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.
An aid to navigation indicating that the named side of the mark is the side on which to pass or find the safest water. North, east, south and west cardinal marks are named for the quadrant in which they lie relative to a danger or feature. Their black-and-yellow bands, paired cone topmarks and, when fitted,…
A single navigation-light fitting that combines the red port sidelight and green starboard sidelight. The fitting is mounted on the vessel’s fore-and-aft centreline and uses internal sectors so that the red and green light are visible over their required respective arcs. It performs the same function as two separate sidelights when installed and approved for…
The standard spoken code word for the letter B in the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet. It is pronounced “BRAH-voh” and is used to spell names, call signs and other information clearly over marine radio. The same standard word is used in the NATO phonetic alphabet. Bravo is also associated with International Code of Signals flag…
A floating marker or device used for navigation, mooring, measurement or another designated purpose. Most navigational and mooring buoys are secured to a charted or defined position, while some scientific or tracking buoys drift. Shape, colour, topmark, light and sound can identify the function of an aid-to-navigation buoy under the applicable buoyage system. A buoy…
A small identifying flag or pennant, commonly representing a yacht club or sailing organisation. A burgee is often triangular or swallow-tailed and carries the colours or emblem of the organisation it represents. Members fly it to show their affiliation, subject to the organisation’s rules and normal flag etiquette. Traditionally, a yacht-club burgee is flown from…
An assigned sequence of letters or letters and figures used to identify a radio station or vessel in communications. For ships, the call sign is normally assigned by the responsible national administration from international call-sign series allocated under ITU arrangements. It is used in voice and digital radio services to identify the station unambiguously. A…
A black ball-shaped day signal used to indicate that a vessel is at anchor. It is displayed where it can best be seen so that other mariners can distinguish an anchored vessel from one underway. The signal identifies the vessel’s status; it does not mean that the vessel is “not under command”. The applicable collision…
An all-round white light displayed as part of the prescribed signal for a vessel at anchor. It enables other mariners to recognise the presence and status of an anchored vessel after dark and in restricted visibility. The required number, position and visibility range depend on vessel length and the applicable collision regulations, so the signal…
A VHF-based system that automatically exchanges vessel identity, position and movement data. Commonly abbreviated to AIS, it transmits dynamic information such as position, course and speed together with entered or programmed information such as identity, vessel type and voyage details. Compatible vessels, shore stations and aids to navigation can receive and display those reports. AIS…
A black ball-shaped day signal used alone or in combinations to show a vessel’s status. Depending on its number and arrangement with other shapes, a ball can contribute to signals for conditions such as being at anchor, aground, not under command or constrained by draught. The complete display must be interpreted rather than treating every…
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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