how to prepare for rya yachtmaster course

Full Answer

How do I become an RYA Yachtmaster?

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. 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.

What happens during the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal exam?

During the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Exam the candidate will be expected to demonstrate understanding but may not have had the opportunity to practice all aspects of the syllabus under a range of different weather conditions.

How do I prepare for the Yachtmaster exam?

Most candidates spend some time with an Instructor, whether this is a 5-day preparation course with a sea school or some bespoke tuition on board their own boat. A half decent Yachtmaster Instructor will take you through many of the exercises that an Examiner will expect you to demonstrate and will put you in the mind-set of an exam candidate.

What first aid certifications do I need to be a yachtmaster?

RYA First Aid (While you rae required to hold a First Aid Certifivcate, Yachtmaster examiners will not test First Aid beyond the treatment for hypothermia, calling for medical assistance and discussing evacuation by helicopter).

How hard is it to get a Yachtmaster?

To achieve the qualification you need to pass a practical on the water exam that can last for up to 12 hours. That is correct – a 12 hour exam! The exam can be tough and stressful. To be successful a Yachtmaster Offshore candidate you must be able to not only cope with plain sailing but also with demanding situations.

Does a Yachtmaster expire?

If you are planning on working commercially then the use of Yachtmaster Coastal, Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean certificates is permitted for the skippers of these vessels provided that the certificates are commercially endorsed. Commercial endorsements are valid for 5 years.

How long does it take to get a Yachtmaster?

It is a comprehensive theory and live aboard course consisting of five days classroom theory and a practical component of six days for sail or five days for power including the practical on the water examination. The minimum age to obtain this certification is 18.

What can you do with a Yachtmaster?

The holder of a Yachtmaster qualification can skipper a yacht, lead the crew and deal with both plain sailing and emergencies. Navigation, pilotage, weather, collision avoidance and seamanship are all covered in detail in the syllabus.

How long is RYA Yachtmaster valid?

every 5 yearsIf you teach the RYA yachting syllabus then you must be either a Yachtmaster Instructor or Cruising Instructor. These certifications are renewable every 5 years and all instructors must attend a two day assessment on the water with an RYA Examiner.

Is RYA accepted in Spain?

RYA issued certificates are to be recognised in Spanish waters. The RYA has received confirmation that its International Certificates of Competence (ICC) and several of its course completion certificates and other Certificates of Competence remain valid for skippering Spanish flagged boats.

How much does a Yachtmaster make?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $134,500 and as low as $19,000, the majority of Yacht Master salaries currently range between $35,500 (25th percentile) to $81,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $120,500 annually across the United States.

Is learning to sail a yacht difficult?

Sailing is really very simple; a skilled instructor can teach you the basics in an afternoon. Most beginners shove off on their own after just a few days of lessons. Once you're sailing, you'll wonder why you waited so long to learn.

What do you need for a Yachtmaster qualification?

Sea time requirements for the Yachtmaster Offshore exam50 days at sea on yachts upto 500GT and a minimum of 2,500 miles logged before you sit the exam. ... During this time you would have completed five passages of over 60 miles**. ... Five days experience as skipper.Short-range radio certificate (VHF), or equivalent.More items...

What is the difference between Yachtmaster Offshore and Ocean?

A Yachtmaster Offshore is qualified to skipper a vessel of the same size up to 150 miles from a safe haven. Yachtmaster Ocean extends the Yachtmaster Offshore qualification and qualifies the holder to skipper a vessel of the same size and up to 200gt anywhere in the World.

How long is Rya PPR valid for?

lifeThe RYA PPR certificate is valid for life. If you were issued one of the early certificates it may have a 5-year expiry date on it.

What does Yachtmaster Offshore allow you to do?

The Yachtmaster Offshore certificate allows the holder to skipper a sailing vessel up to 24 meters in length to 150 miles from a safe haven. The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore qualification is recognised worldwide and is seen as the benchmark in professional sailing.

Where to train for RYA?

Grenada – Ideal for Caribbean RYA Training. Grenada and the Grenadines, located in the windward islands of the Lesser Antilles, is the perfect place to complete your RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence. The islands offer tidal conditions, reversing currents, and full inter-island Atlantic swell.

What is a yachtmaster offshore?

RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or the Yachtmaster Offshore? The RYA Yachtmaster Coastal means that you have knowledge needed to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises up to 20 miles from a safe haven. You do not necessarily have the experience needed to undertake longer passages.

How long must a yacht be at sea?

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 sea time must be within 10 years prior to the exam.Click here to see the definition of a passage.

What is Yachtmaster course?

This Yachtmaster course is designed to help you pass your RYA Yachtmaster shore based chart work exam with confidence and as an aide memoire prior to taking the practical Coastal Skipper course and exam and the Yachtmaster exam.

Do you need to do a day skipper to become a yachtmaster?

There are no requirements, although you will find the Yachtmaster course is a step up from Day Skipper, so not something for anyone new to navigation. It is advisable to do Day Skipper first.

Where can I take Yachtmaster training?

Yachtmaster training can take place on a boat or in a classroom. A shore-based course, either at desks in a school or via the increasingly popular Internet distance learning programmes, ends with a theory exam. Success in this will help a student in subsequent qualification upgrades, but it is not officially recognised.

What is good leadership in yachting?

Good leadership is seldom about barking orders, and never about ignoring all on board, yet leadership is what being a Yachtmaster is all about. First, you must be sufficiently comfortable with your own skill levels not to have to worry about little things like picking up a mooring.

What is Lovely mainsail and genoa?

Lovely: both mainsail and genoa set up with the right amounts of tension and twist. All examiners hate to see a yacht sloppily sailed on passage. Make sure that your crew are using the traveller, that genoa fairleads are properly positioned, that the main is well set up with kicker and mainsheet tension for twist.

Is the syllabi identical to the RYA?

The RYA has noted that most candidates are really only making ‘coastal-status’ passages.

Can you stow a yacht's mainsheet?

You can be confident that this yacht ticks all the official boxes by being coded for commercial use, but while some are very up-together, others are not. If the boat is generally sloppy and scruffy, you can at least make an effort to stow the mainsheet in a seaman like manner while you are nominally skipper.

Is RYA sailing a non-RYA course?

This is a non-RYA course and, as such, has no official status or syllabus. However, it is run successfully by many RYA sailing schools to prepare candidates for an examination which generally follows on at the end. Up to four students spend several days together on the boat in which they will be examined.

How do I prepare for a Yachtmaster Exam?

Unlike other RYA qualifications, you will find the Yachtmaster practical exam to be different in format. Unlike the RYA Day Skipper qualification, which is both taught and appraised during 5 days on the water, the Yachtmaster exam is normally undertaken over a two day weekend with up to three other candidates.

How do I prepare for a Yachtmaster Exam?

Unlike other RYA qualifications, you will find the Yachtmaster practical exam to be different in format. Unlike the RYA Day Skipper qualification, which is both taught and appraised during 5 days on the water, the Yachtmaster exam is normally undertaken over a two day weekend with up to three other candidates.