Next RYA Yachtmaster Theory Courses:
19 January to 20 February 2026
Your course is live, each weekday over 5 weeks
Price: $1,590
An RYA Yachtmaster™ Certificate 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.
YACHTMASTER FACT SHEET
| 20260117_rya_ym_online_information.pdf |
COURSE BOOKING FORM
Please download and complete prior to commencing course, then email to [email protected]
Please download and complete prior to commencing course, then email to [email protected]
| 20260117_rya_ym___ds_booking_forme.pdf |
$1,590 per person
An RYA Yachtmaster™ Certificate is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers.
An RYA Yachtmaster™ Certificate is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers.
- It is a world recognised, highly respected qualification,
- It is endorsed by both AMSA (in Australia) and the MCA (in the United Kingdom) for commercial use up to 200 tonnes and less than 24metres, as either Yachtmaster™ Sail or Yachtmaster™ Power certificate.
- Should a candidate wish to use their RYA Yachtmaster™ qualification as a commercial ticket, this 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 either in the classroom if you are seeking RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore commercial qualifications.
- This theory course equips you to navigate safely on coastal and offshore passages.
- This course will take your theory knowledge to the highest world standard required for the YachtmasterTM Coastal and YachtmasterTM Offshore practical exams, concentrating on advanced navigation and meteorology skills, and a detailed understanding of the IRPCS.
- Students in the southern hemisphere have a southern hemisphere version of our training materials, ensuring that your theory course is relevant to you.
- Yachting Directions RYA Yachtmaster Theory course is 40 hrs minimum, 8hrs/wk x 5 weeks.
- 2.0 hrs/day, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings OR
- 2.0 hrs/day, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday evenings
- Theory Course size is minimum of 3, maximum of 12.
- Pre-requisites: RYA Day Skipper or Coxswain.
- This theory course is a pre-requisite for your RYA YachtmasterTM Coastal Skipper Practical Course.
- There is no RYA YachtmasterTM Offshore practical course, just the exam Preparation Course. Some students elect to do the Coastal Skipper Practical Course and then the Yachtmaster Offshore Exam preparation course. Although this is entirely a personal decision, we recommend this combination.
- The Syllabus:
- Chartwork: Chart information and symbols, position fixing, course shaping and plotting, Zones of Confidence, Use of traditional instruments, Rising and Dipping Distances,
- Pilotage, use of soundings, lights and nav aids,
- 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,
- Yacht ownership.