MCA/RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore (Preparation and Exam)

RYA Sailing > MCA/RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore (Preparation and Exam)

Overview

International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

Questions will be confined to the International Regulations and although candidates must be aware of the existence of Local Regulations, they will not be expected to memorise specific local regulations.
- General rules (1-3)
- Steering and sailing rules (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)
Safety

Candidates will be expected to 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. In particular, candidates must know the responsibilities of a skipper in relation:
- Safety harnesses
- Lifejackets
- Distress flares
- Fire prevention and fighting
- Liferafts
- Knowledge of rescue procedures
- Helicopter rescue
Boat Handling

Candidates for Coastal Skipper examinations will be expected to answer questions or demonstrate ability in simple situations only. Candidates for Yachtmaster Offshore 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:
- 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
- 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 best advantage
- Use of warps for securing in an alongside berth and for shifting berth or winding
General Seamanship, including maintenance
- Properties, use and care of synthetic fibre ropes
- Knots
- General deck-work at sea and in harbour
- Engine operations and routine checks
- Improvisation of jury rigs following gear failure
Responsibilities of skipper
- Can skipper a yacht 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 feeding at sea
- Customs procedures
- Standards of behaviour and courtesy
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
- Buoyage and visual aids to navigation
- Instruments including compasses, logs, echo sounders, radio navaids and chartwork instruments
- Passage planning and navigational tactics
- Pilotage techniques
- Navigational records
- Limits of navigational accuracy and margins if safety
- Lee shore dangers
- Use of electronic navigation aids for passage planning and passage navigation
- Use of waypoints and electronic routeing
Meteorology
- Definition of terms
- Sources of weather forecasts
- Weather systems and local weather effects
- Interpretation of weather forecasts, barometric trends and visible phenomena
- Ability to make passage planning decisions based on forecast information
Signals
- Candidates for Yachtmaster Offshore and Coastal Skipper must hold the Restricted (VHF only) Certificate of Competence in radiotelephony or a higher grade of certificate in radio telephony

Price - £1533.00

The MCA/RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore qualification is recognised and respected worldwide with candidates demonstrating a wide breadth of existing knowledge. The preparation part of the course provides enables you to get ready for your exam by covering refresher training in a number of key areas. The course culminates in an exam with an external RYA examiner.

The Yachtmaster™ Offshore qualification is the higher level of Yachtmaster and is required for many commercial skippering roles.

A commercially-endorsed Yachtmaster™ Offshore can skipper a commercial vessel up to 150 miles from a safe haven as well as considering other options such as becoming an instructor or progressing to the MCA merchant scheme. Both qualifications cover commercial work on board vessels up to 300 gross tonnes, carrying up to 12 passengers.

The preparation section of the Yachtmaster™ Offshore course is 5 days. The exam is up to 2 days (depending on the number of students) and usually runs immediately after the preparation days. Passing your Yachtmaster™ exam, is a fantastic achievement; whether you plan to use the qualification for commercial purposes or will continue to sail simply for the fun of it.

Pre-Course Experience	50 days, 2,500 miles 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. 5 days experience as skipper. At least half this mileage and passages must be in tidal waters. All qualifying seatime must be within 10 years prior to the exam.
Assumed Knowledge	A sound knowledge of navigation theory. Solid boat handling experience in close quarters, plus an understanding of efficient sail trim and how to make a boat go faster under sail.
Student Instructor Ratio	Maximum 3:1
Duration	5 days, plus the exam which is up to 2 days (depending on the number of students).
Course Content	Responsibilities of skipper Close quarters boat handling Hoisting, reefing and dropping sails Tacking, gybing and efficient sail trim Berthing and anchoring Rules of the road and signals Safety, plus man overboard General seamanship, including maintenance Navigation Meteorology
Ability after Course	A Yachtmaster™ Offshore is competent to skipper a yacht on passages up to 150 miles from a safe haven, day or night.

What’s Included

When you book a course with Urban Truant we do our best to ensure there are no surprise costs – however, please be aware that your RYA Yachtmaster™ Exam Fee is not included in this particular course as it is paid direct to the RYA.

Everything else you need to complete your course is included:

FREE USE OF YACHT FOR EXAM
Your own cabin on board a beautifully equipped yacht with modern instrumentation including Radar and AIS
All meals and refreshments whilst on board
All mooring fees
All fuel costs
Use of Urban Truant’s quality wet weather gear and safety kit

At Urban Truant we feel it’s important to provide quality catering and pride ourselves on serving fresh tasty food wherever possible. We are also happy to cater for different dietary requirements upon request.

Course Dates

Below are listed our available dates. If you cannot see dates that you require, please get in touch with us and we may be able to to arrange a more suitable date.

2024 Dates

2025 Dates

Monday 27 October

Sunday 02 November

AVAILABLE

£1533.00

See what our students say:

Marie - RYA Competent Crew

"Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to become an Urban Truant. I knew my week under sail with you would stand out from the others, and that’s why I dropped everything and arrived in glorious sunshine for my adventure.

I couldn’t pick a highlight because everything exceeded my expectations. The boat lived up to her name, the trip was full of interest and my crewmates added to a very enjoyable experience.

I hope to put my new-found sea legs and all the knowledge I gained from you towards an interesting future.

Thank you for your patience, friendliness... read more"

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MCA/RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore (Preparation and Exam)

Overview