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.Ahoy, fellow sea wanderers! If the smell of salt in the air, the rhythmic slap of waves against the hull, and the endless horizon call to your soul, you’ve found the right place. The Salty Sea Blog is a place for musings on sailing—whether it’s the thrill of a stiff breeze filling the sails, the quiet magic of a sunrise at anchor, or the camaraderie found in harbours worldwide.
From 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.
Fair winds and following seas! ⛵
A Practical Guide To Licensing Requirements If you have stood on a yacht and asked yourself whether you need a licence to take charge, you are not alone. Rules vary by country, the boat you sail, and whether you own or charter it. This guide covers the UK, Mediterranean, and Caribbean. It includes links to…
Stars, sextants, and the Nautical Almanac used to keep sailors alive. Now your phone does the sums in seconds. The questions have not changed. The risk has.
If you look hard enough, you’ll find a forecast that suits your plan. The skipper skill is confidence. Check the source, check the timestamp, cross-check, then decide for a reason.
The History of the Beaufort Scale The Beaufort Scale is perhaps one of the best-known ways to measure wind force, offering a standard method to classify wind speeds based on their effects both on land and at sea. It’s a valuable tool used by meteorologists, sailors, and engineers, significantly influencing modern understanding of wind strength…
A Tale of Big and Little Diomede Ah, time travel. A notion that’s been tickling our imaginations for donkey’s years. H.G. Wells scribbled about it, Doc Brown cobbled together a DeLorean for it, and Doctor Who nailed it with a flying blue police box. But what if I told you that time travel is already…
Why Some Sailors Just Can’t Stay Ashore The wind howls like a banshee, rain lashes against the windows, and the mere thought of venturing outside sends shivers down your spine. It’s a perfect day… for some hardy souls to don their foul-weather gear, wrestle their boats from the clutches of winter, and head out onto…
Why Verification is so Important in Marine Navigation For recreational sailors, whether seasoned skippers or weekend adventurers, the thrill of exploring the open waters comes with the responsibility of navigating safely and efficiently. While modern technology, such as GPS and electronic chart plotters, has made marine navigation more accessible and convenient than ever, relying solely…
The Enduring Value of Paper Charts in the Digital Age In today’s digital world, electronic nautical charts (ENCs) have become the norm for maritime navigation. With their real-time positioning, easy updates, and user-friendly interfaces, it’s easy to see why many mariners have shifted to digital solutions. As a racing skipper, I’m a huge fan of…
Why are bananas supposed to be bad luck on boats? If you’ve ever set sail or chatted with seasoned sailors, you might have stumbled upon a curious maritime superstition: bananas are bad luck on boats. This peculiar belief, like tales of mermaids and ghost ships, has been passed down through generations. But why do these…
Are charted depths based on the worst-case scenario? Traditional and electronic navigation charts (ENCs) provide us with an understanding of depth, particularly near the coastline. Generally, we ask ourselves: Can we float? After all, we don’t want to run aground! The numbers provided on charts give a likely worst-case scenario, known as chart datum. For…
Introduction Navigational aids have been crucial for maritime safety for centuries, but you may be surprised to learn that the standardisation of the buoyage system didn’t materialise until the 1980s. Among the various systems developed, the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) buoyage system stands out for its global adoption…
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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Welcome to My Sailing Course. Where's this adventure going to take you?
Ahoy there, Visiting Sailor! Ask us anything—whether you need help choosing a course, have a sailing question, or want to speak to the crew.
Most students do not. You only need invigilation if you want a commercial endorsement or your employer requires it. The standard online assessments are included and marked by an instructor.
For more details about exam invigilation, read our full article here: RYA theory exam invigilation, explained
Yes. We can invigilate at our own assessment centre or arrange a session with a partner centre. Availability varies by location. Let us know and we’ll arrange it for you.
You will sit two papers, 90 minutes each. Bring photo ID. You may use a 2B pencil, eraser, Portland plotter, dividers, a non-programmable calculator, the RYA Training Almanac, RYA Charts 3 and 4, and scrap paper.
Fees apply for invigilated exams and vary by partner or venue. We will confirm the price before you book.
Please contact us before you enrol so we can confirm the best option, dates, and costs for you.
Yes. You can start the course now and book an invigilated exam later if you need one for commercial endorsement.
Yes, we do! If you want to sign up with more than one person, you get a 10% discount on the total enrollment cost.
Each student requires a login, so to get the multi-person discount, add the course to your basket, then add the additional person by selecting the ‘Additional Enrollment’ option. This will automatically discount the total course price in your basket and generate a voucher code for the extra person (or people) to enrol themselves.
