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.Compelled or requisitioned for duty, especially when people or resources are urgently required. In maritime history, pressing most often refers to the compulsory recruitment of men for naval service under legal or asserted state authority. Vessels and material may also be requisitioned in wartime or emergency, but that is a related rather than identical process….
Pressed into service once meant being dragged off to sea whether you liked it or not. No warning, no choice, just a fast trip from the pub to a warship. Today it means helping a mate move a sofa. Same phrase, very different stakes.
A sheltered area of water where vessels can anchor, moor or berth with protection from open-water conditions. A harbour may be natural, artificially protected by breakwaters, or a combination of both. It may contain channels, anchorages, marinas, docks and port facilities, but a harbour is not necessarily a commercial port. Shelter varies with wind and…
A waterborne craft or other structure used, or capable of being used, as a means of transport on water. In the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, the term includes every description of water craft, non-displacement craft, wing-in-ground craft and seaplanes used or capable of being used for transportation on water. The exact legal…
A sheltered berthing facility for recreational and small commercial craft, normally organised around pontoons, quays or mooring berths. Facilities vary but may include shore power, water, fuel, waste disposal, toilets, showers, repairs, storage and launching. A marina may lie within a harbour or occupy a separate basin protected by breakwaters or locks. Entry, speed, radio,…
The challenging yacht club that agrees the next America’s Cup match conditions with the defending yacht club under the Deed of Gift. Once a valid challenge is accepted, the Challenger of Record and the Defender negotiate the protocol governing the event, including competition arrangements and the process for selecting the final challenger when multiple clubs…
The rules published by World Sailing that govern sailboat, windsurfing and related forms of racing. Commonly abbreviated to RRS, they cover conduct between boats, race management, protests, penalties and other aspects of competition. The rules operate with the notice of race, sailing instructions, class rules and any applicable national prescriptions or approved changes. World Sailing…
The international governing body for the sport of sailing, recognised by the International Olympic Committee. World Sailing develops the Racing Rules of Sailing and competition regulations, oversees international events and Olympic sailing, supports officials and training and recognises member national authorities and international classes. Its rules govern organised sport within their stated scope and are…
An internationally standardised system of flags, radiotelephony and coded signals for communicating important maritime messages, particularly about safety and navigation. The code assigns meanings to single-letter flags, multi-flag groups, numeral pennants and selected spoken or Morse forms so vessels and shore stations can exchange concise messages across language barriers. Medical and distress-related sections support specialised…
The chapter of the SOLAS Convention setting international requirements for safe navigation and navigational services and equipment. It covers matters including navigational warnings, meteorological services, search and rescue, hydrographic services, routeing, reporting, carriage of navigation systems, charts and publications, voyage planning, danger messages and the master’s professional judgement. Unlike many SOLAS chapters, parts of Chapter…
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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