yachtmaster uk

• Certificates of Competence
• RYA Yachtmaster

What is an RYA Yachtmaster?

The RYA Yachtmaster® Certificate of Competence 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. Unlike other qualifications in the cruising programme, there is no formal training course to become an RYA Yachtmaster. Instead, provided you have sufficient experience, certification and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge. There are a number of RYA navigation courses that will help you prepare for your exam. Many RYA Yachtmaster candidates also choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for some specialised exam preparation training, but this is not compulsory.

You are capable of coastal passages

You are competent to undertake passages up to 150 miles offshore

You have the knowledge and experience to sail worldwide

• Arranging your exam

The Coastal and Offshore exams are practical tests afloat, and the Ocean is an oral exam. Find out more about qualifying passages, exam fees and how to book. 

With an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore or Ocean Certificate of Competence you can start a career at sea.

You'll need to have the appropriate qualification for the vessel and area of operation.

If you want to work commercially, you'll need a commercial endorsement.

Find out more about other RYA professional qualifications.

• Getting the most from a Yachtmaster Fast Track course

Can you really become an RYA Yachtmaster in as little as 14 weeks? Check out our top tips for getting the most from a Yachtmaster Fast Track course...

Oyster Perpetual

Yacht-Master

Staying on course, mapping invisible routes.

For those at sea, staying on course is a constant challenge. When dealing with the elements, nothing is certain and constant reaction is required to stay in the right direction. Since its launch in 1992, the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master has been equipped with a bidirectional rotatable bezel that facilitates the calculation and reading of navigational time. Elegantly combining functionality and nautical style, this watch has made its mark well beyond its professional realm.

A shared quest for precision

Knowing where you are in space and time, setting a course and sticking to it are vital in navigation. Given its function, the watch is an essential tool for sailors to assess their position. Regarded as the most precise horological instruments in the world, marine chronometers have been certified by astronomical observatories since the 18th century. At the time, the ultimate authority for measuring chronometric precision was the Kew Observatory in Great Britain.

In 1914, the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, had one of the brand’s watches tested by this very observatory, which certified it as a chronometer: a first in the watchmaking world for a wristwatch. Since then, renowned sailors, such as Sir Francis Chichester and Bernard Moitessier, have navigated the seas with Rolex wristwatches serving as onboard chronometers.

Matching the precision of marine chronometers was fundamental to Rolex’s watchmaking.

Designed for navigators

Sailing occupies a special place in the world of Rolex. In 1958, the brand partnered the New York Yacht Club, creator of the legendary America’s Cup. Rolex then formed partnerships with several prestigious yacht clubs around the world and became associated with major nautical events – offshore races and coastal regattas.

These strong ties culminated in 1992 with the launch of the Yacht-Master. Boasting the robustness and waterproofness of our Oyster case, this chronometer is fitted with a bidirectional bezel with raised 60-minute graduations to enable navigational time to be calculated and read.

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Precious on land and at sea

Available in three diameters – 37, 40 and 42 mm – and in various precious versions – 18 ct yellow, white and Everose gold – as well as in Everose Rolesor and Rolesium versions, the Yacht-Master is unique in the world of Rolex professional watches. An elegant watch with a sporty character, it was the first to be paired with an Oysterflex bracelet in 2015.

In 2023, after testing under real-life conditions by acclaimed helmsman Sir Ben Ainslie, Rolex launched a new version of the Yacht-Master 42. It is made of RLX titanium, a high-performance material, at once light, robust and corrosion resistant.

A veritable ally at sea, the Yacht-Master also elegantly adorns the wrists of navigators once back on solid ground. With many different versions, it is a model that transcends its seafaring origins. It has become a watch for those who know how to change course without losing sight of the horizon, moving freely.

Yacht-Master 42

Oyster, 42 mm, yellow gold.

Fast Track Yachtmaster Professional Sail Training Course

The Hamble School of Yachting fast track Professional Sail Training (PST) course is designed to progress an inexperienced sailor to a fully qualified professional standard.

