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.The average height of the two successive low waters during neap-tide periods at a stated location and over a defined observation period.
The average height of the two successive low waters during spring-tide periods at a stated location and over a defined observation period.
The standard spoken code word for the letter K in the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet. It is pronounced “KEY-loh” and is used to spell names, call signs and other information clearly over marine radio. The same word is used in the NATO phonetic alphabet. Kilo is also associated with International Code of Signals flag K,…
A unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour. One knot is exactly 1.852 kilometres per hour and approximately 1.151 statute miles per hour. Because a knot already means nautical miles per hour, expressions such as ‘knots per hour’ are incorrect when stating speed. The unit is used for vessel speed, current and…
The first sighting or close approach to land after an open-water passage. The term can describe the event, the intended area of coast or the act of making landfall. It does not require physically reaching or going ashore, and in poor visibility the navigational transition may occur by radar, soundings or other verified information before…
A short line, cord or strap used to secure, operate or retain an item aboard a vessel. Lanyards prevent portable equipment such as knives, tools, keys and safety pins from being lost, and they may connect components or provide a means of pulling a release or firing mechanism. Their size, material and attachment depend on…
To secure an item with lashings so that it cannot shift beyond acceptable limits. Lashings may use rope, webbing, chain, wire or purpose-made restraints attached between suitable strong points. The arrangement must resist loads in all relevant directions, including acceleration from pitching, rolling, slamming and collision avoidance, rather than merely hold the item down vertically….
A navigation mark that indicates the side of a channel or recognised route. Lateral marks use colour, shape, topmarks and light characteristics to identify the port and starboard sides in the conventional direction of buoyage. They may be floating buoys or fixed beacons, posts and piles. The colours and shapes assigned to port and starboard…
Angular distance north or south of the Equator, expressed from 0 degrees to 90 degrees. Latitude identifies a parallel on a chosen geodetic reference system and is written with N or S, commonly in degrees and decimal minutes or decimal degrees. Together with longitude it specifies a position on or near the Earth. One minute…
A storage or service compartment in the after part of a vessel. A lazarette is commonly beneath the cockpit or aft deck and may contain steering gear, batteries, pumps, fuel-system components, shore-power equipment or general stores. Its exact position and use vary, and it is not necessarily a simple locker at the extreme stern. Stored…
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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