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 reefing system in which one control line draws down both the tack and clew areas of a mainsail. The line is routed through blocks or the boom so a reef can be taken with fewer separate operations. Low friction, correct sequence and secure final tension are essential; halyard and topping support still require coordinated…
A radio wave returned toward Earth after refraction in the ionosphere. Sky-wave propagation allows HF and sometimes MF signals to travel far beyond the radio horizon. Range and reliability vary with frequency, time, season, solar activity and ionospheric disturbance.
The event-specific rules and directions issued for a sailing race or regatta. They define matters such as course, signals, schedule, starting and finishing arrangements, penalties and local procedures and may change permitted racing-rule provisions. Competitors must read them with the notice of race and official amendments.
A collision-regulation provision governing the conduct of sailing vessels in relation to one another or other vessels. Which vessel keeps clear depends on tack, windward position and other circumstances, but the specific rule set and vessel status must be identified first. Sailing rules do not override the duties of lookout, safe speed or action to…
A restraint designed to secure equipment, cargo or movable structure against vessel motions at sea. It may use welds, bolts, lashings, stoppers or engineered supports sized for expected accelerations and loads. Fastenings require inspection after loading and during the voyage and must not obstruct emergency access or safe operation.
A defined area within which a state or rescue coordination centre coordinates maritime or aeronautical search-and-rescue services. Boundaries allocate coordination responsibility and do not necessarily match territorial waters or national borders. Adjacent services cooperate when an incident crosses a boundary or resources from more than one region are needed.
Motion-induced illness commonly causing nausea, dizziness, pallor and vomiting at sea. It can impair judgement, hydration and the ability to keep watch. Fresh air, a view of the horizon, appropriate position aboard and timely medication may help, while severe or persistent symptoms require attention to hydration and safety.
The direction toward which a current flows. Set is expressed as a true direction and is paired with drift, the current’s rate. This differs from wind direction, which is conventionally named for the direction from which the wind comes.
The positioning of an engine, gearbox, bearings and propeller shaft so their rotational axes agree within specified tolerances. Poor alignment causes vibration, heat, bearing and seal wear and transmission loads. Checks must allow for hull deflection, flexible mounts, coupling type and the vessel’s afloat condition.
The section of a planned route between two consecutive waypoints. Each leg has a course, distance and associated limits or hazards. Wheel-over position, cross-track tolerance, depth, clearing criteria and the transition to the next leg should be considered during planning.
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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My Sailing Course contributes 1% of every Stripe payment to help promising carbon removal technologies move from the lab into the field.
Stripe Climate commitments fund the development and purchase of carbon removal. They are not carbon offsets or credits attached to an individual order.
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