Hamble School of Yachting follows the globally recognised RYA certification programme that takes students to commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster Offshore level - the gold standard in sailing qualifications. The PST course is also a great option for anyone looking for a life-changing experience; either following retirement, during a gap year, sabbatical or taking leisure sailing to the next level.

PST Brochure

Why Hamble?

SETTING QUALITY FOUNDATIONS

Whether you’re looking to embark on a career in the sailing industry, taking a break from work or looking for a new challenge of long-distance sailing in retirement, it is important to set solid foundations for your journey ahead.

Hamble School of Yachting has a reputation in the industry for the high quality of sailors that come from its courses which provides a valuable head-start when seeking employment.

HIGH CALIBRE INSTRUCTORS Hamble School of Yachting employs only the best teaching staff. All instructors are hand-picked for their ability to communicate, their knowledge and sense of humour! Instructors receive ongoing professional development from the Hamble School of Yachting via a programme delivered by the Chief Instructor. Very few schools adopt this policy.

STRICT INTAKE LIMIT Hamble School of Yachting can offer a choice of different yachts on which to sail and a dedicated teaching block equipped with the latest computer and audio visual technology.

Numbers of students on the PST course are strictly limited to an absolute maximum of ten on each intake. This allows incredibly high quality supervision and monitoring of training and enables students to get much more out of that vital contact time with each instructor.

THE VERY BEST PROGRAMME The programme is purposefully organised in such a way that each week has a clear and dedicated set of goals.

Students are debriefed after each task, and at the end of each week, by the instructor and

Chief Instructor. This enables the school to identify student strengths and weaknesses at a very early stage and ensure a personal action plan is put into place to build up skills accordingly.

AN ALL-ROUND EDUCATION Hamble School of Yachting does not try to enrol its students on a ticket collecting exercise for a bewildering array of different courses. This course is focused and carefully designed to turn out high quality sailors with a good degree of all-round seamanship skills.

The school believes there is no substitute for hands on experience and students spend 72 days of the total 98 days tuition at sea learning the skills of their trade. The weeks spent on practical sailing are carefully divided between skipper development and mileage building to destinations in the English Channel, and “drills and skills” weeks closer to home.

THE HAMBLE TOUCHES Hamble School of Yachting is so committed to delivering the best possible experience that it invites prospective PST students to join the team for a weekend of sailing, free of charge. This gives the opportunity for students to meet school’s friendly faces, see how the school operates and chat to the brilliant instructors about their ambitions. It also allows the team to ensure the course is right for the student. For those with more experience it might be suitable to start at module two or three and this will be assessed over the weekend.

Course Dates

For more details about the course and the options open to you, please download a PDF copy of our PST brochure. If you have problems downloading the brochure or would prefer a hard copy please feel free to call us.

If you would like any help at all or would like to discuss the possibilities further, please call Chris Rushton or any of the friendly team here at Hamble School of Yachting with any questions you might have. We would welcome you to the school at anytime to give you a chance to look around and enable us to discuss your requirements further. We all look forward to meeting you.

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail – Everything You Need to Know

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail ticket is considered the most useful and credible of all sail cruising qualifications. Administered on behalf of the UK Maritime and Coastgaurd Agency by the RYA the qualification is accepted as a worldwide standard. To gain an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail qualification you must sit a practical exam. 

What Does the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Allow You to Do?

Gaining an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail will allow you to work commercially on sailing vessels not exceeding 200GT.

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam certifies that you are competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage that is not more than 150nm from a harbour.

How Can You Sit an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

The exam can be organised via the RYA to be done on your own vessel or via an RYA training centre, to be done on an RYA training vessel. It should be noted, that to complete the exam on your own vessel, your vessel must be up to an appropriate safety standard.

Most RYA training centres offering the RYA Cruising Scheme offer some form of pre exam preparation or coaching for those looking to take an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam.

These courses are often referred to as ‘RYA Yachtmaster Prep’ courses. This is unique within the RYA training framework in that it does not have a fixed course syllabus, length or course completion certificate.

