yachtmaster offshore sail

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• RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam

Full details of the exam syllabus and requirements are shown in the RYA Yachtmaster Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G158) available from the webshop (see right).

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore practical exams can be taken under sail or power and your certificate will be endorsed accordingly. The candidate or a training centre provides the boat and the RYA provides an examiner. Note: All qualifying sea time and passages must be gained on vessels appropriate to the type of exam i.e. gained in sailing vessels for a sail exam and power vessels for a power exam.

There is no formal training course leading up to the exam, but those who have not previously taken RYA courses often find it useful to book themselves in for some informal training at an RYA centre prior to their exam. This training can be tailor-made to your specific needs and helps to fill any gaps in your knowledge that may become apparent.

The exam will include an assessment of your skippering skills, boat handling, general seamanship, navigation, safety awareness and knowledge of the IRPCS, meteorology and signals.

Boats used for exams

You may use your own boat or a boat that you have chartered or borrowed. You will be responsible for ensuring the boat is seaworthy and suitable for the area in which the exam takes place and equipped as shown below.

The boat used must be between 7m and 18m (LOA) and be in sound, seaworthy condition, equipped to the standard set out in the RYA Boat Safety Handbook 2nd Edition (code G103). The boat must be equipped with a full up to date set of charts and navigational publications along with working instruments and either plotter or GPS. In addition to the candidate there should be two crew on board as the examiner will not take part in the management of the boat during the exam.

There may be vessels that will meet the guidelines outlined above but by virtue of their layout, construction, handling characteristics or other factors may be unsuitable for use for an RYA Yachtmaster Practical examination. The RYA reserves the right to refuse an exam on a vessel that, in the view of the RYA Chief Examiner, will not allow the examiner to conduct an examination to the standard required by the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Qualification Panel.

Before you book your exam please check that you:

• can provide a boat
• have completed the required mileage and experience as skipper
• hold an SRC (Short Range Certificate) or higher level GMDSS radio operators qualification
• hold a valid first aid certificate
• have read the syllabus in RYA Logbook (G158)
• have read and comply with the pre-requisites above.

Additionally if not on the boat, you will need to bring to the exam:

• laminated or waterproof charts
• GPS set (may be hand held)
• tide tables
• pilotage information for the local area, eg pilot books, port information etc
• plotting instruments.
• Photographic ID card or document, such as a passport or driving licence

If you need your Certificate of Competence in order to work on board a commercial craft subject the MCA's codes of practice, you will need to get it commercially endorsed .

Useful links

Arranging your exam, commercial endorsements, exam payments service, mca manning requirements, professional qualifications.

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail – Everything You Need to Know

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail ticket is considered the most useful and credible of all sail cruising qualifications. Administered on behalf of the UK Maritime and Coastgaurd Agency by the RYA the qualification is accepted as a worldwide standard. To gain an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail qualification you must sit a practical exam. 

What Does the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Allow You to Do?

Gaining an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail will allow you to work commercially on sailing vessels not exceeding 200GT.

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam certifies that you are competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage that is not more than 150nm from a harbour.

How Can You Sit an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

The exam can be organised via the RYA to be done on your own vessel or via an RYA training centre, to be done on an RYA training vessel. It should be noted, that to complete the exam on your own vessel, your vessel must be up to an appropriate safety standard.

Most RYA training centres offering the RYA Cruising Scheme offer some form of pre exam preparation or coaching for those looking to take an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam.

These courses are often referred to as ‘RYA Yachtmaster Prep’ courses. This is unique within the RYA training framework in that it does not have a fixed course syllabus, length or course completion certificate.

Who Can Do an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam is open to anyone who meets the minimum criteria, with all experience within the last 10 years.

• 18 years of age or older
• 50 days spent at sea
• 2500nm sailed, with at least 50% in tidal waters
• 5 days as skipper
• 5 passages of over 60nm, with at least 2 as skipper

If you have skippering experience but not the required days or passages, then the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail might be for you.

If you have the miles, but not the skippering experience, then again, the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail might be for you.

Additionally, exam candidates must also hold a relevant GMDSS VHF certification and an RYA First Aid certificate or recognised equivalent.

Can You Go Straight to the Exam?

You can indeed jump straight into the RYA Cruising Scheme at this stage, however, it is imperative that you understand the levels that are required of you, both in your knowledge and practical skills.

It is suggested that as a minimum you have completed (and passed) the RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Theory course as the knowledge in here is both required for you to be at the level required, but will be formally tested during your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam, both orally and in practical applications.

What Do You Need to Know before Attending an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Course and Exam?

You, of course, need to be a suitably experienced skipper and this involves meeting the prerequisites mentioned above to be eligible. You should be able to handle your vessel competently in close quarters and at sea. You should be comfortable applying this in various day and night time passages.

As mentioned, it is strongly recommended to have completed the RYA Coastal and Yachtmaster Theory as the depth of knowledge gained from this shore based course will be tested throughout your exam. 

How Long Does a Prep Course and Exam Take?

The exam itself can take anything from 8 hours to 2 days depending on how many candidates are being examined on one vessel at a time. Up to 4 candidates can sit the exam at once and this would last for a maximum of 48 hours if so.

An RYA Yachtmaster Prep course is generally four and a half days long and is usually directly followed by the practical exam.

Is There a Set Syllabus for the Prep Course?

No, this is the one time that while there is a recognised ‘course’, there is no syllabus. It is up to the experienced instructor on the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep course to tailor the learnings to your needs. This is more about refining your skills rather than teaching new ones.

You should be honest with yourself and your instructor in order for learnings throughout the week to be tailored to improve yourself on any weak areas that you may have.

What Should I Expect from an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep Course?

These courses run as a standalone course and while there may be students on another course, generally everyone onboard is a candidate for an RYA Yachtmaster Exam. The courses should however be run with no more than 4 students on board.

The content will depend on the needs of all students and is aimed at fine-tuning existing skills rather than teaching new ones. This will involve a lot of night time sailing and navigation, carrying out challenging boat handling while using theory knowledge and ensuring general skippering skills are up to scratch.

There is a basic syllabus that is used to help shape the exam content, but in reality, you can be tested on anything from the RYA Cruising Scheme within the exam.

Before choosing the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep course you need to be honest with yourself and your own abilities. While on the course you need to take on the advice and guidance given by the instructor on what areas need work. If you speak to your instructor before the course, they can tailor the instruction to your needs.

What Should I Expect on an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

On the exam, you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and competence. You will be expected to take full responsibility of your vessel and crew. The examiner will be looking for you to demonstrate competence and show your broad range of experience.

The exam will be an intensive experience and even when you are not the designated skipper, you will still be asked questions and observed and examined as a participant of the crew.

During the exam you will be asked to complete various tasks, ranging from leaving the dock, skippering a short passage, casualty recovery, night pilotage and even blind navigation. Additionally, you will be tested on theoretical aspects such as how to deal with an engine failure, knowledge of your vessel’s stability, meteorology and IRPCS.

As a potential RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail, these tasks are ones that should now be second nature to you and should take minimal time to plan while the theoretical knowledge should be able to roll off your tongue. 

What Is the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam Syllabus?

The following topics make up the basis for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam syllabus. IRPCS, safety, boat handling, seamanship, responsibility as skipper, navigation, meteorology and signals.

But, as mentioned above, anything from the whole RYA cruising syllabus scheme can be tested.

What Is the Cost of an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Course and Exam?

As ever, many schools differ in price. We would recommend that you take a look around at the various options and find what suits your needs the best. Cheapest is not often better.

This can range from knowing if you will have to share a cabin while onboard to whether food and berthing charges are included to how many other students you will be sharing your week with.

The exam fee is usually not included, which is currently £231.

Where Should I Do My RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail?

As always there are many thoughts and pros on cons on this, and as a potential RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail you should consider yourself experienced enough to sit the exam anywhere. However, if you choose to sit the exam in an area that you are familiar with then you will take a little bit of the stress out of learning a new area and start with a small advantage of having that all important local knowledge at your disposal.

What Happens If I Struggle on the Prep Course?

Your instructor should be able to update you on your ability levels throughout the course. They will be highly experienced and it is suggested that you listen to their advice given.

If you are learning something for the first time you should consider if you are ready for the exam. Talk to your instructor and they will be able to guide you on if you are ready for the exam, if they would advise further training or if they recommend that you aim for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail exam instead.

