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 controlled series of heading observations used to determine a magnetic compass’s deviation. The vessel is placed on known headings or compared with reliable references around the compass. Results are recorded as a deviation table or card and repeated after changes likely to affect the vessel’s magnetic field.
The scale at which source data was selected and compiled for a chart or electronic navigational dataset. It indicates the intended level of detail and use but does not guarantee positional accuracy. Displaying electronic chart data at a larger scale cannot create detail or precision absent from the source.
The convention used to write a geographic or grid position. Latitude and longitude may be expressed as degrees and decimal minutes, decimal degrees, or degrees, minutes and seconds. The format, hemispheres and datum must be stated because misreading them can place a position many miles away.
A stern form in which the upper part projects aft beyond the waterline and rises from a curved afterbody. It was common on traditional sailing yachts and ships and can provide a graceful overhang and increased deck length. The shape differs from a flat transom stern and affects usable volume and behaviour when pitching.
Repeated variation of load on a component over time. Even loads below the material’s ultimate strength can initiate fatigue cracks, loosen fittings or damage fibres after many cycles. Rigging, shafts, moorings and hull structures therefore require inspection based on both load magnitude and service history.
A black cylindrical day shape used as part of specified visual signals under the collision regulations. Its meaning depends on the full combination in which it is displayed rather than the cylinder alone. Day shapes must be of adequate size, correctly spaced and visible around the required horizon sectors.
A surveyed depth value printed at a specific position on a nautical chart. The value is reduced to the chart’s stated datum and may not represent the shallowest depth between soundings. Survey age, quality, seabed change, tide and the vessel’s required clearance must all be considered.
The practical use of nautical charts to plan, plot and monitor a vessel’s navigation. It includes positions, courses, distances, bearings, tidal vectors, clearing limits and other constructions. Accurate chartwork depends on correct symbols, datums, scales and time references and must be checked against observations and electronic systems.
An adjustable stay used to support a mast locally and control bend or forestay tension. Checkstays commonly lead aft from the mast and may need easing on the leeward side during a tack or gybe. Incorrect use can distort the mast or conflict with the mainsail, so operation depends on the particular rig design.
A raised border around a cockpit that helps keep water out and provides structural and crew support. Its shape can deflect spray, support seating and form the edge for lockers or cockpit enclosures. Openings and fittings through the coaming should preserve drainage, strength and weather protection.
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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