Who Can Do an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam is open to anyone who meets the minimum criteria, with all experience within the last 10 years.

• 18 years of age or older
• 50 days spent at sea
• 2500nm sailed, with at least 50% in tidal waters
• 5 days as skipper
• 5 passages of over 60nm, with at least 2 as skipper

If you have skippering experience but not the required days or passages, then the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail might be for you.

If you have the miles, but not the skippering experience, then again, the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail might be for you.

Additionally, exam candidates must also hold a relevant GMDSS VHF certification and an RYA First Aid certificate or recognised equivalent.

Can You Go Straight to the Exam?

You can indeed jump straight into the RYA Cruising Scheme at this stage, however, it is imperative that you understand the levels that are required of you, both in your knowledge and practical skills.

It is suggested that as a minimum you have completed (and passed) the RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Theory course as the knowledge in here is both required for you to be at the level required, but will be formally tested during your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam, both orally and in practical applications.

What Do You Need to Know before Attending an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Course and Exam?

You, of course, need to be a suitably experienced skipper and this involves meeting the prerequisites mentioned above to be eligible. You should be able to handle your vessel competently in close quarters and at sea. You should be comfortable applying this in various day and night time passages.

As mentioned, it is strongly recommended to have completed the RYA Coastal and Yachtmaster Theory as the depth of knowledge gained from this shore based course will be tested throughout your exam. 

How Long Does a Prep Course and Exam Take?

The exam itself can take anything from 8 hours to 2 days depending on how many candidates are being examined on one vessel at a time. Up to 4 candidates can sit the exam at once and this would last for a maximum of 48 hours if so.

An RYA Yachtmaster Prep course is generally four and a half days long and is usually directly followed by the practical exam.

Is There a Set Syllabus for the Prep Course?

No, this is the one time that while there is a recognised ‘course’, there is no syllabus. It is up to the experienced instructor on the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep course to tailor the learnings to your needs. This is more about refining your skills rather than teaching new ones.

You should be honest with yourself and your instructor in order for learnings throughout the week to be tailored to improve yourself on any weak areas that you may have.

What Should I Expect from an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep Course?

These courses run as a standalone course and while there may be students on another course, generally everyone onboard is a candidate for an RYA Yachtmaster Exam. The courses should however be run with no more than 4 students on board.

The content will depend on the needs of all students and is aimed at fine-tuning existing skills rather than teaching new ones. This will involve a lot of night time sailing and navigation, carrying out challenging boat handling while using theory knowledge and ensuring general skippering skills are up to scratch.

There is a basic syllabus that is used to help shape the exam content, but in reality, you can be tested on anything from the RYA Cruising Scheme within the exam.

Before choosing the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep course you need to be honest with yourself and your own abilities. While on the course you need to take on the advice and guidance given by the instructor on what areas need work. If you speak to your instructor before the course, they can tailor the instruction to your needs.

What Should I Expect on an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

On the exam, you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and competence. You will be expected to take full responsibility of your vessel and crew. The examiner will be looking for you to demonstrate competence and show your broad range of experience.

The exam will be an intensive experience and even when you are not the designated skipper, you will still be asked questions and observed and examined as a participant of the crew.

During the exam you will be asked to complete various tasks, ranging from leaving the dock, skippering a short passage, casualty recovery, night pilotage and even blind navigation. Additionally, you will be tested on theoretical aspects such as how to deal with an engine failure, knowledge of your vessel’s stability, meteorology and IRPCS.

As a potential RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail, these tasks are ones that should now be second nature to you and should take minimal time to plan while the theoretical knowledge should be able to roll off your tongue. 

What Is the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam Syllabus?

The following topics make up the basis for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam syllabus. IRPCS, safety, boat handling, seamanship, responsibility as skipper, navigation, meteorology and signals.

But, as mentioned above, anything from the whole RYA cruising syllabus scheme can be tested.

What Is the Cost of an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Course and Exam?

