RYA Yachtmaster
Passages offshore, with radar and full tidal work
Units35
Modules13
Ready now12
Done0
The shore-based theory for RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore. The practical course or exam is separate: Yachtmaster Coastal needs 30 days at sea (2 as skipper), 800 miles and 12 night hours; Yachtmaster Offshore 50 days (5 as skipper), 2,500 miles and five passages over 60 miles. Both need first aid and SRC certificates.
What you study
COLREG
Offshore skipper
IALA
Offshore skipper
GMDSS
Offshore skipper
Navigation
Offshore skipper
- Nautical publications and chart corrections: almanacs, pilot books, lists of lights and Notices to Mariners
- Compass error by the Pole Star, and time: UT, zone time and legal time
- More fixes: running fix, doubling the angle and dipping lights
- Rhumb-line sailing by calculation
- Radar on a small vessel: range, bearing, clutter and echoes
- Radar plotting simulator
- Radar plotting practical exam
- Offshore passages: night sailing, watches and landfall
- Offshore chart exercises: tides, streams and fixes
- Offshore navigation exam
Stability
Meteorology
Offshore skipper
Emergencies
Offshore skipper
Medical care
Coastal skipper
- First aid and resuscitation
- Hypothermia, cold-water immersion, drowning and heat illness
- Wounds, burns and fractures
- The medicine chest and seasickness
- Practice: first-aid scenarios
- First aid on board check
Offshore skipper
Manoeuvring
Offshore skipper
- Storm tactics: heaving to, running off, drogues and sea anchors
Ship and engines
Offshore skipper
Sailing
Offshore skipper
Law and watchkeeping
Inshore skipper
- Boating rules: licences, documents, required equipment and zones
- Quiz: boating rules
- Boating rules check
Coastal skipper
Ocean and tides
Offshore skipper
It starts with a review of RYA Day Skipper, which it builds on.
COLREG
Inshore skipper
- Who the rules apply to, and key definitions
- Look-out, safe speed, risk of collision and action to avoid it
- Narrow channels and traffic separation schemes
- Sailing vessels, overtaking and head-on situations
- Crossing: who gives way, who stands on
- Responsibilities between vessels
- Restricted visibility
- Quiz: the steering and sailing rules
- Lights you show and see on a small boat
- Lights: definitions, power-driven and towing vessels
- Lights: sailing, fishing, restricted and anchored vessels
- Quiz: lights and shapes
- Vessel lights in 3D
- Sound and light signals
- Distress signals (Rule 37 and Annex IV)
- Quiz: sound signals
- Game: sound signal guess
- Key terms: COLREG
- COLREG foundations check
Coastal skipper
IALA
Inshore skipper
Coastal skipper
- Lighthouses, sector lights, leading lights and light ranges
- Practice: identify marks and lights at night
- Lights and aids to navigation check
GMDSS
Inshore skipper
- Your first VHF call: channels, phonetic alphabet and Mayday
- Radio simulator: first practice
Coastal skipper
- GMDSS basics, frequencies and sea areas
- VHF DSC: distress alerts and routine calls
- NAVTEX and the 406 MHz EPIRB
- SART, portable VHF, GNSS, antennas and batteries
- Distress, urgency and safety calls: Mayday, Pan-Pan and Sécurité
- Quiz: short-range radio (SRC)
- Key terms: GMDSS
- VHF radio practical exam
- Signal flags and the phonetic alphabet
- Game: signal flags
- Signal flags certificate exam
Navigation
Inshore skipper
- Reading a nautical chart: latitude, longitude, symbols and depths
- Steering a compass course and taking a bearing
- GPS and chart plotter basics: position, waypoints and limits
- Quiz: charts, compass and position
- Navigation foundations check
- Reading a Portuguese tide table
Coastal skipper
- Compass course, variation and deviation
- Chartwork: plotting courses, distances and bearings
- Position fixing: cross bearings, transits and bearing with distance
- Dead reckoning and estimated position
- Tides and heights
- Tidal streams: atlases, tidal diamonds and timing a passage
- Tidal stream and leeway: set, drift and course to steer
- Chart exercises: a coastal passage step by step
- Pilotage: transits, clearing bearings and harbour entry
- Electronic navigation: GPS errors, AIS and a paper backup
- Passage planning: appraise, plan, execute and monitor
- Key terms: Navigation
- Coastal navigation exam: chartwork and tides
Offshore skipper
Meteorology
Crew
Inshore skipper
- Practice: read a forecast and decide whether to go
- Quiz: marine weather
Coastal skipper
- Pressure, air masses, depressions and fronts
- Clouds, humidity and dew point
- Weather lab: clouds
- Weather lab: fronts
- Reading a synoptic chart: isobars, wind and the coming weather
- Weather lab: synoptic charts
- Local winds: sea breezes, katabatic winds, gusts and named winds
- Fog and visibility at sea
- Key terms: Meteorology
- Meteorology certificate exam
Ropes and knots
Crew
Coastal skipper
Emergencies
Crew
- Safety equipment and the crew safety briefing
- Fire on board: prevention and fighting
- Safety on board: foundations check
Manoeuvring
Inshore skipper
- Propeller walk, rudder, wind and current
- Berthing and leaving the berth
- Docking simulator
- Towing and being towed
- Anchoring manoeuvres: choosing a spot, letting go and the anchor watch
Coastal skipper
- Turning and handling in tight spaces
- Handling in heavy weather
- Quiz: boat handling
- Boat handling check
Ship and engines
Inshore skipper
Coastal skipper
Sailing
Crew
- How a sail works: apparent wind and lift
- Wind and sail lab
Inshore skipper
Coastal skipper
- Sail trim and balance
- Sailing check
Ocean and tides
Inshore skipper
- Pollution at sea and MARPOL on board
- Protected areas and marine life
- Quiz: ocean and environment
Coastal skipper
- Why tides happen: Moon, Sun, springs and neaps
- Ocean and environment check
Royal Yachting Association (RYA)United Kingdom: all licences