RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence

This 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 courses in the cruising programme, there is no formal training to complete in order to become a Yachtmaster. Instead, provided that you have sufficient experience and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge.

We offer a 5 day Yachtmaster prep with examination in the final day or more depending on how many are being examined.  This is to prepare you for the exam, but direct assessment is also available.

Yachtmaster Coastal and YachTmaster Offshore – What’s the Difference?

The definition of a Yachtmaster is: ‘A yachtsman or yachtswoman competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage that can be completed without the use of astronavigation’.

Yachtmasters should be able to enter any well-charted harbour for the first time, with sufficient depth, by day or night.
A Yachtmaster Coastal has ‘the knowledge needed to skipper a yacht on coastal cruises, but does not necessarily have the experience needed to undertake longer passages’.

In other words, the theory is the same for both, but less practical experience and skill is required for the Yachtmaster Coastal exam.