As ever, many schools differ in price. We would recommend that you take a look around at the various options and find what suits your needs the best. Cheapest is not often better.

This can range from knowing if you will have to share a cabin while onboard to whether food and berthing charges are included to how many other students you will be sharing your week with.

The exam fee is usually not included, which is currently £231.

Where Should I Do My RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail?

As always there are many thoughts and pros on cons on this, and as a potential RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail you should consider yourself experienced enough to sit the exam anywhere. However, if you choose to sit the exam in an area that you are familiar with then you will take a little bit of the stress out of learning a new area and start with a small advantage of having that all important local knowledge at your disposal.

What Happens If I Struggle on the Prep Course?

Your instructor should be able to update you on your ability levels throughout the course. They will be highly experienced and it is suggested that you listen to their advice given.

If you are learning something for the first time you should consider if you are ready for the exam. Talk to your instructor and they will be able to guide you on if you are ready for the exam, if they would advise further training or if they recommend that you aim for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail exam instead.

What Is the Pass Mark for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

There is no pass mark as such and the examiner will be looking to see that you are a competent and complete skipper, capable of looking after both your vessel and crew in a safe manner.

Every exam is different and no examiner will be setting out to fail any candidates, but they must ensure and check that each candidate is able to demonstrate their ability, knowledge and skills in a safe and timely manner.

If you were to fail to reach the levels of an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence then the examiner will give you a thorough debrief complete with action points to work on before you have another attempt at the exam. 

What Comes after RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail

After completion of the exam, you will have gained the highly sought after RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence and you can get this commercially endorsed by adding a sea survival certification, a personal medical and a PPR course, all of which, along with your GMDSS VHF and First Aid should be sent off to the RYA for certification upgrade. This will now allow the holder to skipper a vessel commercially, so long as it is less than 200 gross tonnes, up to 150nm from a harbour.

The next step is of course to get out on the water and to keep learning, keep gaining experience and keep improving on the skills and knowledge learned so far. No skipper is the finished article and we should all keep seeking to improve.

Within the RYA cruising scheme, there are a couple more steps that are possible. This is to progress and upgrade your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence to an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Sail certificate of competence.

To do this there is 3 main steps, first, you will need to complete an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course, where you will learn about astro navigation, ocean meteorology and ocean navigation, join the waiting list for our ocean theory course here . Next, is to complete an ocean qualifying passage that meets the necessary requirements. Finally, you will then need to complete another exam, this time an oral exam, where you will discuss your ocean qualifying passage and general ocean skippering skills.

On successful completion of this, you will be awarded the highest accolade within the RYA cruising scheme, the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Sail certificate of competence.

One other direction of travel is to become an RYA Cruising Instructor for Sail. To do this, you will first want to consolidate your skippering skills and knowledge then look to come back and start off with an RYA Cruising Instructor course. On this course, RYA Instructor Trainers will assess and guide you through what is required and expected in order to work as an RYA Cruising Instructor for Sail.

Releated Posts

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory – Everything You Need to Know

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Motor – Everything You Need to Know

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RYA Yachtmaster Coastal / Yachtmaster Offshore Prep & Exam

Preparation course overview.

The RYA Yachtmaster Coastal / Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation course enables those who hold the required prerequisite experience to sit the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam to fine tune their existing skills prior to sitting the practical exam.

About the course

The preparation course is run over 5 days and designed to assess your level of competency against the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam syllabus found in the RYA Yachtmaster Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G158/15) and is intended to fine tune your existing skills and polish any areas of weakness prior to the exam. The subsequent exam is then run over two days, following the preparation course.

Prior the prep course, we advise that you read the exam syllabus and give yourself an honest appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses. Try to address any shortfalls beforehand and then during the preparation course be open with your instructor about your abilities and what you need to work on in the run up to your exam.

During the prep course your instructor will frequently update you on your progress and ability and recommend which exam you should aim for – whether Coastal or Offshore.

The syllabus is taught in a ratio of (4:1) students to instructor.

