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 knot formed in a line to prevent its end or another part from passing through a fitting or opening. Common examples include the figure-of-eight, double overhand and Ashley stopper, chosen according to rope construction, required bulk and ease of untying. A stopper knot may also provide a temporary handhold or mark, but those are…
The Beaufort Force 10 wind category, corresponding to sustained winds of 48 to 55 knots. The Met Office marine description is ‘Storm’. In a fully developed open sea it is associated with very high waves, long overhanging crests, extensive foam and spray and reduced visibility, but actual waves depend on fetch, duration, depth and pre-existing…
A small strongly constructed headsail intended to help a sailing vessel retain controlled drive in severe weather. A storm jib uses heavy cloth, strong reinforcement and secure attachment and is normally set with a high clew to reduce wave impact. Its area and construction may be governed by a class rule, safety standard or vessel…
To place and secure an item in its assigned location for the vessel’s expected motion and operations. Proper stowage considers weight, access, ventilation, drainage, fire and flooding hazards, compatibility with neighbouring materials and the loads created by roll, pitch and impact. Some items require racks, chocks, lashings, latches or dedicated lockers rather than merely being…
A charted category of unusually large buoy, generally more than five metres in diameter, whose size or function makes it a significant hazard or high-consequence object. IHO chart specifications use the category for items such as offshore loading or single-point mooring buoys and very large ocean-data-acquisition buoys. Their moorings, hoses, chains or operating exclusion areas…
A narrow channel crossing or winding through a shoal, sandbank or area of shallow water. A swashway is formed and altered by tidal streams and wave action and may provide a shorter passage for suitable shallow-draught craft. Depth, width and alignment can change after storms or as banks migrate. Use requires current local and chart…
The water area a moored or anchored vessel may occupy as it rotates or moves around its restraint system. For a single anchor it is influenced by deployed rode, vessel length, anchor position and movement caused by wind and current. A mooring’s riser, chain, elasticity and seabed geometry can create a different excursion pattern rather…
A weather map showing analysed or forecast atmospheric conditions over a broad area at a stated time. It commonly depicts mean-sea-level pressure with isobars, high- and low-pressure centres, fronts and troughs and may include observations or other meteorological features. Analysis charts represent a best estimate of conditions at the valid time, while forecast charts show…
To change tack by turning a sailing vessel’s bow through the wind. During the manoeuvre the sails luff and then fill on the opposite side as the vessel passes through the no-go zone. Sufficient momentum, coordinated steering and controlled release and trimming of sheets are needed, with exact timing depending on vessel, rig and conditions….
Changing from one tack to the other by turning the bow through the wind, or progressing by a series of such manoeuvres. A single tack moves the sails from one side to the other; repeated tacking allows a sailing vessel to make progress towards a destination lying within its direct no-go sector. The optimum headings…
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.
