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.Waterproof outer clothing worn to protect crew from rain, spray and water on deck. Traditional oilskins were fabric treated with oil, while modern marine waterproofs use coated or laminated synthetic materials. A typical set consists of a jacket and trousers or salopettes designed to allow movement while reducing water penetration and wind chill. Features may…
In a direction abaft the vessel’s starboard beam and to the right of its centreline. The expression describes the relative sector between approximately abeam and astern on the starboard side rather than a single bearing. A more precise report can add relative bearing, clock position and distance. The sector moves with the vessel’s heading. A…
Directed or moving from the water towards the land. The term commonly describes wind, current, waves or movement relative to a coast. An onshore wind blows towards land; an onshore current sets towards it, but their directions need not be the same and can vary along an irregular coastline. Onshore conditions can create a lee-shore…
The international radiotelephony spelling word for the letter O. It is used to spell call signs, identifiers and words clearly over voice radio. The prescribed spoken form is represented as ‘OSS CAH’, with emphasis indicated in official pronunciation tables. In the International Code of Signals, the single flag O means ‘Man overboard’, a separate use…
A sail control that tensions or positions the clew away from the mast or towards the outboard end of a boom or spar. On a conventional mainsail the outhaul pulls the clew aft along or towards the boom end, changing foot tension and lower-sail depth. It may be a simple line, an internal purchase, a…
A safety tether connecting a person’s harness or lifejacket attachment point to a strong point or jackstay on a vessel. Its purpose is to reduce the risk of separation from the vessel while allowing controlled movement on deck. The tether, clips, attachment point, jackstay and harness system must be compatible and capable of carrying the…
A survival craft designed to provide emergency flotation, shelter and support after people abandon a vessel. Most small-vessel life-rafts are inflatable and packed in a valise or rigid container; commercial ships may carry approved inflatable or rigid types. Capacity, canopy, ballast, boarding arrangements, equipment pack, operating temperature and approval standard vary with intended service. A…
A fixed structure carrying a navigational light intended to assist mariners by marking a position, route or hazard.
A length of rope, cordage or wire assigned to a particular working purpose aboard a vessel. Once cordage is selected and put to use it is commonly named for its function, such as a sheet, halyard, mooring line, painter or towline. Material, construction, diameter, stretch and termination are chosen for the expected load and handling…
A persistent inclination of a vessel to port or starboard when it would normally be upright. A list is commonly caused by uneven loading, movement of cargo or ballast, flooding, free-surface liquid or a structural or stability problem. It differs from heel caused temporarily by wind pressure, turning forces or wave action, although the terms…
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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