Please follow the link if you are looking for the RYA yachtmaster offshore professional course

Prerequisites

Rya yachtmaster coastal exam (sail).

Candidates must be aged 17 or over and require;

• A Radio Operators Qualification – A GMDSS Short Range Certificate (SRC) or higher grade of marine radio certificate
• A valid first aid certificate
• Seatime – 800 miles logged within 10 years prior to examination, 30 days living on board, two days as skipper and 12 night hours.

For holders of the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical course completion certificate, the seatime requirement is reduced to 400 miles, 2 days living on board, 12 night hours, two days as skipper.

Half of the qualifying seatime must have been gained in tidal waters. For sizes of vessel please refer to page 73 in the RYA Yachtmaster Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G158/15).

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam (Sail)

Candidates must be aged 18 or over and require;

• Seatime – 50 days, 2,500 miles, including at least five passages over 60 miles, acting as skipper for at least two of these passages and including two which have involved overnight passages. Five days’ experience as skipper.

At least half of the qualifying seatime must have been accrued in tidal waters. For sizes of vessel please refer to page 73 in the RYA Yachtmaster Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G158/15).

Full details and definitions on qualifying passages can be found here .

Exam overviews

The exam will include an assessment of your skippering skills, boat handling, general seamanship, navigation, safety awareness and knowledge of the IRPCS (collision regulations), meteorology and signals. You will be set tasks to demonstrate your ability and may also be asked questions on any part of the syllabus for all practical and shorebased courses up to Yachtmaster Coastal level.

The exam will include an assessment of your skippering skills, boat handling, general seamanship, navigation, safety awareness and knowledge of the IRPCS, meteorology and signals, with particular emphasis on command skills, boat handling under sail and power in confined spaces, plus navigation and pilotage techniques in daylight, at night and in reduced visibility. Adverse weather conditions and coping with emergencies are also covered.

The examiner will set tasks to enable you to demonstrate your ability as skipper and may also ask questions on any part of the syllabus for all practical and shorebased courses up to RYA Yachtmaster Offshore.

Exam Duration 

The exam will take around 8-12 hours per candidate candidate. No more than two candidates can be examined in 24 hours. Whilst one candidate is being examined the remaining candidates will act as crew.

Qualifications

RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Certification of Competence.

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.

Dates and pricing

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Need help finding the right course for you?

Speak to an advisor on +44 (0)1983 203001 or email us

Yachtmaster Fast Track

Dates and prices.

Fast Track 1/2025 Start Date: 24 February 2025 Finish Date: 15 June 2025 Duration: 16 weeks (includes 83 days at sea, 17 days shore-based and 3 breaks totalling 9 days) Price £10,499

Fast Track 2/2025 Start Date: 21 April 2025 Finish Date: 10 August 2025 Duration: 16 weeks (includes 83 days at sea, 17 days shore-based and 3 breaks totalling 9 days) Price £10,499

Fast Track 3/2025 Start Date: 23 June 2025 Finish Date 17 October 2025 Duration: 16 weeks (includes 83 days at sea, 17 days shore-based and 3 breaks totalling 9 days) Price £10,499

The Elite Fast Track Professional Yachtmaster (Sail) course is a complete, full-time training package designed to take you from sailing and seamanship basics right up to commercially endorsed RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore. It provides a rapid and thorough route to this definitive skipper’s qualification for yachting industry professionals or amateur sailors wanting to achieve the highest competence quickly. Our instructors are highly experienced yachtmaster instructors, specially chosen for their sailing and teaching skills.

We have 3 scheduled courses every year.  But other start dates are available – including both early and late season starts – and we can adjust the content and price to reflect any prior experience you may have.

Why choose Elite Sailing:

• At least 78 days training at sea. Over 2,500 quality sea miles logged
• Individual attention – only 5 students per course
• A professional sailing school with a good track record
• Superb marina base with excellent training waters just 45 minutes from central London
• Genuine all-inclusive Prices
• Includes 7 week circumnavigation of Britain

View the full Yachtmaster Training Prospectus  – Click on the blue panel below

To check availability on scheduled courses, request a specially tailored course – or any other questions:

Call us on 01634 890512 or email [email protected] .