What Is the Pass Mark for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

There is no pass mark as such and the examiner will be looking to see that you are a competent and complete skipper, capable of looking after both your vessel and crew in a safe manner.

Every exam is different and no examiner will be setting out to fail any candidates, but they must ensure and check that each candidate is able to demonstrate their ability, knowledge and skills in a safe and timely manner.

If you were to fail to reach the levels of an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence then the examiner will give you a thorough debrief complete with action points to work on before you have another attempt at the exam. 

What Comes after RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail

After completion of the exam, you will have gained the highly sought after RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence and you can get this commercially endorsed by adding a sea survival certification, a personal medical and a PPR course, all of which, along with your GMDSS VHF and First Aid should be sent off to the RYA for certification upgrade. This will now allow the holder to skipper a vessel commercially, so long as it is less than 200 gross tonnes, up to 150nm from a harbour.

The next step is of course to get out on the water and to keep learning, keep gaining experience and keep improving on the skills and knowledge learned so far. No skipper is the finished article and we should all keep seeking to improve.

Within the RYA cruising scheme, there are a couple more steps that are possible. This is to progress and upgrade your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence to an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Sail certificate of competence.

To do this there is 3 main steps, first, you will need to complete an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course, where you will learn about astro navigation, ocean meteorology and ocean navigation, join the waiting list for our ocean theory course here . Next, is to complete an ocean qualifying passage that meets the necessary requirements. Finally, you will then need to complete another exam, this time an oral exam, where you will discuss your ocean qualifying passage and general ocean skippering skills.

On successful completion of this, you will be awarded the highest accolade within the RYA cruising scheme, the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Sail certificate of competence.

One other direction of travel is to become an RYA Cruising Instructor for Sail. To do this, you will first want to consolidate your skippering skills and knowledge then look to come back and start off with an RYA Cruising Instructor course. On this course, RYA Instructor Trainers will assess and guide you through what is required and expected in order to work as an RYA Cruising Instructor for Sail.

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Yachtmaster Offshore (Power or Sail)

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The IYT Worldwide Yachtmaster Offshore certificate is a recreational certificate of competency to command sailing and/or power vessels up to 24 metres in length up to 150 nm offshore. It is a comprehensive theory and live aboard course consisting of five days classroom theory and a practical component of six days for sail or five days for power including the practical on the water examination. The minimum age to obtain this certification is 18.

Candidates must either hold a recognised VHF Radio Operators Certificate or must take the full IYT VHF-SRC Marine Communications course and school must place order for this certificate while placing order for the Yachtmaster Certificate of Competency.  If ordering VHF at the same time as Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate please upload a note to this effect.  We have provided a sample note to upload when placing order. * Please note that we do not accept ISSA VHF qualifications.  (I f you are unsure if your radio license will be accepted, please send a scanned copy of the front and back of your license to [email protected] .  We will verify that your license is sufficient to receive the IYT Yachtmaster Offshore license).  

The courses are designed to provide the highest standard of maritime education for the recreational yachtsman and woman and for those who are serious about obtaining the best nautical qualifications available. They are ideal for those who greatly want to expand their knowledge and experience and increase their confidence in commanding a yacht. For those who are taking the courses, completion of the five-day STCW Basic Safety training courses is not required but highly recommended. The five-day STCW course covers Firefighting, Sea Survival, First Aid and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities.

It has come to our attention that it has not been made perfectly clear to all IYT Worldwide yachtmaster candidates that this certification is for recreational use only and may never be upgraded to a professional certificate. Therefore, we require all candidates taking a recreational IYT Worldwide Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore or Ocean course to complete an acknowledgement prior to taking the course.

It is important to understand that an IYT certificate is a qualification that can be used across the globe. Therefore, unlike other training organisations, IYT insists on an understanding of IALA Regulations in Areas A & B, weather systems in the North & Southern hemispheres, tidal calculations for the Mediterranean and North America and the effects of tropical revolving storms.

Yachtmaster courses are not for beginners. This six-day comprehensive high-level shore based course includes assessment papers and written examinations. Candidates are advised that a considerable amount of private study and varied cruising experience is required in addition to the formal instruction provided.

IYT’s Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Certificate covers command of a sailing vessel with a sail area of greater than 80 square metres/861 square feet. Please see the official statement here .

Certificate Limitations

• Command of a vessel up to 24 meters in length
• up to 150 miles offshore
• not for commercial use

Note: Yachtmaster Offshore is a recreational course that can be taught in any language BUT cannot be upgraded to the professional Master of Yachts certificate.

What are the minimum entry requirements to apply for the IYT Yachtmaster Offshore course?

1. 50 days on board a yacht at sea as an active crew member. A day is defined as a period of 24 consecutive hours. Parts of a day may be included in this total, but a day is not invalidated by a candidate leaving the yacht for a few hours during a cruise. The term “at sea” is defined as being on a vessel outside of any harbour – natural or artificial – in which a cruising yacht could secure or anchor for a prolonged period of time.

2. Have logged 3,000 miles in a yacht while cruising at sea (power or sail). This mileage must be logged on genuine cruises or passages but not short day trips. At least 2,000 miles must have been completed on coastal voyages and not ocean crossings. It is important that the candidate has considerable time of actual vessel handling.

3. Thirty hours on watch at night underway as an active member of a yacht’s crew. For at least six hours of this night time experience, the candidate must have been acting as the vessel’s captain/watchleader. “Night,” in this context, is defined as the time between sunset and sunrise.

4. A current medical examination and a colour blindness eyesight examination, which allows the participant to safely perform the relevant duties on a yacht, including being able to see and distinguish lights and signals of other vessels and navigational marks in typical weather conditions without risk to him/herself, other crewmembers or the safe operation of the vessel.

5. A six-hour VHF Radio Operators course covering the general rules and procedures for the safe operation of a VHF marine radio. If you do not have a valid VHF certificate this course may be conducted on board the yacht or in the classroom prior to joining the practical course.

Minimum sea time must have been met prior to the final examination.

What does the exam consist of?

Written theory examinations will occur during the course. The final examination is an oral and practical test on board a yacht. Candidates must demonstrate that they have sufficient ability to handle, dock, and anchor the boat with a required level of confidence. Candidates can expect to be examined on any subject contained within the syllabus and to be questioned on any of their yachting experience to date.

In the event that the examiner considers an examinee not to have achieved the required standards, a certificate will not be issued. In this case, a confidential report will be sent to the candidate outlining the reason or reasons for failure and suggesting remedial action that could lead to the successful completion of the course. Completion of the IYT Worldwide Yachtmaster Offshore course is not a guarantee of passing the examination and receiving your certificate.

How do I apply for enrolment?

Candidates may apply to any of the participating IYT Worldwide Partner Schools worldwide who offer this course. In order to apply for the IYT Worldwide Yachtmaster certification courses, a detailed yachting resume must be sent to your IYT training school for evaluation.

Candidates may sit the shore-based course prior to having all the above requirements.

Verification of the above yachting experience must be original and signed by the skipper of the yacht in which the candidate was sailing. Candidates claiming sea time during times when they were acting as skipper may sign their own entries but independent verification may be required and checked by IYT Worldwide.

What is required for my final Yachtmaster examination?

All of the courses and criteria must be fulfilled before a candidate may apply to take the final on-board examination.

What does the final exam consist of?

The final exam will be conducted by an IYT Worldwide Yachtmaster examiner and takes the form of an extensive oral and practical test on a yacht (either power or sail). Candidates can expect to be examined on any subject covered by the syllabus of the shore based or practical courses and to be questioned on any aspect of their yachting experience to date.

In the event that the examiner considers an examinee not to have achieved the required standards and/or the candidates ability as Captain does not reach the required standard, and/or the prerequisites have not been met for the IYT WorldwideYachtmaster Offshore, a Yachtmaster Coastal certificate may be issued in the interim. In this case, and if requested, a personal report will be sent to the candidate outlining the reason or reasons for failure and suggesting remedial action prior to re sitting the exam.

Completion of the Yachtmaster Offshore certification course is not a guarantee of passing the examination and receiving your certificate.

As you advance and become more proficient as crew or skipper you take on bigger challenges that require proper training to ensure the safety of your family and friends. The bigger the boat or length of adventure the more training you require.

Most of us prefer to spend our time on the water and not in a classroom. To facilitate this, IYT has a series of E-learning courses available for the theoretical part of sail and powerboat training.

