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 sail-control line that pulls a sheet lead or sail clew inboard. On a headsail, an inhauler narrows the sheeting angle and can alter slot shape and pointing performance. On other sails or spars, the same general term may describe a control pulling the component towards the centreline. Excessive inhauling can close the slot, hook…
A line or tackle that changes a sheet’s lead position to adjust sail shape or sheeting angle. A barber hauler may pull a headsail sheet inboard or outboard, depending on the rig and sail. It can control leech tension, foot depth and slot shape, and is also used with spinnaker or reaching-sheet systems. The term…
An expression meaning very drunk, unsteady or out of control. In sailing, a sheet is a line controlling a sail rather than the sail itself. A vessel with several sheets loose or flying would have sails uncontrolled and could yaw or stagger in a way likened to an intoxicated person. The exact historical numbering is…
The lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail. On a mainsail it is secured near the gooseneck; on a headsail it is attached near the bow, furler or bowsprit. Tack also names the vessel’s relationship to the wind—port tack or starboard tack—and the manoeuvre of turning the bow through the wind. These meanings are related…
A proprietary inflatable man-overboard recovery system that provides a visible buoyant target and lifting arrangement. Depending on the model, deployment creates an inflatable horseshoe, recovery module or enclosure with light, drogue and lifting points to support and locate the casualty until recovery. It supplements rather than replaces immediate alarm, lookout, manoeuvring, position marking and rescue…
A wearable personal flotation device designed to provide buoyancy and support a person in the water. Lifejackets are selected by buoyancy, performance level, size, intended water, clothing and activity. Some are designed to turn an unconscious wearer face-up and support the airway; buoyancy aids generally provide less turning performance. A lifejacket must be correctly fitted,…
A floating pyrotechnic distress signal that emits dense orange smoke to mark a position in daylight. It is especially useful for showing wind direction and identifying a casualty or survival craft to nearby vessels or aircraft. Orange smoke is an internationally recognised distress signal. The device should be deployed to leeward according to its instructions…
A hand-held pyrotechnic distress signal that burns with an intense red light for short-range position marking. It is intended to help nearby rescuers identify a casualty, survival craft or vessel, particularly after a long-range alert has already been made. Red hand flares are recognised distress signals. They produce extreme heat, flame and hot residue and…
A rocket-propelled pyrotechnic distress signal that deploys a bright red flare beneath a parachute at height. Its altitude, luminous intensity and slow descent make it a long-range signal intended to attract attention over a wide area. Under the collision regulations, a rocket parachute flare showing a red light is a recognised distress signal. It should…
A short-range marine radiocommunication system operating in internationally allocated very-high-frequency channels. It supports ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, port operations, safety broadcasts and distress, urgency and routine calls. Fixed sets may include Digital Selective Calling linked to position information, while handheld sets provide portable local communication. Range is mainly line of sight and depends strongly on antenna height,…
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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