RYA Coastal / Yachtmaster™ Online Theory

1. 01 Advanced position fixing techniques
2. 02 Course shaping and plotting
3. 03 Tidal knowledge in depth
4. 04 Use of almanacs and Admiralty publications
5. 05 Electronic position finding equipment
6. 06 Taking and interpreting weather forecasts
7. 07 Plotting weather systems
8. 08 Safety equipment and procedures
9. 09 Passage planning for longer voyages
10. 10 Navigation strategies for offshore passages

How the Course Works

Step 01

Online Learning

Work through the advanced modules at your own pace. Each section builds on Day Skipper knowledge with more complex scenarios and techniques.

Step 02

Instructor Support

You'll be assigned a dedicated RYA Yachtmaster™ Instructor to answer your questions via email, phone, Skype or FaceTime.

Step 03

Course Materials

All materials are sent First Class in your free Urban Truant bag:

• Quality plotter and dividers for chartwork
• RYA training charts and almanac

Step 04

The Exam

Complete the exam from home in a time limit. Answers are marked by a qualified instructor who will issue your certificate if successful.

• Quality plotter and dividers
• RYA training charts and almanac
• Unlimited instructor access
• Free shipping in Urban Truant bag

• What is the RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster™ theory course?

  The RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster™ theory course is the advanced shorebased course in navigation and meteorology for skippering coastal and offshore passages by day and night. A single theory course covers both the Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster™ Offshore levels, across a minimum of 40 hours.

  It builds on Day Skipper theory and goes deeper into position fixing, course shaping, secondary port calculations, navigation in poor visibility and passage planning for longer trips. The meteorology moves from reading forecasts to plotting and predicting weather systems.

  Passing it earns your RYA Yachtmaster™ theory certificate, the knowledge you'll rely on when you take your Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster™ Offshore practical exam, which we can help you prepare for on the Solent.

• How hard is Yachtmaster™ theory?

  Yachtmaster™ theory is a clear step up from Day Skipper, and most people find it demanding but manageable. The advanced chartwork, secondary port calculations and meteorology take real study, and because they build logically on Day Skipper, students who put the hours in generally pass.

  The testing areas tend to be course shaping across a tidal passage, secondary port heights and interpreting weather systems, because each pulls several skills together at once. Plenty of worked examples are what make them click.

  We often see experienced sailors caught out by the theory, because time on the water doesn't always fill the gaps in chartwork or meteorology. Working through methodically is what closes them.

• How long does Yachtmaster™ theory take?

  The RYA recommends a minimum of 40 hours of study for the Coastal/Yachtmaster™ theory course. In practice, however, most students spend around 50 to 60 hours completing the course, including the exams. If you're studying online, this typically takes two to three months at your own pace, while a classroom course is usually completed over seven days.

  The final assessment begins with the open-book Pre-Planning paper, which gives you the opportunity to gather the information you'll need for the timed Passage Making A and Passage Making B papers, each lasting 150 minutes. These are followed by the Chartwork and IRPCS papers, which are each timed at 50 minutes.

  Once you've submitted your papers, a member of our instructor team will review your answers and provide personalised feedback. If any additional work or clarification is needed, your instructor can reset individual questions at no extra cost. Our team will continue to support you until we're both confident that you have the knowledge and skills to navigate as safely as possible at sea.

• Do you need Day Skipper theory before Yachtmaster™ theory?

  The RYA assumes knowledge to Day Skipper theory level before you start Yachtmaster™ theory, though you don't have to hold the certificate. Experienced sailors often go straight in, and it works well as long as your chartwork and tidal knowledge are already solid.

  We include revision of Day Skipper topics early in the course, so there's a short bridge built in. It assumes you can already plot and work tides, so it moves quickly into the advanced material.

  From teaching both levels, we'd say it comes down to your chartwork. If you can confidently work up a course to steer and a tidal height, you'll manage the jump. If those feel shaky, a spell on Day Skipper theory first makes Yachtmaster™ far more comfortable.

• What's the difference between Day Skipper and Yachtmaster™ theory?

  Day Skipper theory teaches you to navigate short coastal passages in daylight, and Yachtmaster™ theory takes the same subjects to an advanced level for longer passages, offshore work and sailing at night. Yachtmaster™ adds depth in position fixing, tidal work, meteorology and passage planning.

  Where Day Skipper has you plot a course across a straightforward passage, Yachtmaster™ has you plan a longer route with tidal gates, contingency ports and night pilotage. The weather work grows from reading a forecast to understanding the systems behind it.

