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 structural fitting that transfers rigging loads from a stay or shroud into the hull or deck structure. Chainplates may be stainless steel, bronze, composite or other engineered material and can be external, internal or integrated into the hull. Their fasteners, knees, bulkheads and laminates form part of the load path. Crevice corrosion, fatigue, leaks,…
A line-holding fitting with opposed spring-loaded cams whose teeth grip a rope pulled between them. The line is normally engaged by pulling it down or into the cams and released by lifting or changing its lead. Cam cleats are common on sheets and control lines requiring frequent adjustment. They must suit the rope diameter, material,…
A folding fabric canopy on an open frame that provides shade over part of a boat’s cockpit or deck. Unlike a rigid wheelhouse or fully enclosed sprayhood, a bimini is usually open at the sides and supported by metal bows. It may fold or be removed when not required. It must be secured for the…
A lightweight stock anchor with two broad pivoting flukes designed to penetrate suitable sand or mud. The stock holds the crown and flukes at an effective orientation while the rode pulls the anchor into the bottom. High fluke area can give strong holding for its weight in compatible seabeds. It may struggle in weed, rock,…
A claw-shaped anchor design with three rounded flukes formed around a central shank. The original Bruce and related claw anchors are valued for simple construction and their ability to reset after a direction change. Performance varies by size, design and seabed, and can be weaker in some hard, weedy or very soft bottoms. It should…
A shore-based service that interacts with vessel traffic to improve navigation safety, traffic efficiency and environmental protection in a defined area. Depending on its authority and service level, VTS may provide information, organise traffic and give navigational assistance using AIS, radar, radio, cameras, reports and local sensors. The master remains responsible for safe navigation, while…
The German recreational motor-craft operator licence for vessels within its statutory scope on maritime waterways. The requirement is linked to operation with an engine above the current statutory threshold on designated German sea waterways. It tests rules, navigation, safety and practical powerboat handling but is not limited by an offshore mileage radius in the way…
The German recreational-craft operator licence for vessels within its statutory scope on inland waterways. Whether it is required depends on the waterway, propulsion, engine output, craft and operator age under current German rules. Sailing endorsements or local provisions may apply in particular areas. The licence does not replace CEVNI knowledge, radio certification, vessel documents or…
A voluntary German coastal-skipper certificate for recreational yachts in waters up to 12 nautical miles from the mainland coast. The SKS assesses theory and practical competence in navigation, seamanship, weather, law, safety and yacht handling under sail, power or both, subject to the examination endorsement and current requirements. It is generally an advanced voluntary qualification…
The collective German term for statutory recreational-craft operator licences, principally the inland and sea variants. Sportbootführerschein Binnen applies in its defined inland scope, while Sportbootführerschein See applies on designated maritime waterways. Requirements depend on propulsion, engine output, waterway, age and current German law. It is not one universal licence for every sailing and motor vessel….
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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