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.Bells, gongs, whistles and lights make up the various combinations of signals available. However, most of the time, the only signal we’ll use or hear is a whistle. Unfortunately, the term whistle is a little misleading, as it refers to any sound signalling appliance, usually a horn. Bells and gongs are reserved for longer vessels…
The rule book takes a pragmatic approach to who should carry what regarding sound signals.
Manoeuvring signals are among the more commonly heard sounds around a busy harbour. These are usually not directly aimed at recreational vessels but can be helpful as they give an idea of what a commercial vessel is up to and, if applicable, help with our give-way duties. When in sight of one another, manoeuvring signals…
Once a vessel becomes actively engaged in fishing, its definition changes. Until then, it is regarded as a power-driven vessel. This term can only be used to describe vessels that are either: Sea-angling boats and others whose gear does not restrict their manoeuvrability cannot define themselves as fishing vessels. Day shapes shown by fishing vessels…
In or near an area of restricted visibility, whether by day or night, the signals prescribed in this Rule shall be used as follows: Restricted visibility has its own rule (Rule 19: Conduct of vessels in restricted visibility), which covers the required conduct of vessels and refers to the appropriate sound signals to be made…
Every vessel which is directed to keep out of the way of another vessel shall, so far as possible, take early and substantial action to keep well clear. Under the rules, a vessel defined as give-way is obliged to ‘take early’ and ‘substantial’ action to avoid a collision. Rule 16 is a summarised, single-sentence version…
Except where Rules 9, 10 and 13 otherwise require: This rule caters to any potential collision between two vessels of different types. In each, one is given the status ‘stand-on’, the other ‘give-way’. The give-way vessel is obliged to take action, but the stand-on vessel has responsibilities too. Hierarchy The underlying principle of the rules…
In an overtaking situation, the usual hierarchy rules fall away, and this rule (13) takes precedence. It specifically refers to the arc created by the 22.5° angle abaft abeam, on either side of the vessel, which co-insides with the stern light coverage required by all vessels in Rule 21: Definitions. Vessels Overtaking
Narrow channels are often found at the entrance to natural harbours and ports. They are usually buoyed, specifically to help commercial shipping navigate in and out safely. We are not prohibited from using the channel, but we must do so without impeding vessels larger than 20 meters in length. Rules for using a narrow channel…
When sailing vessels come together, two potential situations need to be resolved: one in which each vessel is on a different tack (its sails are on different sides) and one in which it is on the same tack (its sails are on the same side). Sailing vessels on different tacks In many cases, sailing vessels…
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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