RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shore-based Course

This course is a shore-based course for those wishing to go long distance cruising and is ideal for holders of the Yachtmaster Offshore certificate who are preparing for their first ocean passage.

Click here for the training calendar

Prior to the course your navigation skills should be at the standard of the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore shorebased course.

If you are working towards your Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence, completion of this shorebased course exempts you from the written exam.

The course is taught over 5 days with one exam paper. A Course Completion Certificate is awarded to those who pass the course exam.

Persons wishing to do the Yachtmaster Ocean oral examination at the completion of the shore-based course need to satisfy the following requirements:



Yachtmaster Ocean Exam pre-requisites:

Minimum seatime

Ocean passage as skipper or mate of watch. The candidate was fully involved in the planning of the passage, including selection of the route, the navigational plan, checking the material condition of the yacht and her equipment, storing spare gear, water and victuals and organising the watch-keeping routine; During the passage a minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles must have been run by the log, the yacht must have been at sea continuously for at least 96 hours and the yacht must have been more than 50 miles from land while sailing a distance of at least 200 miles. Please see the 'definition of passage'. All qualifying seatime must be within 10 years prior to the exam.

Click here to see the definition of a passage.

Form of exam

Oral and written assessment of sights taken at sea.

If you hold the Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased certificate you are exempt from the written assessment.

Existing certification required :

RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.

Link for full details of Ocean Examination

Yachtmaster Ocean oral examination

The candidate must provide the examiner with:

  1. A narrative account of the planning and execution of the qualifying passage

  2. Navigational records, completed on board a yacht on passages, out of sight of land showing that the candidate has navigated the yacht without the use of electronic navigational aids. The records must include as a minimum: planning, reduction and plotting of a sun run meridian altitude sight and a compass check carried out using the bearing of the sun, moon, a star or planet.

During the oral test the candidate may be required to answer questions on all aspects of ocean passage making in a yacht, including passage planning, astro navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs.

Written

The written exam will include questions on star sight planning and reduction and worldwide meteorology.

Candidates who hold the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased certificate, Royal Navy Ocean Navigation Certificate or a DoT Certificate of Competence as a Deck Officer will be exempt from the written examination.

Before you book your exam please check that you:

  1. Hold a valid RYA Yachtmaster Offshore certificate.
  2. Have completed the required mileage and experience as skipper.
  3. Hold a VHF Radio Operators License or Short Range Certificate.
  4. Hold a valid first aid certificate.
  5. Have read the syllabus in RYA publications: G15 (sail) or G18 (power).
  6. Have read and comply with the pre-requisites above.

If you need a Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence in order to work on board a commercial craft subject to the MCA's codes of practice, you will need to get it commercially endorsed . You can then work worldwide as a Master of commercial vessels of up to 200gt.

The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence can be used commercially in its own right. It is also a pre-requisite for the MCA's Chief Mate, Master 500 and Master 3000 qualifications.

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