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.Signals and communication in the marine world are like a game of charades with the ocean as your stage. Picture a crew furiously waving flags screaming, “We’re out of snacks!” while another ship squints, trying to decode whether that’s a distress call or just terrible semaphore skills. Horns blast at decibels high enough to wake Poseidon, with meanings ranging from “I’m turning left” to “Move it or lose it!” And let’s not forget Morse code—nothing says “urgent message” like blinking a flashlight at a seagull for hours. Meanwhile, the VHF radio crackles with static and a dozen accents yelling about the weather, leaving everyone more confused than enlightened. It’s a symphony of organised chaos where somehow, miraculously, no one crashes into an iceberg. Usually.
A two-flag semaphore position representing the letter Z. The signaller holds one flag in each hand at the prescribed angles illustrated in the entry. The receiver reads the position from the signaller’s front, so viewing direction and clear separation between successive characters are important. It represents the letter Z unless a recognised procedural signal changes…
A two-flag semaphore position representing the letter O. The signaller holds one flag in each hand at the prescribed angles illustrated in the entry. The receiver reads the position from the signaller’s front, so viewing direction and clear separation between successive characters are important. It represents the letter O unless a recognised procedural signal changes…
A two-flag semaphore position representing the letter A. The signaller holds one flag in each hand at the prescribed angles illustrated in the entry. The receiver reads the position from the signaller’s front, so viewing direction and clear separation between successive characters are important. After the Numbers Follow signal, the same position represents the numeral…
The standard spoken code word for the letter A in the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet. It is pronounced “AL-fah” and is used to spell names, call signs and other information clearly over marine radio when individual letters could be confused. The same standard word is used in the NATO phonetic alphabet. Alpha is also the…
An International Code of Signals flag meaning “I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed” when flown alone. Code flag Alpha is vertically divided white and blue, with a swallow-tailed blue fly. A vessel engaged in diving operations displays it where it can best be seen when the flag is an appropriate…
An intergovernmental political and military alliance founded in 1949 for the collective defence of its members. NATO provides a forum for consultation and maintains political and military structures through which member states coordinate security and defence. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty treats an armed attack against one or more members in Europe or…
A naval pipe call ordering off-duty personnel below or signalling quiet and lights out. Orders aboard naval ships were traditionally transmitted by distinctive notes sounded on a boatswain’s call. “Pipe down” came to be associated with the end of the day’s activities and the requirement for silence. In everyday speech it now means to become…
An internationally standardised system of flags, radiotelephony and coded signals for communicating important maritime messages, particularly about safety and navigation. The code assigns meanings to single-letter flags, multi-flag groups, numeral pennants and selected spoken or Morse forms so vessels and shore stations can exchange concise messages across language barriers. Medical and distress-related sections support specialised…
A dimensionless GNSS geometry factor combining horizontal and vertical dilution of precision for three-dimensional position. PDOP reflects how the spatial arrangement of the satellites used amplifies common ranging errors into the latitude, longitude and height solution. Lower values generally indicate more favourable geometry, and mathematically PDOP combines HDOP and VDOP by root-sum-square. It does not…
A dimensionless GNSS geometry factor for amplification of ranging errors into the horizontal position solution. HDOP reflects the east-west and north-south geometry of the satellites used. Lower values generally indicate that common ranging errors will produce a smaller horizontal position uncertainty, while clustered azimuths produce weaker geometry. HDOP is not horizontal accuracy by itself and…
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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