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 international reference time scale used for civil timekeeping, maintained close to Earth rotation by leap seconds. UTC is generated from atomic time and is the basis from which time-zone offsets are stated. It replaced Greenwich Mean Time as the principal technical reference for navigation, communications, meteorology and many legal or operational systems. UTC is…
A conventional boundary near 180° longitude across which the civil calendar date changes by one day. It bends around countries and island groups so political territories can share a chosen date, and it is not defined by a single universal treaty line. Crossing westward normally advances the date by one day; crossing eastward sets it…
A radio beacon that transmits essentially equally in all horizontal directions for direction-finding or identification. A receiver with an automatic direction finder can determine the relative bearing of an NDB signal and combine it with heading to obtain a bearing to or from the beacon. Marine radiobeacons historically supported coastal navigation, while NDBs remain more…
The radio-frequency band from 300 kHz to 3 MHz. Marine MF communications include the 2 MHz band used for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore voice and digital selective calling. Range is influenced by frequency, transmitter power, antenna, time of day, atmospheric noise and ground-wave or sky-wave propagation. The international MF distress and safety DSC frequency is 2187.5…
A ship-to-shore communication requesting medical advice for illness or injury aboard a vessel. The call connects the vessel with a telemedical or radio-medical advisory service through coast radio, satellite or another available communications route. The caller should provide position, contact details, patient history, observations, treatment given and available medicines or equipment. Urgency and distress procedures…
A shore facility that coordinates maritime search-and-rescue operations within an assigned search-and-rescue region. An MRCC receives distress alerts, assesses the incident, develops a search-and-rescue plan and tasks or coordinates suitable rescue units, vessels, aircraft and supporting services. It may work with adjacent centres and aeronautical rescue coordination centres. The centre coordinates rather than necessarily carrying…
Electronic chart systems intended for certain small commercial vessels that do not carry type-approved ECDIS. In the UK context, Small Vessel Electronic Chart System standards address equipment and official chart-data arrangements for eligible coded or regulated vessels, including functional, display, update and backup expectations set by the applicable authority. Eligibility and carriage treatment depend on…
The IHO framework for creating interoperable digital maritime data-product specifications. S-100 is based on the ISO 19100 family of geographic-information standards and provides registries, feature catalogues, portrayal, metadata and exchange mechanisms. Product specifications built on it include S-101 electronic navigational charts, S-102 bathymetric surfaces and S-104 water levels. S-100 is a framework rather than a…
An intergovernmental organisation that coordinates international hydrography and standards for nautical charts and marine geospatial information. The IHO develops specifications, guidance and capacity-building programmes to improve the consistency and availability of hydrographic data and services. National hydrographic offices remain responsible for surveying and publishing official products in their jurisdictions. Its standards include the S-57 framework…
A stopper knot formed by passing the working end around the standing part and back through the resulting loop in a figure-eight path. It creates a bulky, relatively secure stop that helps prevent a line running through a fairlead, clutch, block or other fitting. It is generally easier to untie after loading than a simple…
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.
