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.Marine navigation has its own secret language, and let’s face it—half of it sounds like someone making things up after too much grog. You’ve got your ‘dead reckoning,’ which isn’t nearly as ominous as it sounds, and ‘bearing,’ which has nothing to do with polar bears but everything to do with pointing the right way. Don’t even get us started on ‘knots’—why measure speed like you’re tying a shoelace? And then there’s ‘fix (not for your engine) and ‘DR’ (spoiler: it’s not a doctor). If you’re baffled, don’t worry—we’re here to help you decipher this nautical code so you can sound like a pro, not a landlubber who’s lost their compass.
The triangular area formed when three plotted position lines fail to intersect at one point. The non-intersection reflects observational, plotting, timing, chart or identification errors and is a visible indication of uncertainty. A small cocked hat can suggest good agreement between the lines but does not prove that the underlying observations are accurate or independent….
A relative approach on which two vessels will collide if neither changes its movement. A steady bearing accompanied by decreasing range is a classic indication that another vessel may be on a collision course. The bearing may be observed visually or by suitable instruments, but small changes can be difficult to detect and uncertainty increases…
An instrument that indicates direction relative to a defined north reference. A magnetic compass aligns with the local horizontal component of the Earth’s magnetic field and indicates magnetic or compass direction. Gyrocompasses and electronic heading systems use different principles and may indicate true or calculated heading when correctly configured. A magnetic compass is affected by…
A graduated circular diagram showing directions and bearings from a north reference. On a nautical chart, a compass rose commonly has an outer true-direction scale and an inner magnetic-direction scale. The magnetic information states variation for a given epoch and may show its expected annual change, so it must be updated to the date of…
A power-driven vessel severely restricted in its ability to leave its course because of its draught in relation to the available navigable water. The status depends on both depth and width: a deep-draught vessel in a channel may be unable to alter course without losing adequate under-keel clearance or leaving the water it can safely…
A line on a nautical chart joining points of equal charted depth relative to the chart’s vertical datum. Also called an isobath, a depth contour helps depict the shape of the seabed and the boundary between depth bands. Closely spaced contours often indicate a steeper slope, but survey density, generalisation and chart scale limit how…
The direction of a vessel’s movement over the Earth’s surface at a given time. Usually abbreviated COG, it is commonly calculated by GNSS from successive positions and expressed as a true direction. It differs from heading, which is the direction the bow points, and from track, which describes the path over a period or between…
The direction in which a vessel should be steered to achieve a required track after allowing for expected set and drift. A course-to-steer calculation combines the intended ground track with the forecast tidal stream or current and, where appropriate, leeway. The result may first be a true direction and then be converted through variation and…
An aid to navigation indicating that the named side of the mark is the side on which to pass or find the safest water. North, east, south and west cardinal marks are named for the quadrant in which they lie relative to a danger or feature. Their black-and-yellow bands, paired cone topmarks and, when fitted,…
A defined or naturally navigable passage through a body of water. A channel may be the naturally deeper part of a river, estuary or coastal area, or a surveyed and dredged route maintained for shipping. Buoys, beacons, leading marks, lights or charted limits may identify its sides and alignment. Charted depth, width and marking do…
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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