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 sling designed to support and lift a person during recovery from the water. It is passed around or attached to the casualty and connected to a hauling point or lifting device. The method should minimise constriction, prevent the person slipping out and, where practicable, keep an exhausted casualty near horizontal.
To allow a rope to run out under controlled tension around a fitting or through a lead. Rendering prevents a sudden uncontrolled release while accommodating movement or reducing load. Hands and loose clothing must be kept clear of turns, fairleads and pinch points, and the tailer must retain a safe number of turns.
The horizontal distance between the lines of action of buoyancy and weight when a vessel is heeled. Usually denoted GZ, it multiplied by displacement gives the vessel’s static righting moment. Its value changes with heel and loading and becomes negative when the heeling tendency exceeds the righting tendency.
A tidal current whose direction changes progressively through the tidal cycle rather than simply reversing along one axis. Successive hourly vectors form a pattern often represented by a tidal ellipse. Both direction and rate must therefore be taken for the required time rather than inferred only from flood and ebb labels.
A planned sequence of positions or legs defining an intended passage. A route connects waypoints while accounting for hazards, depths, traffic, weather, regulations and contingencies. It is a plan to be monitored and adjusted, not proof that the water between every displayed waypoint is safe.
An anchor with a plough-shaped fluke designed to dig into the seabed as load is applied. It generally resets after moderate direction changes and is widely used on cruising vessels, although performance varies with design and bottom type. Correct size, scope and deliberate setting remain essential.
The organisation responsible for administering a port and exercising powers assigned within its limits. Functions may include navigation directions, traffic control, conservancy, berths, dues, safety and environmental management. Masters must comply with applicable harbour regulations and lawful directions in addition to general maritime law.
The legally or administratively defined boundaries of a port authority’s area. Within them, local by-laws, reporting requirements, speed limits, pilotage and traffic directions may apply. Limits are shown or described in current charts, publications and legislation and may extend beyond the visible harbour.
An advance notice of a navigational change or development for which complete details are not yet available. It allows mariners to anticipate work, new routes, altered aids or hazards before a permanent chart correction can be issued. The notice remains relevant until cancelled, replaced or incorporated into updated products.
The rate and direction of change of atmospheric pressure over distance. A stronger horizontal pressure gradient generally produces stronger wind, modified by Earth’s rotation, friction and curvature. Closely spaced isobars on a weather chart indicate a steep gradient rather than directly specifying the exact surface wind.
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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