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.The condition in which a heeled vessel develops a righting moment that tends to return it upright. It exists while the centre of buoyancy and centre of gravity create a positive righting lever. The range and strength of positive stability depend on hull form, loading, free-surface effects and watertight integrity.
The date after which a marine pyrotechnic is no longer considered within its approved service life. Expired flares may be unreliable or unsafe and should not be kept as a substitute for in-date distress equipment. They require disposal through an authorised route and must never be tested, dismantled or placed in ordinary waste.
The control of heel and weight distribution so a boat remains stable and efficient. Crew position, sail force, ballast and underwater shape affect balance. In small sailing craft, moving crew weight and adjusting sail power keeps the hull at an effective angle, reduces unwanted helm and helps the foils work efficiently.
The procedure used to right a capsized craft and return it to a safe, controllable condition. Methods depend on craft design, crew numbers and whether the boat is inverted, swamped or carrying sails. Crew must stay with the craft where appropriate, account for everyone, avoid entrapment and use the centreboard, righting lines or powered assistance…
The formation and collapse of vapour cavities where local water pressure falls below the liquid’s vapour pressure. It can occur around fast-moving propellers, rudders, pumps and hydrofoils, causing noise, vibration, loss of efficiency and surface erosion. It differs from ventilation, in which air is drawn down from the water surface.
An approximate relative bearing expressed by imagining the vessel or observer at the centre of a clock face. Twelve o’clock is directly ahead, three o’clock to starboard, six o’clock astern and nine o’clock to port. It is quick for lookout reports but less precise than a bearing in degrees.
A storage compartment accessed from a vessel’s cockpit. It may hold warps, fenders, safety equipment or machinery, but contents must be secured and kept clear of controls and drains. Lockers opening into the hull require appropriate closure, drainage and gas-safety arrangements for what is stored.
The direction in which a vessel’s head points as indicated by its magnetic compass. Compass heading includes the effect of the compass’s deviation and is converted to magnetic or true heading by applying deviation and variation with the correct signs. It is not necessarily the same as course over ground because of leeway and current.
The direction of the straight line between two positions actually reached by a vessel. It summarises the net direction of progress over the ground during the interval, regardless of steering changes between the fixes. It should be distinguished from heading, course steered and the intended track.
The shipboard department responsible for navigation, cargo work, deck maintenance and many seamanship operations. It is normally led by the master and deck officers and includes ratings performing lookout, mooring, anchoring and maintenance duties. Exact organisation and responsibilities depend on vessel type, flag-state requirements and safe-manning arrangements.
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...
Our 1% commitment
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.
Welcome to My Sailing Course. Where's this adventure going to take you?
Ahoy there, Visiting Sailor! Ask us anything—whether you need help choosing a course, have a sailing question, or want to speak to the crew.
Scan with your phone to open the My Sailing Course WhatsApp service. You can review or edit the prepared message before sending it.
Your conversation stays with My Sailing Course so our Support team can respond securely.
Enter at least two characters to explore.
Welcome back aboard. Sign in with the email address connected to your My Sailing Course account.
Your account details are encrypted in transit and your password is never displayed or stored by this form. By continuing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and acknowledge our Privacy Policy.
Join free to save your favourites, unlock bonus learning resources and keep everything nautical close at hand.
Join the My Sailing Course community with one secure account for your courses, profile and support.
We've successfully created your account. Hold station for a few moments and you will be returned to the page.
Already have an account? Sign in
Enter your account email and we will send you a secure reset link.
This reset link is invalid or has expired.
Your new password is saved securely. We are confirming it across My Sailing Course before you sign in.
Please keep this window open. It will change to the sign-in form as soon as every service confirms the update.
