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RYA YACHTMASTER OFFSHORE

Next theory course starts 08 August & ends  06 September 2026

​An RYA Yachtmaster™ Certificate is a highly respected, world recognised qualification 

Next course:

Next theory course: Starts weekend 08 August ends 06 September 2026

(This theory course is for both RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Skipper)

Venues:

  • Mosman Bay Marina, Mosman, Sydney

                or

  • Newport, Sydney

                or

  • Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, Newcastle

Price:

$1990 (includes Books, RYA Almanac, and Charts (Nth & Sth Hemisphere), Instruments, Exercise book, 12 months mentorship

Optional $35 per homework session on Zoom - (See list of days each topic is delivered).

Optional homework sessions are free if you purchase the course bundle of RYA Day Skipper and RYA Yachtmaster.

Discounts apply for

Course bundles that include RYA Day Skipper and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Coastal Skipper come with great discounts. Call 0427 333353 to take advantage of amazing savings

Big discounts also available for groups, couples and families.

Timing:

Course: 3 weekends in classroom, spread over 4 weeks (every 2nd week). Saturday and Sunday 0900 - 1700

               08 & 09 August,   22 & 23 August,   05 & 06 September

Optional Homework: Live on Zoom, 0500 to 0700 Tuesday thru Friday or 1700 to 1900 Monday thru Friday

General Info:

An RYA Yachtmaster™ Certificate is a highly respected, world recognised qualification.

  • ​Your RYA Yachtmaster Certificate is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers

  • You are endorsed by both AMSA (Australia) and the MCA (United Kingdom) for commercial use up to 200 tonnes and less than 24metres, as either Yachtmaster™ Sail or Yachtmaster™ Power certificate. 

  • Should you wish to use your RYA Yachtmaster™ qualification as a commercial ticket, your qualification is only possible after “face-to-face” classroom tuition. 

  • A commercial qualification is not possible without face to face tuition. You must have at least 40 hours in a classroom if you are seeking RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore commercial qualifications that are endorsed by the MCA. Yachting Directions provides this to you in a fun, easy to learn format.

  • Your theory course equips you to navigate safely & confidently on coastal & offshore passages. 

  • Your course will take your theory knowledge to the highest world standard required for the RYA YachtmasterTM Coastal and YachtmasterTM Offshore practical exams, concentrating on advanced navigation, meteorology skills, and detailed understanding of IRPCS.

  • Only Yachting Directions includes ALL your text books, charts, teaching aids and more.

  • You will also be taught using both the southern and northern hemisphere versions of the RYA teaching aids, ensuring that your theory course is relevant to you, wherever you may be.

  • Yachting Directions RYA Yachtmaster Theory course is 40 hrs minimum, over 3 non sequential weekends (4 weeks). This means you can easily and enjoyably retain all the course information. It's embedded permanently.

  • Course content is delivered over 8.0 hrs/day, Saturday and Sunday with the last day set for assessments.

  • Optional homework is delivered via Zoom,  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings 0500 to 0700. You can attend the homework sessions without enrolling in a Yachting Directions' course.

  • So, you can do any number of homework sessions even if you are doing another course at another school.

  • Theory Course size is minimum of 3, maximum of 12.

  • Prerequisites: RYA Day Skipper or Coxswain.

  • Your theory course is a prerequisite for your RYA YachtmasterTM Coastal Skipper Practical Course.

  • Your theory course is a prerequisite for your RYA Yachtmaster practical exam

  • There is no RYA YachtmasterTM Offshore practical course, just the exam Preparation Course. You can elect to do the Coastal Skipper Practical Course and then the Yachtmaster Offshore Exam Prep course. Although this is entirely a personal decision, we recommend this combination.

Homework sessions

Receive face-to-face tuition on Zoom

  • Each weekday evening you receive tuition on a topic that you may require added help.

  • You get to ask questions and have them answered in detail on the spot.

