RYA Yachtmaster — Preparation and Exam (Royal Yachting Association)

The RYA Yachtmaster isn't a course. It's a certificate of competence you earn by passing an exam once you have the required sea time. The RYA says there's no formal training course to become a Yachtmaster, but many training centres run a preparation week to polish your skills before the examiner steps aboard. There are three levels: Coastal, Offshore and Ocean.

Who it suits

• Experienced skippers who want a widely recognised proof of competence
• Sailors aiming for professional work, which needs a commercial endorsement on top of the certificate
• Coastal Skippers who've built up the miles and want the next milestone

What you'll actually do

A preparation course is usually a few days aboard revising what examiners look for: boat handling, man overboard, pilotage, night work and skippering decisions. The exam follows, conducted by an independent RYA examiner.

The Coastal and Offshore exams are practical tests afloat. You act as skipper while the examiner watches you plan, navigate, handle the boat and manage crew, and asks questions on seamanship, the collision regulations, weather and signals. The RYA gives an exam length of 6–10 hours for one Coastal candidate (8–14 for two) and 8–12 hours for one Offshore candidate (10–18 for two). Yachtmaster Ocean is different: an oral exam of about 1.5–2 hours plus a written paper on sights and worldwide weather, which the RYA says is waived for holders of the Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased course completion certificate.

The three levels at a glance

For Coastal and Offshore, the RYA says sea time must be within the last 10 years and at least half in tidal waters. Coastal time drops to 12 days and 400 miles with a Coastal Skipper Practical completion certificate. The Offshore passages must include two overnight and two as skipper. For Ocean, the qualifying passage must be at least 600 miles and 96 hours, including 200 miles more than 50 miles from land, in charge of a watch or as skipper. Coastal and Offshore candidates also need a GMDSS-compliant marine radio certificate and a valid first aid certificate. Check the RYA's exam pages before booking.

Key ideas explained

• Sea time — logged days, miles and night hours aboard, signed off by the skipper. Keep a careful logbook from your first passage.
• Qualifying passages — longer passages with set requirements (such as over 60 miles, overnight, or as skipper) that show you've handled real offshore conditions.
• Astro navigation — for Ocean, you must show you can plan, reduce and plot sun sights (such as a sun-run-meridian altitude) and do a compass check.
• Commercial endorsement — an extra step that lets you use the certificate for paid work under UK rules. Commercial work in Australia is regulated separately.

Where it fits

Coastal usually follows Coastal Skipper Practical and Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore Theory. Ocean candidates often take Yachtmaster Ocean Theory. IYT Yachtmaster Coastal is broadly comparable at the coastal level, but it isn't an official equivalent.

Getting ready

• Make sure your logbook is complete and signed, and your radio and first aid certificates are current.
• Practise close-quarters handling and man overboard until they're second nature.
• Revise the collision regulations, lights and shapes, and buoyage thoroughly.
• Ask the school what boat you'll use and how many candidates will be examined together.

Good to know in Australia

Australian coastal waters are tidal, though ranges vary widely. To operate marine radio in Australia you need a qualification such as the SROCP. Check with the RYA or your training centre whether it meets the exam's radio requirement.