• Take one of our online (Elearning) courses for your next level of training.
• Plan your practical training at one of our many schools worldwide to earn your final qualification.
• Book in advance with your school as class sizes and availability may be limited.
• Review the IYT course progression details to learn about professional level courses.
• Spend time on the water and properly log your seatime.

The Boating Lifestyle is one of the most rewarding pursuits available. There is something physically and emotionally invigorating when you are offshore. To enjoy the experience fully you need the proper training & skills to be safe, prepared and command a vessel.

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How to Pass the Yachtmaster Exam

Yachtmaster certificate of competence exam top tips, which yachtmaster.

First we need to be clear which Yachtmaster exam we are talking about. Leaving things like the Yachtmaster Instructor and Examiner Qualifications aside there are no less than 8 separate RYA certificates that are called “Yachtmaster”. This includes the 3 independently examined levels of Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence, (coastal, offshore and ocean).

RYA MCA Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased Course

( Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased for short). This is a 6 day course which includes three written papers. It is assumed knowledge for all of the certificates that follow, so we will assume for the purposes of this article that you have already completed this course.

Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence (power or sail)

This certificate follows the successful completion of a practical exam which is discussed in this article. The exam can be taken on board a sailing yacht or motor boat, (and the qualification is endorsed for the relative type of craft). The Yachtmaster Coastal CoC certifies skippers to operate  up-to 20 miles from a safe haven on board commercial vessels up-to 24m, carrying up-to 12 passengers. It can also be used as an entry requirement for super yacht Officer Training ( OOW 3000 ).

Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence (power or sail)

A higher level practical exam, also discussed in this article. This certifies skippers to operate up-to 150 miles from a safe haven on board commercial vessels up-to 2000 tonnes, (again with up-to 12 passengers). It can also be used as an entry requirement for super yacht officer training and is a requirement to progress onto Yachtmaster Ocean CoC (below) and/or  MCA Master 200 .

RYA MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Certificate

aka Ocean Shorebased . This is a 5 day (or 40 hour online) course which includes one written paper. It is assumed knowledge for the oral exam that follows and beyond the scope of this article. You can read all about the Ocean Yachtmaster Course and Exam here .

Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence (power or sail)

An even higher level certificate that qualifies the holder to skipper beyond the 150 mile from a safe haven limit of the Yachtmaster Offshore CoC. The Yachtmaster Ocean exam is an oral exam and one of its pre requisites is the Yachtmaster Offshore CoC (above).The Yachtmaster Ocean Exam is beyond the scope of this article, but by popular request we have written a separate article about it,   MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence .

RYA MCA Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore Certificate of Competence Practical Exam

Getting back on topic this article specifically relates to the two practical exams (Coastal and Offshore), each can be taken onboard a sailing yacht or motor boat.

The exam for the Yachtmaster Coastal CoC and the Yachtmaster Offshore CoC is very similar and in fact different candidates can be examined together even if they are not taking the same level.

Exams are conducted with 1-4 candidates on board the vessel.

You can take the Yachtmaster exam on a sailing yacht or motorboat, and you will become a Sail or Power Yachtmaster as appropriate. This article covers sail and power exams as much of the advice is generic.

The RYA/MCA Yachtmaster qualification is the global standard for sailing and motor boating. The definition of a Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore is: ‘A yachtsman or woman competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage that can be completed without the use of astro navigation.’

The RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence remains the logical target of many a self-motivated sailor. It also represents the icing on the cake for those looking for the reassurance of an external assessment.

How long is the Yachtmaster Exam?

There can be up to 4 candidates on the boat with the examiner. A examiner will not conduct more than 4 exams at once and will not plan to examine more than 2 candidates in a 24 hour period. He/she will need to see each candidate skipper the boat underway by night.

Yachtmaster Coastal Exam Duration

• 1 Candidate – 6 to 10 hours
• More than one candidate  – 4 to 8 hours each

Yachtmaster Offshore Exam Duration

• 1 Candidate – 8 to 12 hours
• More than one candidate  – 5 to 9 hours each

For many candidates this means there will be a pause mid-exam while they and the examiner get some sleep before restarting in the morning. It is not unknown for exams to span two nights if there are 4 candidates (for example Friday evening 1800- Sunday morning 1100)

Listed below are some top tips to help you prepare for your RYA/MCA Yachtmaster exam.

Prepare early for your yachtmaster exam.

Most candidates spend some time with an Instructor, whether this is a 5-day preparation course with a sea school or some bespoke tuition on board their own boat. A half decent Yachtmaster Instructor will take you through many of the exercises that an Examiner will expect you to demonstrate and will put you in the mind-set of an exam candidate.

On the day  of the exam make sure you are ready in good time so that you aren’t involved in a last-minute faff. If you’re relaxing in the cockpit with a cup of tea when the examiner arrives, the examiner will be more impressed than if you’ve put yourself under stress attempting to work out the day’s tidal heights or secondary ports last minute!

When given a navigation task, prepare fully, make notes, prepare pilotage sketches and plan well! Nip below every so often en route to keep an eye on what’s going on in the chart department and whizz back on deck pronto to carry on skippering the boat. Don’t panic and don’t spend all your time sat behind the chart table, taking no notice of what’s going on around you, this is an obvious sign of someone who is ill prepared for the passage they are skippering.

HAVE YOUR YACHTMASTER EXAM PAPERWORK READY (and the kettle boiling)

The very first part of the exam will be paperwork. Before the examiner can proceed he/she will;

• Ask for your completed exam application form, be sure it is completed in advance and details your qualifying sea time.
• Ask for payment, (the examiner can not proceed if you do not pay up front)
• Ask for sight of your Short Range Certificate , (or a pass form if you have recently taken the course and exam and are awaiting the actual certificate). Higher level GMDSS certificates are acceptable.
• Request a passport photo of you (write your name on the back).
• Chat with you about your yachting background and qualifying sea time
• Outline what he/she expect from you over the coming day(s).

If you are applying for a commercial endorsement at the same time you will also require as a minimum;

• PPR Certificate
• Sea Survival Certificate
• Seafarers Medical Certificate
• Commercial endorsement form and payment

You will also need to hold an in date  First Aid Certificate .

BE TIDY AND ORGANISED THROUGHOUT YOUR YACHTMASTER EXAM

First impressions count! Make yourself presentable and ensure you’re looking professional. That’s you and the boat!

Make sure the yacht is clean, tidy and seamanlike. The waterline crisp, sail covers looking ship shape, ropes coiled neatly and carefully stowed and fenders aligned. An experienced skipper once told me, you should know your boat so well that you should be able to find anything you need at any moment in time, including at night during power failure! A tidy boat is a sure sign of a safe boat.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT PREPARATION, FOR YOUR YACHTMASTER EXAM

Repetition, repetition, repetition. There is no point in having sailed (or motored) thousands and thousands of nautical miles if you can’t carry out Day Skipper tasks. If you can not confidently demonstrate all boat handling or seamanship skills, such as picking up a mooring buoy or putting a reef in, then you’re not ready for the exam yet!

There is nothing worse than entering or leaving a marina, wondering if you’re going to hit something. Brief your crew, make sure everyone knows what they are doing, and proceed with confidence. If the boat slides smoothly out of her berth with crew briefed and knowing what’s expected you will look good. Your calm manner, and a sensible amount of revs for power handling will immediately put the examiner’s mind at ease and give no reason for concern. If Plan A fails, take a breath, and start over. The examiner understands that mistakes can be made under exam conditions, he/she will be more impressed if you stop, recompose yourself and get the manoeuvre right, rather than continue to try and complete a bodged first attempt. There is no such things as a perfect exam, every candidate will make small mistakes, the stronger candidates will spot them, themselves and do something about them.

Without a doubt, you will be quizzed on COLREGS . There’s no reason for a candidate, not to have these regulations engrained into their brain. A good way of ensuring you have these nailed, is to study ‘A Seaman’s Guide to the Rule of the Road.’

YACHTMASTER EXAM IRPCS

There is no need to learn the collision regulation parrot fashion but you should have a working knowledge of every rule and you should be able to;

• Identify any vessel at night by lights
• Describe the day shape for any vessel
• Describe the fog signal for any vessel
• Explain any rule
• Apply the collision regulations practically through the exam
• Explain what actions you would take in fog if you have detected another vessel by radar alone.

