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 difference between an observed water level or current and the value predicted from astronomical tides. Residuals arise from meteorological effects, river flow, modelling limitations and other non-tidal influences. They can materially alter available depth and tidal-stream timing, particularly during strong winds or abnormal atmospheric pressure.
A vector representing the direction and rate of a tidal stream for a stated time and place. On a passage plot it is combined with the vessel’s through-water vector to determine course to steer, ground track or speed over ground. The plotted length must use the same time and scale as the other vectors.
The differential gravitational effect that produces tidal deformation of the oceans and Earth. It arises because the Moon’s and Sun’s gravitational attraction and the motion of the Earth–Moon system vary across the Earth. The lunar effect is generally stronger, while the relative alignment of Sun, Moon and Earth produces the spring–neap cycle.
A riding turn in which a loaded rope traps itself under another turn on a winch drum. Overrides commonly result from an unsuitable lead angle, slack entering the drum or poor tailing. Load should be controlled before the trapped turn is cleared, using a safe alternative line or unloading method rather than placing hands near…
Located or bearing behind a vessel’s beam. The expression covers directions between the beam and the stern and is relative to the vessel rather than a fixed compass direction. It is used in lookout reports, collision assessment and descriptions of wind or object position.
A predetermined position or condition beyond which a manoeuvre or passage cannot be safely continued as planned. It provides an explicit trigger to stop, turn away or use a contingency before options become too limited. Abort points are particularly useful in pilotage, harbour approaches and close-quarters manoeuvring and should be linked to a practical escape…
The country under whose laws a vessel is registered and whose flag it is entitled to fly. The flag state exercises jurisdiction and regulatory oversight over the vessel, including applicable requirements for safety, certification, crewing and pollution prevention. Port states may separately inspect foreign vessels visiting their ports.
Backward movement of a vessel through the water. Sternway may be deliberately created by using astern propulsion or may result from wind, current or loss of forward momentum. Steering response can differ markedly from movement ahead, and a conventional rudder may be weak or initially ineffective until water flows across it.
A reference level derived from tidal observations and used for tidal heights or coastal elevations. Examples include mean high water and mean low water, while chart datum is selected for charted depths and predicted tide heights. A tidal datum is local to a place and epoch and must not be confused with a land-survey vertical…
A watch maintained to ensure that an anchored vessel remains safe and within its intended limits. The watch includes monitoring position, depth, weather, tide, traffic, cable lead and the vessel’s swinging circle. Alarms and electronic plots support but do not replace visual checks, good fixing practice and readiness to veer cable, start the engine or…
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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