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 distress beacon that transmits a digitally coded alert on 406 MHz to the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system. EPIRBs, PLBs and some aviation beacons use this frequency to identify the beacon and support search-and-rescue coordination. Many also transmit GNSS position data and a separate short-range homing signal; registration and correct testing are essential.
A securing arrangement that prevents an anchor moving unintentionally while a vessel is under way. It supplements the windlass brake and may use a stopper, pin, claw, wire or other approved restraint. The arrangement must withstand vessel motion and wave impact yet be capable of safe release when the anchor is required.
A strong shackle used to connect an anchor to its chain, swivel or cable. Its size, material and working capacity must suit the anchoring system, and the pin must be secured against working loose. The fitting should pass through the vessel’s bow equipment without fouling and be inspected for wear, distortion and corrosion.
The predicted yearly rate of change in magnetic variation at a stated place and epoch. It is printed on charts or other magnetic information so an older variation can be adjusted approximately to the required year. Because the rate itself can change, current chart information should be used for important navigation.
The meridian of longitude approximately 180 degrees from a chosen prime meridian. The antimeridian to Greenwich lies at 180° east or west and broadly coincides with parts of the International Date Line. Crossing the date line changes the calendar date, although political deviations mean it does not follow the meridian exactly.
The angle between a vessel’s fore-and-aft line and the apparent wind direction. It is normally measured from the bow on the side from which the wind is felt. Boat speed and course alter apparent wind angle even when true wind is unchanged, making it a primary reference for steering and sail trim.
The initial passage-planning stage in which all relevant information is gathered and assessed. Charts, publications, forecasts, tides, vessel limitations, regulatory requirements and available navigational aids are reviewed before the route is planned. Missing, unreliable or conflicting information should be resolved or explicitly allowed for.
A headsail held or sheeted to windward so its aerodynamic force acts opposite to its usual direction. It is used during heaving-to, some tacking techniques and manoeuvres requiring the bow to be pushed away from the wind. Loads and sheet leads must be controlled because the sail can fill suddenly.
The radius of the curve through which a rope, cable, hose or other flexible component is bent. A bend that is too tight can reduce rope strength, damage fibres, kink wire or restrict a hose. Manufacturer limits and an appropriate sheave or fairlead diameter should be used, especially under load.
The route and attachment position through which a sheet pulls on a sail. Moving the lead changes the balance of tension between a sail’s foot and leech and therefore alters twist and shape. A fair, correctly aligned lead also reduces chafe and side loading on blocks or fairleads.
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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