Candidates who forget a particular rule such as “ what does a vessel constrained by night display at night? ” MAY still pass if they know the rest of the rules and are otherwise strong, however a candidate who fails to apply the rules correctly when he/she is skippering will fail. If a large vessel sounds 5 horns at you during your exam you are going to have to work very hard to recover! Do not put yourself in a position where this might occur.

YACHTMASTER OFFSHORE SHOREBASED KNOWLEDGE

Be ready, know your subject.

You can be quizzed on anything within the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased Course,  you will also be expected to put the navigation, IRPCS, passage planning and forecast skills from this course into practice. If you don’t have this knowledge then you are waisting your exam fee as you will fail. You will also be tested on a basic understanding of Radar and Diesel engines . I am a strong believer that all Yachtmaster candidates as well as having passed the Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased course should also have attended the following courses before taking their practical exam as you can be tested on any and all of these areas.

• RYA Short Range Certificate , it is likely you will each be quizzed on VHF procedures, distress alerting, the mayday call or other calls during the exam. You may also need to make a routine call to a marina or harbour during the exam.
• RYA Sea Survival . The safety brief that you deliver will include lots of content from this course, (i.e flares, EPIRB, life raft and life jackets), you can expect to be questioned on more detail on these and other areas.
• RYA Diesel . Typically candidates will be examined on engine checks and they will also be given a part of the engine to talk about or a common problem to solve, for example, “ Can you talk me through how you would bleed the full system on this engine ,” or “ Show me the components of the cooling system and explain which part of it may need servicing at sea if the system has run dry for a brief period’ “
• RYA Radar.  If the vessel is fitted with a radar you will be tested on its basic set up and use. You should be able to fix position by radar, find a spot on the chart by radar and identify when a risk of collision exists by radar. If there is not a radar set on board, any of this can be tested theoretically. All candidates should be tested on radar and motor candidate tend to be pushed a little further on this area, (while they escape the sailing part of the assessment).
• RYA First Aid . While you are required to hold a First Aid Certificate, Yachtmaster examiners will not test First Aid beyond the treatment for hypothermia, the effects of cold shock, calling for medical assistance and discussing evacuation by helicopter.

TAKE CHARGE DURING YOUR YACHTMASTER EXAM

One of the key things an examiner is looking for, is to see how good the candidates are at taking charge. This is more than just a sailing (or motoring) exam it is a skippering exam. Can you manage your boat? Can you manage your crew? Clear, decisive and safe briefings followed by ongoing directions to the crew are required.

Good leadership and seamanship alike, do not involve barking orders, it is about being in control in a calm, effective and efficient manner while showing you can skipper (lead). Demonstrate your organisational and methodical thinking.

Play to your strengths. There is no definitive way to be a skipper, so don’t change your tried and tested methods to try and impress. Stick with what you know and carry them out smoothly and confidently. Don’t rush and panic. “Go slow like a pro.”

YACHMASTER EXAM MAN OVERBOARD

It is almost a, “dead cert,” that each candidate will be asked to demonstrate a MOB drill at some point during the exam. This is typically done using a fender or similar attached to a small weight, (never a real person). There is a myth that Yachtmaster Examiners expect the drill to be carried out by the “RYA method,” and this is true, what is not true however is the various myths of what constitutes the RYA method!

Yachtmaster Exam – Man Overboard RYA Method

Your examiner will expect you to a take charge, not to loose sight of the MOB (fender), to get back to it safely without endangering other crew and to get the boat stopped alongside the casualty with the casualty somewhere safe (i.e near the leeward shroud on a sail boat and not too close to the props on a motor exam), ready for pick up back on board.

Man Overboard Exam Tips

If you are training with other candidates agree a method that works for all of you. When you are the skipper under assessment you want your crew to react and know what is expected of them. If each candidate on the same boat opts for a different MOB method it can lead to confusion.

Along the way you should simulate/say everything relevant to the casualties survival (mention throwing the MOB gear overboard, appoint a spotter, press the MOB function on the GPS, tell the examiner you would assign a crew members to issue a distress alert and Mayday call).

Man Overboard Exam Tips (for sail candidates)

In addition to the tick list in the above paragraph, use the engine! The exact drill of how you reach/tack, slow down, speed up etc. will vary from candidate to candidate and boat to boat. The important thing is that the method you opt to use works and is safe. I advise against gybing during your MOB drill in medium and stronger winds.

A sail candidate who opts to approach the casualty from upwind (where the mainsail will be filled as you sail or motor downwind) would be demonstrating a gross misunderstanding of how to control speed and how to stop a sailing yacht.

Man Overboard Exam Tips (for power candidates)

In addition to the tick list two paragraphs above be mindful of the rest of the crew. If at high speed when the MOB occurs, don’t turn suddenly, instead slow the boat down and ensure crew know if you intend to make a sharp turn. We don’t want  a crew ember (or the examiner) to fall over or worse overboard! On many boats in light and moderate conditions you can turn the boat and follow your wake to return to the MOB, in rougher sea states this might not work. There are basically three steps.

• Dont loose the MOB’s position
• Get back to the MOB
• Get alongside the MOB for pick up, without running him over

On many motor boats having got the boat back to the vicinity of the MOB, it pays to orientate yourself beam onto the wind and upwind of the MOB and allow the vessel to be blown sideways towards the MOB, this protects him/her from the risk of the bow and engine and is often referred to as the drift down method. As with sailing there are lost of variations on this method and what is important is the method that you use is safe and that it works.

YACHMASTER EXAM SAILING MANOUVERS

It is likely that you will be asked to either sail onto or sail off a swinging mooring (mooring bouy), an anchor or a pontoon. Make sure you are comfortable and competent at all before your exam. By way of example I will focus here on the mooring buoy. In non tidal waters the boat will lie on the mooring head to wind so the approach will be on a close reach under mainsail. In tidal waters certain combination of wind against tide may dictate an approach under headsail on a different point of sail.

The examiner will expect to see you;

• Brief the crew on how the manoeuvre will be performed
• Helm throughout the manoeuvre
• Prepare the boat for the manoeuvre (using the crew)
• Select the correct direction and angle of approach
• Select the correct sail combination for this approach
• Control the boat speed on the approach bringing the boat to a stop in a controlled manner
• Picking up and secure to the mooring bouy safely

If at any point the manoeuvre is not working the examiner will expect you to make the decision to bail-out and to have an escape plan in mind. Remember it will be your call to bail out not his.

YACHTMASTER EXAM, BOAT HANDLING UNDER POWER

During the exam you will have to demonstrate some boat handling under power. This may be a natural part of a passage you are skippering (i.e. at the start and end of the passage) or may be a specific boat handling session. Most candidates will demonstrate they can moor up, depart a berth and turn the boat in a confined space. You may be asked to demonstrate more than one berth so the examiner can see how you respond to different states of wind and tide. Some times an examiner will be specific (for example ask you to berth starboard side to, stern first on pontoon XYZ), other times he will leave some of the decision making to you and simply say berth on pontoon ABC. In the second  example he will expect to see you make a sensible decision as to whether to moor bow or stern first and from where to approach. If you are asked to repeat a manoeuvre performed by another candidate do not make the mistake of blindly copying the last candidate, take a minute to consider if they did it well or if an alternative approach would work better. Every boat manouvers differently but there are some givens for close quarter handling;

• Slow is Pro!
• Approaching down forces i.e. down tide (or down wind if no tide) is poor seamanship if you have the option not to
• Using excessive engine revs in confined space demonstrates a lack of experience and control
• Turning against prop walk should be avoided if possible.
• Using wind, tide, pivot points, momentum and prop walk to assist you will all make your manoeuvring easier and, “score you points” in the examiner’s mind.

If the manoeuvre is not working, bailing out safely is far better than perceiving trying to a make the best of a bad job. I can assure you that if you are half way through a manoeuvre and suddenly realise you have selected the wrong approach the examiner has spotted this several minutes earlier. He/she will be quietly hoping you opt to rectify the error rather than compounding it by continuing. Don’t disappoint him by continuing an approach that is clearly too fast or not going to work.

Just like the sailing manoeuvres described above you need to helm the boat through these manoeuvres, brief the crew and perform the manoeuvre well. You should not rely on crew jumping ashore with lines to stop the boat, you as helm should stop the boat so that crew can step ashore safely. If a spring line is appropriate to depart a berth then use it, but don’t over complicate things. It is quite embarrassing when a candidate opts to “spring off” a “wind off” berth when they could have simply just let the lines go. If manoeuvring in close quarters still phases you then you are not ready for the Yachtmaster exam and need some more boat handling practice first.

