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.Standard words or phrases with prescribed meanings used to control and clarify a radio exchange. Prowords such as “This is”, “Over”, “Out”, “Say again”, “Received” and “Correction” reduce ambiguity and shorten routine procedure when used under the relevant service rules. Their precise meanings depend on the communications system. They should not be improvised or combined…
Persistent seasonal northerly winds over the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean, most frequent in summer. Known as the meltemi in Greek and Turkish usage, they arise from the pressure pattern between higher pressure over the Balkans and lower pressure over southwest Asia, with strong modification by islands and channels. They are not primarily katabatic winds, although…
A strong, cold, usually dry northerly to north-westerly wind channelled from southern France into the Gulf of Lion and western Mediterranean. It commonly develops when pressure is high to the west or north and lower over the Gulf of Genoa, accelerating air through the Rhône valley and adjacent terrain. The mistral is a channelled regional…
A strong, gusty, cold downslope wind blowing from the Balkan interior towards the eastern Adriatic. Dense air crossing mountain passes accelerates down the coastal slopes, commonly producing violent local gusts and sharp spatial changes. Clear bora and cloud-bearing bora occur under different synoptic conditions. The wind is often north-easterly but terrain controls its local direction….
A downslope wind driven by gravity acting on air that has become colder and denser than its surroundings over elevated ground. Cooling over a plateau, snowfield, glacier or mountain slope creates dense air that drains into valleys and coastal waters. Terrain can channel and accelerate the flow, sometimes producing sudden strong gusts near shore. Katabatic…
A forward capsize in which a vessel rotates end over end as the bow stops or buries while the stern continues forward. It is most associated with fast multihulls, dinghies and surf craft running into a wave or decelerating sharply. Sail force, high speed, bow immersion, crew position and wave shape contribute to the pitching…
A technique for crossing flowing water by pointing the vessel into the stream so the current carries it sideways across the channel. The vessel maintains steerage through the water while its upstream heading and the current combine to produce a ground track across the flow. Adjusting the ferry angle changes sideways progress and upstream or…
A mooring buoy connected to a low-impact anchoring system designed to avoid routine chain scouring of sensitive seabed habitat. Designs may use elastic or floating rode sections, helical anchors or other components that keep ground tackle off seagrass, coral or vulnerable substrate while supporting the intended vessel loads. “Eco” does not guarantee zero impact or…
The international rules governing vessel conduct, lookout, safe speed, collision avoidance and navigation lights, shapes and sound signals. The 1972 COLREG Convention and its annexes apply on the high seas and connected waters navigable by seagoing vessels, with national implementation and permitted special local rules. They define vessel statuses and responsibilities in sight, restricted visibility…
To release slip-rigged mooring lines from aboard so a vessel can leave its berth. The crew lets go one end and retrieves the other as the line runs around the shore fitting. Lines are normally released in a planned order that accounts for wind, current, propeller and thruster effects. A line may fail to run…
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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