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 line or tackle used to pull a sail, spar or fitting downwards or towards a lower control point. Its function depends on the rig. A mainsail downhaul can tension the luff or pull a sliding gooseneck down; a jib downhaul can help lower the sail; and other downhauls control poles, tack lines or retrieval…
The vertical distance from a vessel’s waterline to its lowest immersed point. Also spelled “draft” in American English, draught may be measured forward, aft or at another stated position, with mean draught derived from specified readings. The lowest point may be a keel, propeller, rudder, drive leg or other projection rather than the hull shell…
A work surface arranged for consulting, marking and storing nautical charts and navigation records. It is usually part of a navigation station and may include chart drawers, instrument stowage, task lighting, electrical panels, radios or electronic displays. On smaller craft it may be compact, fold away or share another surface rather than accept a fully…
The line or area where the bottom of a hull meets its side. On a hard-chined hull, the change in angle is distinct and forms a visible edge. A multi-chine hull uses several such changes to approximate a curved form, while a soft-chined or round-bilge hull has a smoother transition without a sharp edge. The…
A fitting shaped to secure or control a line. A horn cleat has two projecting horns around which a line can be made fast, commonly with a cleat hitch. It may be fitted to a vessel, pontoon or quay. Cam and jam cleats grip a line differently and are generally used to hold running rigging…
The lower aft corner of a fore-and-aft sail, where its foot and leech meet. The sheet is attached at or led from the clew, allowing the sail’s angle and shape to be controlled. Because it carries substantial load, the corner is reinforced with a cringle, webbing or another purpose-designed fitting. A triangular mainsail or headsail…
The raised roof structure over a vessel’s cabin or accommodation space. Also called a cabin top, it increases internal headroom and may carry windows, hatches, ventilators, handrails, tracks, clutches, winches or other deck fittings. Its form and location depend on the vessel rather than always being amidships or on the centreline. The structure must shed…
A raised boundary around a deck opening or recessed area that helps keep water out. Hatch, companionway and ventilator coamings lift the opening above the surrounding deck so runoff, spray and water on deck are less likely to enter. Cockpit coamings define and protect the cockpit edge and may also support seating or fittings. A…
A recessed or enclosed working area from which a small craft is commonly steered or operated. On sailing yachts it often contains the helm, seating, mainsheet or other sail controls; on motorboats it may form the helm and passenger area. Cockpits can be aft, central or forward, open or sheltered, and some boats have more…
An access passage or opening between a vessel’s deck and accommodation or a lower deck. On a yacht it commonly comprises an opening from the cockpit or deck, a sliding hatch or hood, washboards or doors, and companionway steps or a ladder. On larger vessels the term can describe a stairway or passage connecting decks….
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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