YACHTMASTER EXAM SUMMARY

There are many more components to the exam (pilotage, blind pilotage, voyage planning etc.) and the above is just a taster. If I have not scared you off yet, you have your own boat and require bespoke training (power or sail) I can be contacted through this site.

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• Sailing courses
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• RYA Yachtmaster Offshore – Advanced Sailing Certifications – Prep and exam course

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore – Advanced Sailing Certifications

Rya offshore prep and exam course.

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore prep and exam course is the final step on a student’s journey to becoming a fully qualified, professional skipper. For a student, achieving the Yachtmaster Offshore qualification means that he or she can sail commercially and work towards becoming an instructor or other sailing professional.

To become commercially endorsed the following must be held:

• RYA Sea Survival
• ML5 medical certificate
• First aid certificate
• Radio Operators Licence – needed before starting this course
• Sea survival and medical certificate – needed before starting this course

Course highlights

• Sail anywhere in the world on a charter vacation
• Make challenging passages across coastal waters
• Work commercially as a skipper
• Work towards becoming an instructor
• Call  02392 222 221  to book or find out more

Where to take this course with Sunsail

Portsmouth, UK

Why take this course with Sunsail?

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation Course teaches the skills and techniques required to skipper safely on offshore passages by day and by night, including passage planning, preparation for sea, pilotage, yacht handling under sail and power, as well as in adverse weather conditions and emergencies.

The first five days of this seven-day course involve preparation for the final exam, with your instructor ensuring that you have the knowledge, understanding and techniques required to pass the assessment. You will focus on improving your weak areas, ensuring that your sailing manner is both safe and efficient.

On day five an RYA Examiner will step aboard and ask you to complete various tasks and manoeuvres to assess your ability. Pre-exam requirements are a GMDSS short range certificate or higher grade of marine radio certificate, an RYA accepted current First Aid and the required logged miles.

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• RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation & Exam

National Yachting School  » RYA Sail Crusing Courses  » RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation & Exam

Yachtmaster Offshore is competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage during where astronavigation is not necessary.

An RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a well known, highly respected qualification worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper.

To attain the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore candidates must pass a practical examination of their skippering ability. A Yachtmaster Offshore is capable of skippering the yacht on extended offshore passages by day or night. He or she will essentially be a much more experienced Yachtmaster Coastal and can do the same things more smoothly, for longer periods and in more arduous conditions. The theory knowledge required for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence is the same as that for Yachtmaster Coastal, but considerably more practical experience and skill is required.

The 4 days prior to the exam is run along the same lines as the Yachtmaster Coastal preparation. Your instructor will asses your skills and address any areas over weakness. A high level of boat handling under various conditions of wind and tide is required. Navigation skills should be at the level of Yachtmaster/Coastal Skipper theory and a thorough knowledge of collision regulations is expected. Your instructor will tailor the course to suit your individual needs in order to prepare you for when the examiner steps on board.

After 4 days your instructor will give you a thorough debrief and you should feel confident in your ability to take the exam should you feel ready to do so.

During the exam, your RYA examiner will meet you onboard and talk you through the plan for the day. They understand that you could be nervous and will do their best to allay your fears and make sure you are clear about what they want you to do. They are there to find out what you can do, rather than pick holes. You will be asked to undertake a short passage, but you may have to plan a longer one. In general, you should skipper the yacht in your normal style. If this means putting the kettle on every half hour, then do it!

Your examiner isn’t looking for first-time-every-time success, but you will need to demonstrate competence and a good understanding of how the boat reacts at various situations. Don’t hesitate to change sails or reef, if you think it is necessary for the task.

Whether you are fully in command of the yacht is the most important assessment that your examiner will make. Especially with Yachtmaster Offshore the examiner will be looking for high level of proficiency based on broad experience.

Course Duration: 4 days for the course and 2 days for the exam. Most courses start on Saturday evening and finish on Wednesday afternoon, the exam starts the same evening or the next morning after the end of the course.

Previous Experience Required: 50 days aboard, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles logged (min. half of it MUST be in tidal waters!), 5 passages of over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper. VHF radio operators certificate (SRC or higher) and a valid First Aid Certificate recognised by the RYA. click here for the list of acceptable first aid certificates

Course Overview: Preparation and brush up for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence. Revision of advanced skippering techniques, close quarters handling under power and sail, navigation and pilotage by day and night, man overboard recovery and overall yacht management skills.

Minimum age: 18

Course price DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• exam fee paid directly to the RYA (241 GBP for YM Offshore, 208 GBP for YM Coastal)
• examiner's travel expenses from/to th UK (estimated approx. 300 Euro, shared between exam participants)
• food, harbour fees and diesel used for the boat

There are currently no available dates.

Winter courses on Canaries

In NYS we believe that there’s no such a thing as winter in sailing and you can always find a good place to enjoy your hobby any time throught the year. So we started a cooperation with another RYA Training Center - Canary sail, which will be running all the RYA scheme on this beautiful archipelago for you.

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How to prepare for your Yachtmaster Offshore exam

• Theo Stocker
• August 16, 2024

In an age of digital navigation and walk ashore pontoons, how hard can the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore be? Theo Stocker prepared to take the test to find out

Many very competent and highly experienced yachtsmen and women don’t have any qualifications at all and are content to keep it that way, but for some reason, not being a Yachtmaster bothered me. I was pretty sure I was up to the standard, but I didn’t know.

Once you’ve got the ticket, you become an RYA Yachtmaster, something I’ve wanted to do for years. My friend Andrew and I have been talking about doing it since before his son Daniel, now 16, was born. Perhaps it was time to finally get on with our RYA Yachtmaster Offshore.

Every course I have done up to this point, from RYA Dinghy Level 2 all the way up to Coastal Skipper (some 20 years ago) has been one of the RYA’s ‘course-completion’ qualifications – do the week and if you can do what’s on the syllabus, you get the ticket, signed off by your training centre.

The RYA Yachtmaster Certificates of Competence (Coastal, Offshore and Ocean), however, are run by the RYA under the authority of the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) and as such, they are the pinnacle of training for amateur sailors, and the start of the ladder of commercial qualifications, required for anyone who wants to work as a professional seafarer. You have to meet the pre-entry requirements, but passing is based purely on how you fare during a potentially gruelling day-long practical exam.

It’s now 51 years since the RYA took over examining Yachtmasters from the Board of Trade (now the MCA) in 1973, and Yachting Monthly was, in a small way, involved in shaping some of the practical seamanship elements of the exam.

Clearly, a lot has changed in the intervening years – navigation technology, engines, deck-gear, marinas, and not least the boats themselves. I was eager to see how the RYA Yachtmaster scheme has changed with the times, and if, like many other aspects of sailing, it has simply become easier, or whether it is still the challenging test it always was.

The crew (L-R): Matt Sillars, Andrew Eastham, Row Staples and Theo Stocker

What was I letting myself in for?

From the outset, the RYA were keen to emphasise that Yachtmaster is not an attendance-based course, but a one-day exam in which an examiner will form an objective opinion of your abilities, and will recommend you to the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Qualification Panel to become a Yachtmaster, or not.

Technically, no instruction is required before the exam and the theory course is not compulsory. However, taking the exam is a significant investment of time and money if you’re not confident of passing, and you will certainly need theory knowledge of the level of the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore shorebased course, with practical experience and skills to match that, to stand any chance of passing.

It is strongly recommended, therefore, that you have a few days’ preparation, ideally immediately before the exam, with the same boat and crew as you’ll have for the exam so you’re at the top of your game. You don’t want to be getting to know the foibles of a boat or crew whilst trying to exude an air of calm and knowledgeable competence.

A hearty meal every evening, and the occasional beer, keep the crew going

Many sailing schools offer places on a Yachtmaster preparation course, normally of five days, for four candidates, with two days of examination at the end of it, as only two candidates can be examined in any one 24-hour period, the exam being a marathon 8-12 hours for one person, and 10-18 hours for two. No more than four candidates can be examined at a time, as they are long days for candidate and examiner alike.

It was also made abundantly clear that while we had four days to prepare, this was not a course on which we could be taught what we needed to know; this should have been gained over our years of experience. The week’s aim was to run through the whole Yachtmaster syllabus to strip away any bluster, revealing to the cold light of day our weaknesses and bad habits.

