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.The radio-frequency band from 300 kHz to 3 MHz. Marine MF communications include the 2 MHz band used for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore voice and digital selective calling. Range is influenced by frequency, transmitter power, antenna, time of day, atmospheric noise and ground-wave or sky-wave propagation. The international MF distress and safety DSC frequency is 2187.5…
A ship-to-shore communication requesting medical advice for illness or injury aboard a vessel. The call connects the vessel with a telemedical or radio-medical advisory service through coast radio, satellite or another available communications route. The caller should provide position, contact details, patient history, observations, treatment given and available medicines or equipment. Urgency and distress procedures…
A shore facility that coordinates maritime search-and-rescue operations within an assigned search-and-rescue region. An MRCC receives distress alerts, assesses the incident, develops a search-and-rescue plan and tasks or coordinates suitable rescue units, vessels, aircraft and supporting services. It may work with adjacent centres and aeronautical rescue coordination centres. The centre coordinates rather than necessarily carrying…
Electronic chart systems intended for certain small commercial vessels that do not carry type-approved ECDIS. In the UK context, Small Vessel Electronic Chart System standards address equipment and official chart-data arrangements for eligible coded or regulated vessels, including functional, display, update and backup expectations set by the applicable authority. Eligibility and carriage treatment depend on…
A stopper knot formed by passing the working end around the standing part and back through the resulting loop in a figure-eight path. It creates a bulky, relatively secure stop that helps prevent a line running through a fairlead, clutch, block or other fitting. It is generally easier to untie after loading than a simple…
An International Code of Signals flag whose single-letter meaning is “I require a tug.”. The Zulu flag may be displayed alone to convey this internationally assigned meaning. It can also appear as a character within multi-flag groups, where the complete group has a different coded interpretation. The signal communicates information or intention but does not…
An International Code of Signals flag whose single-letter meaning is “I am dragging my anchor.”. The Yankee flag may be displayed alone to convey this internationally assigned meaning. It can also appear as a character within multi-flag groups, where the complete group has a different coded interpretation. The signal communicates information or intention but does…
An International Code of Signals flag whose single-letter meaning is “Stop carrying out your intentions and watch for my signals.”. The X-ray flag may be displayed alone to convey this internationally assigned meaning. It can also appear as a character within multi-flag groups, where the complete group has a different coded interpretation. The signal communicates…
An International Code of Signals flag whose single-letter meaning is “I require medical assistance.”. The Whiskey flag may be displayed alone to convey this internationally assigned meaning. It can also appear as a character within multi-flag groups, where the complete group has a different coded interpretation. The signal communicates information or intention but does not…
An International Code of Signals flag whose single-letter meaning is “I require assistance.”. The Victor flag may be displayed alone to convey this internationally assigned meaning. It can also appear as a character within multi-flag groups, where the complete group has a different coded interpretation. The signal communicates information or intention but does not remove…
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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