For special programmes please summarise your experience and say when you can start and by when you would like to complete the training.

Great school, fantastic skippers, and easy to reach from London! Really can recommend the weekend courses if you are busy working.

- Leonard Wossnig

Friendly but highly professional sail training, both shore-based and practical. Fred and the team are now my "go-to" RYA trainers of choice. After all, if you learn to sail in the Medway and Thames Estuary, in British weather, in February and March, you can probably sail anywhere!

- Gareth Draper

Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality, Value 100% recommended, good people dedicated, learnt a lot from Paul my instructor and Fred the boss.

- Richard Collis

Absolutely amazing experience. I took part in 2 days Milebuilder. Well prepared. It’s a pleasure to learn from such experienced people like Steve who was a skipper. Highly recommend and hope to return soon.

- Piotr Kurzawa

I've just come back from my first weekend for competent Crew and wow what a great experience. I definitely think I’ve got the sailing bug now. I was nervous before I started the course due to never sailing before. Also, I thought I'd be meeting people completely different from myself, and I wouldn't gel I am covered in tattoos and talk like someone from the cast of Harry brown 😂but everyone was sooo cool and the skipper big Steve was a proper lad and a great teacher! Spoke to us through the whole process, and he also allowed us to make mistakes and build our confidence to get it right. 👌

- David Barrett

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• Certificates of Competence
• RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam

Full details of the exam syllabus and requirements are shown in the RYA Yachtmaster Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G158) available from the webshop (see right).

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore practical exams can be taken under sail or power and your certificate will be endorsed accordingly. The candidate or a training centre provides the boat and the RYA provides an examiner. Note: All qualifying sea time and passages must be gained on vessels appropriate to the type of exam i.e. gained in sailing vessels for a sail exam and power vessels for a power exam.

There is no formal training course leading up to the exam, but those who have not previously taken RYA courses often find it useful to book themselves in for some informal training at an RYA centre prior to their exam. This training can be tailor-made to your specific needs and helps to fill any gaps in your knowledge that may become apparent.

The exam will include an assessment of your skippering skills, boat handling, general seamanship, navigation, safety awareness and knowledge of the IRPCS, meteorology and signals.

Boats used for exams

You may use your own boat or a boat that you have chartered or borrowed. You will be responsible for ensuring the boat is seaworthy and suitable for the area in which the exam takes place and equipped as shown below.

The boat used must be between 7m and 18m (LOA) and be in sound, seaworthy condition, equipped to the standard set out in the RYA Boat Safety Handbook 2nd Edition (code G103). The boat must be equipped with a full up to date set of charts and navigational publications along with working instruments and either plotter or GPS. In addition to the candidate there should be two crew on board as the examiner will not take part in the management of the boat during the exam.

There may be vessels that will meet the guidelines outlined above but by virtue of their layout, construction, handling characteristics or other factors may be unsuitable for use for an RYA Yachtmaster Practical examination. The RYA reserves the right to refuse an exam on a vessel that, in the view of the RYA Chief Examiner, will not allow the examiner to conduct an examination to the standard required by the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Qualification Panel.

Before you book your exam please check that you:

• can provide a boat
• have completed the required mileage and experience as skipper
• hold an SRC (Short Range Certificate) or higher level GMDSS radio operators qualification
• hold a valid first aid certificate
• have read the syllabus in RYA Logbook (G158)
• have read and comply with the pre-requisites above.

Additionally if not on the boat, you will need to bring to the exam:

• laminated or waterproof charts
• GPS set (may be hand held)
• tide tables
• pilotage information for the local area, eg pilot books, port information etc
• plotting instruments.
• Photographic ID card or document, such as a passport or driving licence

If you need your Certificate of Competence in order to work on board a commercial craft subject the MCA's codes of practice, you will need to get it commercially endorsed .

Useful links

Arranging your exam, commercial endorsements, exam payments service, mca manning requirements, professional qualifications.