Rough edges would be polished, but if we were learning new skills for the first time, then we probably were not quite ready for the exam just yet. No pressure!

What Yachtmaster Offshore instructor Matt Sillars says

The week is not a course to learn to be a Yachtmaster Offshore. You need to have done 90% of the work beforehand. The preparation days are about checking skills and finding where you need more work, rather than being taught skills. It’s also very difficult to fake experience and an examiner will spot someone exaggerating their skill set very quickly.

Matt helps Theo and Andrew with some last-minute revision of tidal corrections

Getting prepared for the Yachtmaster Offshore

As I prepared for the week, I quickly found I’d had significant ‘skills fade’ in my detailed knowledge of the Collision Regulations, particularly lights, shapes and sounds, and buoyage light characteristics.

You’ll need a good working knowledge not just of the most common parts of the rules, but of the whole lot, including some of the more esoteric corners of the rule book. Professional seafarers are expect to know every word verbatim; Yachtmasters need to be getting at least 80% of the lights and shapes right, and importantly be able to demonstrate that they understand them, to pass.

Article continues below…

The history of the RYA Yachtmaster scheme as it turns 50

The RYA started examining Yachtmaster candidates in 1973 but in fact the very first Yachtmaster certificates were awarded much earlier.…

12 expert skills to take you beyond Yachtmaster

Rupert Holmes outlines the skills that mark out the good sailors from the 
great ones, with experience and reflective learning…

The lights shown by trawlers shooting gear, towed vessels of the bizarest dimensions and sizes, and the sound signals of vessels in all sorts of pickles were initially, at best, a little foggy.

It’s easy to feel that in normal, coastal sailing you come across these intricacies so rarely as to make them irrelevant, but the point of the Yachtmaster is that you are able to operate at sea not as an amateur, but on a par with professional seafarers.

Indeed, with a commercial endorsement to your RYA Yachtmaster, you could easily be one of them, if you ever fancied a career change. Knowing the rules also diminishes the chances of ending up in front of an inquest. The detail is fiddly, but it’s not impossible to learn.

Everyone knows the motoring cone, but do you use it? And what about the other shapes?

IRPCS are something you just have to know, and it would be a real shame to fail your Yachtmaster because you hadn’t brushed up beforehand. For ease, many examiners will use packs of flip cards to test your knowledge of lights, shapes, buoyage and collision avoidance during a quiet moment on exam day. It’s not meant to be an interrogation, but if you’re getting more than two in ten wrong then the examiner won’t be able to pass you.

One little tip with sound signals are that it is easy to get overwhelmed once you start adding in all the extra sounds to the basic signals, but there are only a few distinct meanings to remember. These then get added together, but can easily be broken into their composite parts to help you decipher their meanings.

A safety brief can be tailored to your crew, their level of experience and their familiarity with your boat

Yachtmaster Offshore training

The forecast for the week couldn’t have been much better. Typically, the only day there wasn’t sunshine and a decent breeze was the day we had the photographer on board, but the rest of the time there was enough wind to get our teeth into – there’s nothing like trying to sail onto a mooring if there’s no wind, and it’s often a stiff breeze that makes marina manoeuvring tricky.

The aim for day one was to run through the full gambit of skills that would be tested in the exam for Matt to get an idea of where Andrew and I were at. With the food and kit stowed, the day began with the usual safety briefings, engine checks and discussion regarding firefighting.

Safety briefs

A good skipper will always make sure their crew have had a safety brief. If you sail with the same crew on a regular basis, you don’t need to give them the same briefing every time, but an occasional reminder of the main points is probably a good idea, as the details quickly fade. For us, the safety brief was about making sure the people we had on board knew where everything was on a boat they hadn’t sailed before.

Keep tethers and first-aid kit somewhere accessible

For a crew of novices, we would have included things like how to use a fire extinguisher and how to put on a lifejacket, but for experienced sailors, it is sufficient to show them where safety kit is, so things like tethers, fire-fighting equipment, seacocks and softwood bungs, as well as how the distress and MOB functions on this boat’s particular chartplotter and VHF radio work, are all relevant.

On deck, knowing were the MOB recovery kit, engine fire extinguisher and liferaft are is all important.

I’ve been doing engine checks for years, and it’s easy to be familiar with your engine at a basic level. Various acronyms exist to help remind you about what to check, but advice has changed recently to add in one sensible step to an engine check and that is to isolate the engine before opening the case.

You may do this already, but if you don’t, there’s a risk that in the usual melee of getting ready to set sail, someone on deck goes to start the engine while you’ve got your hand on the drive belt. Better switch off the isolator so this can’t happen until you’re done.

The acronym I found most helpful was: IWOBBLE: Isolate; Water (strainer); Oil (level and colour, engine and transmission); Belt (wear and tension); Bilges (empty); Leaks (no oil or fuel spills); Exhaust (clean, and water once the engine has started).

Every boat is different, such as MOB marking systems

It’s worth making sure any experienced sailors on your boat also know how to do some of these so that you as skipper don’t have to be the one with your head stuck in the engine bay when the engine fails on the way into harbour.

Dabs of high-vis paint on the relevant fittings can help direct you to the correct nut to loosen or tighten for each job.

In the exam, you may not have to bleed the engine, but you will need to talk through how you would handle various engine emergencies, from fires to fuel starvation, overheating and prop wraps, so spend time getting familiar with the fuel, water and cooling systems on your boat’s engine so you can point at the right bits.

Marina manoeuvres fill many cruising sailors with dread

Yachtmaster Offshore marina manoeuvres

With the boat and crew ready to go, it was time for our first go at ‘pontoon bashing’. It’s always going to be a little nerve-wracking handling a boat you don’t know well in the confines of a windy and tide-swept marina, so it’s a useful tool for the instructor to quickly get a gauge on your level of confidence and ability.

As someone who normally keeps a boat on a mooring and anchors at every available opportunity, tricky marina berths are something that I rarely visit, so this was a skill that needed a little more attention for me.

‘Parking’ can sometimes look a little boring to the outside observer, but serried ranks of expensive boats and vicious bow rollers and anchors makes this an exercise to really focus the mind. It also forces you to attempt berths that in normal sailing you would often rather avoid, but may be forced to use in a busy marina.

Check prop kick astern when alongside, then try out how the boat responds in open water

Get your bearings

To start, we took time to check the depth sounder was accurate using a leadline, and checking whether it was set to depth below the keel or below the waterline – a critical piece of information. While alongside, put the engine astern and have a look which side the prop wash emerges. The stern will kick to the other side when engaging astern.

We checked the boat’s pivot point too in ahead and astern, and how long the boat needed to get steerage in either direction. All of this can be done in open water.

Assessing the wind and tide is essential before you start a manoeuvre, factoring in what these will be doing in the berth itself, and not just out by the marina entrance. At Mercury Yacht Harbour, when the tide is in full spate, you can get a nasty diagonal cross-current across the berth, and some owners simply avoid coming or going at anything other than slack water.

Letting the boat come to a stop will show how she will want to lie.

Approaching a finger berth will be easier if it is on the outside of your turn

Tricky berths

We then tried a number of different berths of ascending difficulty – coming alongside an open hammerhead was straightforward, where slotting in between two already-moored boats took a little more planning.

Getting in and out of a large bay in which several boats are moored adds complication. In this case, with a strong westerly and an ebbing tide, I concluded it would be easier to do the whole manouevre in astern rather than switching direction and losing steerage part way through.

Don’t forget to think about how you’ll get out of the berth, how other boats will lie, and whether you want wind or sunshine in the cockpit and companionway.

Communicate to crew which lines you want let go first, before you start the manoeuvre, then keep them updated with what you’re doing

Getting into finger berths was straight-forward if they were ‘open’ berths, on the near side of the pontoon so that as the boat slides around the turn, her momentum carries her onto the berth. ‘Closed’ berths, on the far side were trickier, and often demanded going in past the berth, then either turning or reversing direction.

Switching which way you want to lie in the berth may necessitate starting the whole thing in astern rather than ahead. Be ready for this to be a spectator sport as onlookers wait for a victim like Romans in a Colosseum.

Judging what the tide and wind will do to your boat are key to marina manouevring. You also need to know which way the boat will ‘want’ to go in any given situation, and then use it to your advantage – think about stern kick, slide and pivot points.

