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 high-pitched whistle used to sound traditional naval and shipboard orders or ceremonies. Different combinations of pitch, duration and trill form recognised calls for attention, piping the side and other evolutions. Its meaning depends on established procedure and should not be confused with an emergency whistle signal.
The area through which a boom can travel as it moves across a vessel. Crew, passengers, rigging and equipment should be kept clear because the boom may cross rapidly during a tack, gybe or accidental wind shift. The danger includes the mainsheet and tackle as well as the spar itself.
The specified values or constraints applied at the edges of a mathematical or physical model. In marine forecasting and tidal modelling they describe influences such as water level, flow, wind or pressure at the model limits. Results can be sensitive to inaccurate boundary conditions even when the internal calculations are sound.
To dislodge an anchor from the seabed after its cable has been brought near vertical. The vessel is normally manoeuvred carefully toward the anchor while cable is recovered, then controlled force is applied to free it. Windlass power should not be used to haul the vessel against heavy environmental loads or exceed equipment limits.
The length of rope tail buried inside another part of a rope to form a splice. Required bury depends on rope construction, fibre, diameter, splice type and loading. An inadequate or poorly tapered bury can slip or concentrate stress, so the rope manufacturer’s splice instructions should be followed.
A principal standing-rigging shroud running from the mast or masthead to the chainplate, commonly over spreader tips. It provides major lateral support to the mast and helps control mast bend. Correct tension must be balanced with the other shrouds and stays without exceeding the rig designer’s limits.
A defined reference surface from which elevations or depths are measured. Land surveys, charts and tide tables may use different vertical datums, and their numerical values are not interchangeable without a known separation. Mariners must identify the datum attached to every height, depth and clearance calculation.
A prediction of future atmospheric conditions for a specified area and period. Marine forecasts commonly address wind direction and force, sea state, weather, visibility and warnings. They should be checked from an appropriate official service, interpreted with the forecast area and validity time, and updated as observations change.
Able to prevent water entering under the environmental conditions likely to be encountered, without necessarily resisting continuous immersion. Weathertight doors, hatches and covers protect spaces from rain, spray and boarding seas when properly closed and maintained. The term is distinct from watertight, which denotes resistance to water pressure from either or a specified side.
The maximum load that lifting or load-handling equipment is authorised to carry in normal service. It is set below the breaking load using design and safety factors and applies only under the specified configuration and conditions. The lowest-rated component, side loading, wear, shock and altered lead angles can govern the safe limit of an assembly.
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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