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.Did you know that nautical light characteristics are basically the Morse code of the sea? Except instead of ‘dot-dash-dot,’ it’s ‘flash-flash-flash, then a pause… or was it a flash-pause-flash?’ These blinking enigmas might look like a light show, but they’re really trying to say, ‘Hey, sailor! There’s a rock over here!’ or ‘This is the channel, you’re welcome!’ Decoding them can feel like solving a lighthouse’s secret diary, but fear not! We’re here to help you crack the code and keep your maritime adventures well-lit and obstacle-free. With us, you’ll be the light-master of the seas in no time!
The luminous range of a light in a homogeneous atmosphere with meteorological visibility of 10 nautical miles.
A vessel stationed at a charted position as a floating aid to navigation, carrying a prominent light and often other signals.
Used on nautical charts for a light serving as an aid to navigation.
The time taken for one complete cycle of its characteristic to repeat.
Shows groups of flashes whose timing represents one or more Morse characters.
The code W identifies a white charted light, buoy or beacon.
The abbreviation M denotes nautical miles in the nominal range of a charted light.
The code G identifies a green charted light, buoy or beacon.
The code R identifies a red charted light, buoy or beacon.
Combines a steady fixed light with a flashing light of greater luminous intensity.
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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