyage. Securing arrangements account for vessel accelerations, cargo properties, friction, stowage and the strength and angles of lashings and fittings. Checks continue during the passage because settlement, vibration and weather can reduce restraint.
A radio-frequency wave that is varied to convey information. Voice, data or signalling modulates one or more properties of the carrier, such as amplitude, frequency or phase. Some transmissions suppress the unmodulated carrier, so the term describes the underlying signal principle rather than always a separately detectable tone.
The hanging curve formed by a flexible line or chain under its own weight between supported points. In an anchor or mooring system, catenary can absorb movement and keep the pull more nearly horizontal at moderate loads. As load rises the line straightens, reducing this cushioning effect and increasing forces at the attachments.
The European Code for Navigation on Inland Waterways. It standardises signs, lights, sound signals and navigation rules used on many continental European inland waterways. Local regulations and required endorsements still apply, so crews must consult the rules for the waterway being used.
A fitting that grips or restrains anchor chain independently of the windlass. It transfers anchoring or sea loads to the vessel’s structure and relieves the windlass brake and gearing. The stopper must match the chain, be correctly engaged and be released under controlled conditions.
A line of constant longitude shown on a nautical chart. Meridians run generally north–south and, with parallels of latitude, form the chart’s coordinate graticule. Their appearance and spacing depend on the chart projection, while their labels provide the longitude scale.
Passage planning that covers the entire voyage from departure berth to arrival berth. It includes pilotage, harbour movements, coastal or ocean legs, contingencies and the transition between each phase. Treating only the open-water section as the passage leaves the highest-workload approach and departure areas insufficiently planned.
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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