It’s easy to think about bow and stern springs, but a midships line is one of the most useful. Drive against it in forwards while steering away from the pontoon to bring the bow in and hold the boat parallel.

Motor against a stern line to hold the boat alongside

It is also helpful to think about the ‘favoured’ side every time you enter a marina row. Given the prevailing conditions, you will be pushed to one side or the other, and you want to stay on the upwind or uptide side to keep your options open and your hull clear of the bow rollers waiting to leeward.

A ball fender is a really useful tool as it won’t roll out in the same way as a sausage fender and it has more give in it. Rig it at the point of main load before a manoeuvre.

Don’t forget to have an exit strategy if the approach doesn’t go according to plan so you can get out and try again.

It’s not cheating to have worked out in advance the tidal heights for where you will be sailing on the day of your exam (the beer is optional, but also helps)

Yachtmaster Offshore navigation

Getting a boat from A to B safely and effectively is still at the heart of the RYA Yachtmaster qualification, as it has been from its inception. The tools available to help us navigate have changed dramatically since 1973, however, and even in the last decade have been transformed.

GNSS, chartplotters, AIS, smartphones and internet access have resulted in a revolution. Many sailors have ditched paper almost entirely these days, so have the traditional navigation skills of the Yachtmaster scheme become irrelevant?

On our first evening, Matt set us homework; Andrew would take us from Hamble into the Beaulieu River and I would bring us back. Hardly a challenging trip, and one I’ve often done with little more than cursory planning. That’s not the point though, as if these were unfamiliar waters, I would need to navigate us much more accurately and actively, so this short trip was designed to test our pilotage and passage planning skills.

There was a good list of things to prepare for each day, and ahead of the exam

Definitely not cheating

Electronics and internet-based sources of information were not only allowed, but expected and encouraged for this exercise, albeit we also had to demonstrate our ability to use the ‘old-fashioned’ methods of calculating secondary port tidal heights, tidal streams and courses to steer.

While chartplotters on your phone may have freed us up from the old cliche of the skipper bobbing up and down to the chart table like a rabbit, it is equally as easy to fall into the trap of staring dumbly at our phones, driving a triangle across the screen, all but unaware of where we are in relation to the real world.

The trick is to be able to use every source of navigation information to make sense of the world around you and to sense-check that information against multiple sources of data.

It takes time to put your passage plan into the plotter and to make sure the plotter is set up to give you the information you need

It felt like cheating to be able to get tidal heights from my phone, but I also found the planning stage almost busier as a result. Many online sources of data, especially data, come from unknown origins and can vary a surprising amount, so don’t assume that what a screen is telling you is accurate data. Navionics and Admiralty EasyTides can disagree by up to an hour at times.

It’s also easy to let a machine work something out for you and suggest a route that makes sense on screen, but doesn’t work well in reality. It won’t factor in a good offing from a shallow lee shore, and nor will it care if the waypoints, and therefore the courses you’re steering, are easily identified visually from on deck. A single, long course, with an obvious headmark will be much easier for the helm to steer than lots of short ‘artificial’ courses. Secondary port calculations caused us both headaches as we dragged the process out of our long-term memory. Which way to interpolate and between which numbers is surprisingly easy to get wrong under pressure.

The strengths of paper

Inputting our plans into the chart plotter also takes time, as much from finding where all the dratted functions are in the plotter’s menu options as form the basic principles. For most plotters, planning remains something they do not do well, and using paper is often still faster and easier to get an overview of where safe water is. I’ve also yet to find a way to calculate a proper course to steer on a chartplotter yet, even for a single hour, let alone a longer passage.

When it comes to pilotage, a plotter or phone on deck is enormously helpful to see where you are. It isn’t however, the easiest way to present the essential information you need at your fingertips, and a notebook with pre prepared information is the best place to list expected tidal heights, alongside a sketch of buoys, lights, courses, radio comms and anything else you’ll need to know.

A sketch chart can quickly convey a huge amount of information

In many ways, the job of a small vessel navigator has got harder rather than easier, as more and more tools are at our disposal to use. Not only do you need to be able to read a chart and plot a fix, but you need to be able to navigate your way through multiple phone apps, plotter menus and be able to extract the right information from your radar and AIS.

It is very easy to get distracted from the main thing, which is keeping your head up and out of the boat, and for your bubble of awareness to shrink as you become more and more reliant on flicking from one screen to the next.

Coming out of Beaulieu, I was able to quickly check on my phone that although the height of tide promised on Navionics wasn’t huge, it was rising, and the Bramblemet tide guage was showing an extra 30cm of water. We would be fine.

A good crew will hold an accurate course and feed you information as you go

I’d put in a direct route, but used the cross track error function on the plotter to keep us to starboard of track, increasing our offing to windward, clear of Stansore Point and Calshot Sands. I had also tried to pick waypoints close to easily visible marks, even though this gave us a slightly longer route.

I knew we could cut the corner with an eye on Navionics once we got closer. At no point did me pulling my phone from my pocket or referring to the plotter raise any eyebrows, though I realised at the end that having been asked to plot a visual fix at some point, the objects I’d picked for a three-point fix weren’t on the chart, and I’d omitted to go back and plot a proper one.

Practising using just one of these tools to find your way forces you to get familiar with what it can do and how it works

Blind navigation

There’s nothing quite like losing one of your senses to sharpen your use of another. While the traditional ‘blind navigation’ exercises known and loved by sailing instructors are less ‘blind’ than they used to be, they are no less challenging than they ever were. They are also the best way to learn how to use one method of navigation that you might otherwise avoid if at all possible.

Over the four days, we conducted various exercises, all within a pretty small area at the bottom of Southampton Water, finding arbitrary spots of water given to us by Matt to locate. He would pick spots on the chart, and ask us navigate from one, to the next, to circle another and to stop at another.

Even on deck with all the tools at your disposal, it’s a good simulation of finding your way into an unknown narrow channel or rock-strewn harbour approach. We tried it using the charplotter route functions, just the radar, and just visual pilotage.

The harder part came when we were asked to verify one means against the other so that we had to juggle different systems in short order – information overload and unfamiliarity with the radar, plotter or phone app being the thing that was likely to distract us at the critical moment.

Using VRM/EBL from an identifiable radar target to follow a course to an unmarked position

How do you, for example, make sure that you stay precisely on a line between two imaginary points using radar alone? There is a way, it turns out, using the VRM/EBL function (Variable Range Marker/Electronic Bearing Line), by measuring to the imaginary point from a known, identifiable and charted point on the radar screen, then floating the VRM/EBL centre to this point, measuring the course and range from this point to your current location, then floating the centre back onto your known radar contact.

Simply steer to keep the object sliding along the EBL and when it reaches the intersection with the VRM, you’re there. Knowing the buttons to press to make this happen on your radar is another matter entirely and caused us many headaches.

Electronics are definitely not cheating. You’ve got to be able to use them, and to know what info you can trust and what you need to cross-reference. Navigation hasn’t really changed – you’ve still got to use multiple sources of position information to reliably work out where you are and where you need to go.

Rather than three bearing lines, it might be a GPS fix or a radar range, a depth and a transit, but relying on one source of information alone to determine your position never has been considered good seamanship.

Next month – Find out how Theo and Andrew got on with the rest of their prep week and whether they actually passed their Yachtmaster Offshore exam at the end of the week…

With thanks to the Hamble School of Yachting for the use of their Sun Odyssey 37. Hamble School of Yachting offers a range of sailing course, charters and adventures, from Competent Crew up to professional MCA qualifications. 

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RYA Yachtmaster Offshore

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore is one of the most highly respected and prestigious sailing qualifications in the world and we pride ourselves on training many high calibre Yachtmaster Candidates. Exam Preparation Courses are delivered by one of our fully qualified and extremely experienced RYA Yachtmaster Instructors.

Please click here to see the progression of RYA Sailing Practical Courses and the recommended path for both theory and practical courses.

We have also put together some details notes on The Yachtmaster exam here.

The week starts with an assessment day, when the instructor will gauge your strengths and weaknesses. The rest of the time will be spent improving weak areas in order to prepare you for the exam. You will take command of the yacht on short passages, by day and night. You will be required to navigate in a seamanlike manner, with both efficiency and safety. Your instructor will give you guidance and coaching on boat handling techniques both at sea and in a confined space.

