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.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…
The accelerated, rotating and turbulent stream of water produced by a working propeller. Propeller wash acts on the rudder and nearby hull, contributing to low-speed manoeuvring, and can extend behind or ahead of the vessel depending on propulsion direction. Its strength depends on power, propeller, depth and surrounding structures. Near berths it can move other…
A mooring line led from the vessel’s stern area forward to a shore or berth fitting. It opposes the vessel’s movement astern and, together with head lines, stern lines and a forward spring, controls fore-and-aft position and yaw alongside. Lead, length, elasticity and load sharing affect performance. Spring lines can carry high loads and create…
Permission from a port health authority for a vessel to communicate with the shore and conduct permitted port operations after health requirements are satisfied. Free pratique may be granted on the basis of a maritime declaration of health and other pre-arrival information, or after inspection where required. Procedures vary by state, port, voyage history and…
A proprietary-style fixed-shank plough anchor with a weighted, roughly triangular fluke designed to set quickly. The original Delta design and similar anchors use a single concave or plough-form fluke without a roll bar. They generally perform well in sand and mud, but holding and reset behaviour varies with size, seabed, scope, loading and the particular…
A structure formed by interlacing or looping rope, cord or similar flexible material so it holds under an intended load. Knots may form a fixed or adjustable loop, join two lines, attach a line to an object, create a stopper or shorten a rope. In strict terminology, bends join lines and hitches attach a line…
A heavy rope, wire rope or chain used for anchoring, mooring, towing or other load-bearing service. In traditional and regulatory language, an anchor cable may be chain, rope or a combination of both. The word also has electrical and communications meanings aboard a vessel, so context is important. Cable strength, elasticity, weight, corrosion, chafe, bend…
The senior deck crew member responsible for supervising deck work, maintenance and seamanship equipment. The bosun normally allocates and oversees work involving mooring, anchoring, cargo or deck operations, rigging, small boats, painting and preservation. The exact duties and authority vary with vessel type, manning and organisation. Bosun is the usual spoken and informal spelling of…
The complete connection between a vessel and its anchor, made from chain, rope or both. An anchor rode may be all chain, all rope, or rope joined to a chain leader. Its size, material, length, elasticity and connections must suit the vessel, anchoring depth, seabed, wind, waves and current. Adequate scope helps the anchor pull…
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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