Our instructor support is available from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, using any channel you choose. From Email to WhatsApp to Messenger, you can get help on whatever channel works for you. We’ll even schedule a call if that’s how you want to chat with us.
We love talking with people! Call us on +44 23 8000 0270
Send us an email, we are here to help you 7-days a week. [email protected]
Send us a text; we are here to help you 7 days a week. +44 23 8000 0270
Send us a WhatsApp; we are here to help you 7 days a week. +44 23 8000 0270
Instagram Messaging: we are here to help you 7 days a week. @mysailingcourse
Facebook Messenger: we are here to help you 7 days a week. @mysailingcourse
Book a video call to chat through your options.Everything is logged in your briefing room, so you can go back, ask for more details and track all your conversations with an instructor.
The Day Skipper theory certificate is valid for life. However, like many things, brushing up and learning new skills is continuous. Anyone who thinks they’ve completed their learning is probably not best suited to skipper a boat!
The Day Skipper theory course involves a minimum of 40 hours of teaching and two assessment papers, each lasting 1½ hours.
You can complete the online course at your own pace. Everything is stored, so you can take a break and return anytime. There isn’t a time limit, and you get 12 months of instructor support spread over any timeframe you like.
However long it takes you to complete the course, you will retain access to the content, which will allow you to revise before your practical course.
No! Any progress in Sailing Essentials is migrated to your Day Skipper progress, so you won’t have to do it again.
Most students ask for help when doing the navigation modules, so your 12-month instructor support time only starts once you start the ‘How to read the map!’ module of the Day Skipper theory course.
You have access to the course content for life!
Once enrolled, you get 12 months of instructor support, but you are in control of when this starts and can pause it should you need a break.
The course includes everything you need to earn the Day Skipper theory certificate successfully. The only thing you need to provide is your time.
You’ll receive a course pack (dispatched the same day if ordered before 3 p.m. on weekdays) that contains everything you need to complete the course.
You’ll get 12 months of unlimited support from RYA-qualified instructors 365 days a year, all managed using your briefing room.
You’ll have immediate, lifetime access to over 50 hours of engaging, interactive teaching content, including practice exercises that provide debriefings and support.
You’ll have immediate access to the Day Skipper social group, where you can meet and connect with like-minded people at the same stage of their journey as you.
You’ll have access to our downloadable & support content. We have over 50 supplementary downloads to help you learn the topics and techniques.
See the ‘What’s included?’ tab on the Day Skipper theory enrolment page for more details.
The Day Skipper Theory course includes the learning, equipment and support needed to work through the syllabus and complete the standard assessments.
Orders placed before 3pm are scheduled for same-day dispatch. The RYA describes Day Skipper Theory as 40 hours plus exam time. See the official RYA course information.
Day Skipper theory is an RYA shore-based qualification and the required level of navigational & sailing theory for anyone intending to take the Day Skipper Practical course. It provides an excellent foundation and platform for learning how to put out to sea safely.
RYA Day Skipper Theory is designed for prospective skippers and inexperienced crew who want the knowledge needed to make safe decisions aboard a small vessel in familiar waters. It is also valuable preparation for an RYA Day Skipper practical course. Some practical experience is helpful, but it is not required and the RYA sets no minimum age.
The course involves about 40 hours of learning plus assessment time. It covers seamanship, coastal navigation and pilotage, chartwork, electronic navigation, position fixing, course-to-steer calculations, weather and meteorology, tides, passage planning and collision regulations.
Our online course uses short, interactive sessions and includes the two theory assessment papers. See the official RYA Day Skipper Theory course page for the current syllabus.
We’ve taught the RYA Yachtmaster scheme in classrooms for over ten years, earning consistent 5-star reviews. We’ve poured that experience into our online course — it’s as close to the classroom as you can get online.
It’s easy to say online provides ‘flexibility’ and ‘you can do it in your own time’, but it’s harder to construct engaging course content to overcome specific digital learning challenges and keep students motivated. Through thorough testing, using our classroom students as guinea pigs*, we have structured a course to support how you learn online, building confidence in each topic, tool and skill at every stage.
* No students were harmed in the testing of our content!
We questioned why the other providers put so much emphasis on their instructor support. Our view is simple: the better the content, the less support a student should need. We are here to support you at every step of your journey but have fed ten years and hundreds of students’ worth of understanding into building content that teaches, supports, reaffirms and checks the knowledge of a topic, tool or technique. And, above all, fun!
We are the only provider that has no hidden extras. Everything you need to complete and pass the course is included.
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