Examiners expect a high level of expertise, particularly in safety critical exercises such as man overboard, or sailing down wind. Your instructor will also ensure that the theory subjects, in particular meteorology, IRPCS, buoyage and passage planning are not new to you.  At the end of the week, you will be given an honest debrief, leaving you confident in your own ability, taking the exam if you feel ready to do so.

At the end of the preparation course, the instructor will leave the process and an Independent RYA Examiner will come aboard to conduct the exam. Every student will be examined on how they skipper the yacht on short passages and complete various other tasks.

Although this is a sailing exam, you will be expected to be familiar with all the vessels systems which includes knowledge of engines to at least the level of the one-day RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance course .

A knowledge of the operation of radar and GPS is also expected.

The examiner will want to see you dock the boat under engine in a variety of circumstances possibly alongside and stern-to. He/she may set you a challenge to dock in a particular place or ask you to choose. He/she will also expect you to be able to handle and turn the vessel in a confined space with awareness of the effects of the prevailing conditions. You will also be expected to be able to handle the vessel under sail in a confined space and this may include sailing on and/or off a mooring, your anchor or a dock. The examiner is looking for good boat control, use of crew, wind awareness and a good lookout for other vessels in the area. Once at sea it is a legal requirement to keep a log. This doesn’t have to be detailed but the examiner will want to see that you know where you are at all times. Don’t be afraid to reef, we are cruising not racing, but at the same time make sure you have enough sail up to keep the vessel going. Also make sure you have practiced your classic navigation as fixing your position, CTS and EP may all come into the exam. Also be comfortable with tidal problems and operation of the GPS, specifically the one on the exam vessel.

Cost is $1695 plus RYA Exam fee of around $300 [depends on exchange rate]. Please click on the ' Training Dates & Booking ' button on the right to check available dates.

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RYA Certificates of Competence, Part 3 - Yachtmaster Offshore

Sailing qualification recognised around the world as a clear mark of your sailing ability.

By Marcin Wojtyczka

In this article in series about RYA certifications we reveal how to pass the RYA Yachtmaster® Offshore Certificate of Competence.

The RYA Yachtmaster® Offshore Certificate of Competence is proof that you have the knowledge needed to skipper a yacht on offshore passages.

The holder of a Yachtmaster Offshore qualification should be competent to skipper a yacht of up to 24 metres LOA (up to 200gt) in waters up to 150 miles from a safe haven.

The exam is similar to the Yachtmaster Coastal in terms of syllabus, but you can expect to get more complex scenarios on the Offshore exam.

Don’t treat the examination just as an exam. This is a great opportunity to get feedback on your skills and become a better sailor.

Requirements

You can find the official requirements here .

To pass the exam you need ample experience and be able to navigate as well as handle the boat at sea. You can take the exam without holding previous certifications from the ladder (e.g. Yachtmaster Coastal) or doing any course before as long as you have enough knowledge and experience.

To qualify to undertake the Yachtmaster Offshore examination, you must have a minimum of 50 days at sea, 2500 miles logged, including at least 5 passages over 60 miles measured along the rhumb line from the port of departure to the destination, acting as skipper for at least two of these passages and including two which have involved overnight passages. You must have 5 days of experience as a skipper. At least half this mileage and passages must be in tidal waters. All qualifying sea time must be within 10 years prior to the exam. You will also need to hold a GMDSS short-range radio certificate.

Preparation

Before taking the practical exam at sea, it is recommended to take the Yachtmaster Offshore Theory course , especially if you have not sat at the chart table for a while. Holding the RYA Yachtmaster Theory as well as your Yachtmaster Offshore certificate of competence is also required if your goal is the Officer of the Watch 3000GT.

You should also consider taking RYA Radar and a practical preparation course before the exam. There is no official RYA prep course, but many sailing schools offer on-the-water preparation courses. Our trips are focused on training based on the RYA syllabus and can get you prepared for the exam as well. We can evaluate whether you are at the right level to pass the exam and identify gaps in your knowledge. Many of our participants passed the prestigious RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam and keep returning year after year to us in order to become yet more confident and experienced. Our practical on-the-water training builds confidence, teaching you everything from basic terminology and safety tips to how to skipper a yacht and manage its crew.

Exam Syllabus

In Yachtmaster Offshore exams you will be expected to demonstrate competence based on broad experience. You are supposed to demonstrate knowledge of competence in many areas listed below. In each section, the examiner will expect to see you take full responsibility for the management of the yacht and crew.

1. Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (ColRegs)

Questions will be covering the International Regulations. You must be aware of the existence of Local Regulations, but they will not be expected to memorise specific local regulations.

• General rules (1-3)
• Steering and Rules of the Road (4-19)
• Lights and shapes (20-31)
• Sound and light signals (32-37)
• Signals for vessels fishing in close proximity (Annex II)
• Distress signals (Annex IV)

You will be expected to deliver a safety briefing and know what safety equipment should be carried on board a yacht, based either on the recommendations in the RYA Boat Safety Handbook (C8) , the ISAF Special Regulations or the Codes of Practice for the safety of Small Commercial Vessels MGN 280 (M) . It should cover the following areas including the responsibilities of a skipper:

• Safety briefing
• Life jackets
• Safety harnesses
• Lifejackets
• Distress signalling (flares and electronic means)
• Fire prevention and fighting
• Boat stability
• Knowledge of rescue and emergency procedures
• Helicopter rescue

3. Boat Handling

You will be expected to answer questions or demonstrate ability in more complex situations and will also be expected to show a higher level of expertise than the Yachtmaster Coastal candidates:

• Coming to and weighing anchor under power or sail in various conditions of wind and tide
• All berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide
• Recovery of man overboard and being able to describe the effects of cold-water shock and the aftercare requirements of a casualty who has been in the water
• Towing under open sea conditions and in confined areas
• Boat handling in confined areas under sail
• Boat handling in heavy weather
• Helmsmanship and sail trim to sail to the best advantage (point of sails)
• Use of warps for securing in an alongside berth and for shifting berth or winding
• Efficient use of sails depending on the point of sails

4. General Seamanship, including maintenance

• Properties, use and care of synthetic-fibre lines
• General deck work at sea and in the harbour
• Engine operations and routine checks and troubleshooting
• Improvisation of jury rigs following gear failure

5. Responsibilities of skipper

• Can skipper a yacht safely and manage the crew
• Communication with crew
• Delegation of responsibility and watch-keeping organisation
• Preparing yacht for sea and for adverse weather
• Tactics for heavy weather and restricted visibility
• Emergency and distress situations
• Victualling for a cruise and nutrition at sea
• Customs procedures
• Standards of behaviour and courtesy

6. Navigation

• Charts, navigational publications and sources of navigational information
• Chartwork including position fixing and shaping course to allow for tidal stream and leeway
• Tide and tidal stream calculations for standard and secondary ports
• Buoyage and visual aids to navigation (lighthouses, leading lights, lateral marks)
• Instruments including compasses, logs, echo sounders, radio navaids and chartwork instruments
• Passage planning and navigational tactics
• Pilotage techniques
• Keeping navigational records
• Limits of navigational accuracy and margins of safety
• Lee shore dangers
• Use of electronic navigation aids for passage planning and passage navigation
• Use of waypoints and electronic routeing
• Position fixing with and without the use of GPS
• Course to steer and estimated position
• Coming in and out of the harbour during the day and night with and without the use of GPS
• Blind navigation
• Knowledge of Radar and how to use it for collision avoidance and restricted visibility
• General understanding of AIS for restricted visibility

7. Meteorology

• Definition of terms
• Sources of weather forecasts
• Weather systems (frontal depressions and highs in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere)
• Local weather effects (sea breeze, fog, wind funnel effect)
• Interpretation of weather forecasts and synoptic charts, barometric trends and visible phenomena
• Ability to make passage planning decisions based on forecast information

You must hold the SRC Certificate of Competence (VHF) in radiotelephony or a higher grade of certificate in radiotelephony

Learning materials

• Insightful blog series on the Yachtmaster exams from the perspective of RYA examinator.
• The Complete Yachtmaster - Bestseller since first publication that has established itself as the standard reference for Yachtmaster students as well as skippers of all levels of experience.
• RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased Notes - Highly illustrated book on all aspects of the RYA Yachtmaster syllabus.
• The RYA Navigation Exercises - This is one of the best books about navigation. It accompanies all RYA training courses and includes two training charts (RYA Training Charts 3 & 4).
• RYA Certificates of Competence
• Certificates

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