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.Provisioning a vessel with food, drink and related consumable stores for its voyage and occupants. The task includes estimating quantities, dietary and medical needs, potable water, cooking fuel, storage life, refrigeration and waste, with reserves for delay or emergency. It can also include managing inventory and rotation during the voyage. Weight, stowage, ventilation, pest control,…
A vessel-specific table or graph showing magnetic-compass deviation for a range of headings. Deviation is the angular error caused by the vessel’s own magnetic fields and is determined by swinging the compass and comparing known headings or bearings. The card records east or west corrections, often with separate values for principal and intercardinal headings and…
An absorbent or collecting collar placed around a deck fuel filler to catch small spills and splashback. The collar fits around the fill opening or nozzle area during refuelling and helps prevent fuel reaching the deck and water. Designs include absorbent pads and reusable collars that direct overflow into a small container. It is a…
A berth arranged in the after part of a vessel, commonly extending beneath a cockpit side deck or cockpit seat. It is often a single narrow sleeping space entered from the cabin, although size, side and arrangement vary. The surrounding volume may share space with lockers, machinery, steering gear or service runs depending on design….
A two-masted fore-and-aft sailing rig with a small mizzen mast stepped abaft the rudder post or steering axis. The mainmast carries most of the sail area, while the smaller mizzen helps balance, steering and manoeuvring and may steady the vessel at anchor. The precise steering reference matters on modern craft whose rudder arrangements do not…
The part of a rope that is not being actively manipulated while a knot, bend or hitch is formed. It usually leads away from the working area towards the load, coil or fixed remainder of the rope. The working end moves around or through it to form the structure of the knot. ‘Standing part’ is…
The end of a rope actively manipulated to form a knot, bend, hitch or splice. It is passed around an object or through loops and turns while the standing part leads towards the rest of the rope or load. Some instructions call it the running end, although that phrase can also describe a freely moving…
A hitch formed by two successive turns around an object with the rope crossing between them. It is quick to tie in the end or bight of a line and is useful for temporary attachment where the load remains reasonably steady and in a suitable direction. Fender lines are a common light-duty use, although a…
A line used to move or secure a vessel by hauling from a fixed point or another vessel. Warping can move a vessel along a quay, through a confined space or towards an anchor, buoy or shore point using capstans, winches or manual purchase. In some usage a warp is simply a mooring or towing…
Removable boards or panels fitted in a companionway opening to limit water entry into the accommodation. They normally stack or slide into side grooves below a hatch and may be timber, composite, acrylic or metal. Multiple sections permit partial closure and can incorporate ventilation, glazing or locking arrangements. Washboards contribute to weathertight or watertight integrity…
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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