  Day Skipper is the usual starting point, and Coastal/Yachtmaster™ theory is the next stage once you're ready for more demanding passages. Both are shorebased courses that feed the matching practical qualifications.

• Can you do Coastal/Yachtmaster™ theory online?

  Yes, you can complete RYA Yachtmaster™ theory online, studying the advanced navigation and meteorology at your own pace with instructor support, then sitting the exam. It follows the same RYA syllabus as a classroom course and earns the same theory certificate.

  Online study suits the many Yachtmaster™ candidates who are already sailing or working on boats, because it fits around trips and busy seasons.

  One thing worth understanding early is how the exam works if you plan to go professional, since higher commercial routes call for an invigilated exam. We cover that just below, and as an RYA Recognised Training Centre we can arrange invigilation when it's needed.

• Is the theory certificate the same as the Yachtmaster™ qualification?

  The Coastal/Yachtmaster™ theory certificate and the Yachtmaster™ qualification are two different things. The theory certificate proves your shorebased navigation and meteorology knowledge, while the Yachtmaster™ Certificate of Competence is earned at sea, in a practical exam with an RYA examiner.

  The theory is the groundwork that makes the practical achievable, because skippering an offshore passage well depends on the navigation behind it. Many candidates pass the theory first, build their sea miles, then sit the practical exam.

  To present yourself for the Yachtmaster™ Offshore practical exam you'll need qualifying sea time, night hours, a first aid certificate and a VHF licence. The theory certificate is one piece of that picture, and it's the piece you complete online with us.

• Does Yachtmaster™ theory expire?

  No, the RYA Coastal/Yachtmaster™ theory certificate doesn't expire once you've passed. Like other RYA shorebased certificates, it's a permanent record of the knowledge you demonstrated, so there's no renewal to think about.

  What's worth keeping current is the knowledge itself, especially if a long gap opens between your theory and your practical exam, because chartwork and tidal calculations fade without use.

  If you sat your theory years ago and are now heading for a Yachtmaster™ practical, running back through the online course is a straightforward way to sharpen up before the examiner sees you.

• What's covered in the Yachtmaster™ theory syllabus?

  The Yachtmaster™ theory syllabus covers advanced position fixing and chartwork, course shaping, secondary port tidal calculations, tidal streams, navigation in restricted visibility, electronic navigation, passage planning, meteorology, safety and the collision regulations. It's the knowledge for skippering coastal and offshore passages by day and night.

  The navigation runs deeper than Day Skipper, with more weight on planning longer passages, working tidal gates and fixing your position by several methods. The meteorology extends to plotting and interpreting weather systems so you can anticipate what's coming.

  Passage planning draws it together, teaching you to build a plan around tides, weather, pilotage, contingency ports and crew, which is exactly what an examiner expects to see you do.

• Do you need an invigilated exam, and does it matter for commercial endorsement?

  For leisure sailing, and for commercially endorsing a Yachtmaster™ Coastal or Offshore Certificate of Competence, an online exam sat without invigilation is accepted. Invigilation is only required if you're moving towards higher MCA qualifications such as OOW 3000gt or Master 200gt.

  An invigilated exam is sat under formal supervision at an RYA Recognised Training Centre, where the centre oversees the exam and our instructors mark your online exams in real time.

  As an RYA Recognised Training Centre at Hamble Point, we can arrange invigilated exams. So, if you're studying online with professional or MCA routes in mind, you can sort the invigilated assessment through us rather than finding a centre later.

  If you're sailing for pleasure, or endorsing a Yachtmaster™ for commercial charter work, paid skippering or even teaching, the standard online exam is all you need.

• Is Yachtmaster™ theory the same for Coastal and Offshore?

  Yes, one theory course serves both the RYA Coastal Skipper and the Yachtmaster™ Offshore practical qualifications. The shorebased Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster™ Offshore theory certificate is identical for both, so you study it once and it supports whichever practical route you follow.

  The difference between Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster™ Offshore appears at the practical stage, in the sea miles, passage lengths and experience the exam asks for. The theory you study is the same.

  Yachtmaster™ Ocean theory is a separate, further course covering astro-navigation and ocean passages, which you'd take later if you're sailing beyond offshore waters.

• What experience do you need before Yachtmaster™ theory?

  You need navigation knowledge to Day Skipper theory level before Coastal/Yachtmaster™ theory, plus enough practical sailing to make the advanced material meaningful. There's no formal qualification requirement, so what counts is the right grounding: comfortable chartwork, a feel for tides, and some coastal sailing behind you.

  The course builds on chartwork, tides and the collision regulations from the outset, so being at ease with all three matters more than any certificate. A season or two of coastal miles helps the passage planning and pilotage make sense.