  • You can attend homework sessions without signing up for a Yachting Directions' course

        MONDAY  wk1          TUESDAY  wk1            WEDNESDAY  wk1            THURSDAY  wk1              FRIDAY  wk1

               IRPCS                    Tidal Theory                Course to Steer             Estimated Position.       Electronic-Nav       

        MONDAY wk2           TUESDAY   wk2.         WEDNESDAY  wk2.            THURSDAY.  wk2.           FRIDAY. wk2

              Pilotage.            Passage Planning.               Weather                         Free range.                        Free range

Syllabus:

  • Chartwork:

    • Chart information & symbols,

    • position fixing, course shaping & plotting,

    • Zones of Confidence,

    • Use of traditional instruments,

    • Rising and Dipping Distances,

    • Course to Steer to compensate for tide and wind,

    • Estimated Position (EPs), Projected EPs.

  • Pilotage, use of soundings, lights and nav aids, "signposts",

  • Passage Planning and preparation,

  • Use of almanacs and admiralty publications,

  • Electronic aids to navigation, including Radar, AIS and GPS intensive,

  • Tides and tidal anomalies, Streams and Currents, Tidal Curves and Secondary Port Calculations, Computation of Rates, 

  • Navigation in Restricted Visibility,

  • Customs Regulations, Flag etiquette,

  • Magnetic Compass and Gyro Compass,

  • Meteorology, taking and interpreting forecasts, plotting weather systems,

  • Weather predictions using a barometer and by observations,

  • IRPCS,

  • Customs & excise regulations for cruising abroad

  • Electric propulsion/Advanced battery management systems,

  • Safety at Sea,

  • Maintenance,

  • Stability,

Advantages of a Yachting Directions course

  • Be a part of our homework sessions to receive more face-to-face tuition.

  • You receive 12 months mentorship to bring your aims and aspirations to fruition​.

  • Build your Miles for free, only with Yachting Directions. Sign up for any Yachting Directions course and build your sea Miles to contribute to your RYA Yachtmaster recommended minimum Miles and sea time. We pair you with one of our alumni, who are passage-making in the world's most iconic locations. All you need do is pay for airfares and food. Press the button below to choose from the current trips.​

  • Alternatively, join Brien Daniel for personal tuition on one of our regular trips between Airlie Beach and Pittwater. These journeys are generally taken on luxury performance catamarans.

  • Yachting Directions’ commitment is to bring you through the learning process to not just make a Commercially certified RYA Yachtmaster, but to make you the best commercially certified RYA Yachtmaster, that you can be.

  • Learning is spread out over 4 weeks to facilitate deep absorption of the course content, not a 5-day cram session. We believe a 5 day cram session generally does not result in a pass, or retention.

What is included?

What is included? -The Yachting Directions Coastal & Offshore Yachtmaster shore-based course kit.

  • RYA Yachtmaster Course Exercises and Information for Southern Hemisphere

  • RYA Navigation Exercises for Northern Hemisphere,

  • RYA Yachtmaster Shore-based Notes,

  • RYA practice charts, - 3 & 4 for Northern Hemisphere, 5 & 6 for Southern Hemisphere

  • a soft lead pencil and eraser.

  • RYA Navigation Handbook,

  • Weather handbook,

  • International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea

  • Symbols and Abbreviations of Admiralty Charts

  • Your course plotter (referred to as a Portland Plotter).​

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You can elect to receive these publications as e-books, or in hard-copy.

 

On successful completion of this course assessment you receive the RYA Yachtmaster / Coastal Skipper Theory (shore-based) certificate.

Choose your boat and its purpose

Boat ownership tailored to your sailing aspirations

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  Day boats on the Hawkesbury

CURE-48-GT-Sailing-hero-front-2-edited!-low.jpg

   Luxury performance catamarans in the South Pacific

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   One design sail-boat racing in world class locations

SOLD
LOMAC 540 Turismo 

Incredible and fun boat for exploring, adventuring or even going to your favourite hidden picnic spot. Selling in four shares for $13,240 per share. ​

Call Brien for latest listings

Call Brien for latest listings

More soon

How our boat ownership generally works. The short version.

  • Shares in luxury performance catamarans are only in 2 or 4 bundles

  • Shares in one-design raceboats are only in bundles of 4, 16 or 32 shares

  • Shares in lunch launches and day boats are in bundles of 8 share

 

You receive RYA training for the boat suits you, included in your share ownership.

What is RYA training?
Royal Yachting Association Training gives you all the know how you will need to take to the seas. Read more about our different courses here.
 

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