rya yachtmaster power course

• 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.

+ 1 954 554 5765 - [email protected]

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Welcome to TheOceanAcademy

Superior RYA Yacht Crew Training in South Florida

The Ocean Academy is a fully accredited and recognized Training Center for the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).  We offer superior Theory and Practical Yacht Crew Training 

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore/Coastal (Power)

• We are the ONLY school in Fort Lauderdale to independently offer accredited Theory and Practical training for RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Coastal.  This course includes one week of theory training in chart-work, navigation rules, meteorology, tidal height calculations, aids to navigation, voyage planning and more.  Week two includes practical training on our 40' (12m) training vessel, followed by the RYA Practical Examination. The Duration for this course is 6 days, with a total of 40+ hours of direct contact.  Included in your tuition is the RYA Student Pack which includes course notes, Training Almanac and Training Charts.  Plotting tools are not included, but our Yachtmaster FAQ will help you understand the tools that are needed.  We keep our student/instructor ratio to 4:1 maximum for the best training experience.  Please contact Steve from the contact information below for a consult and information on booking your course.

RYA Power Boat Level 2

• The Ocean Academy is fully accredited to offer the RYA Power Boat Level 2 Course (PBL2).  We offer this course in a two-day theory and Practical course, or a three day evening class for those crew members who are working on-board during the day.  The course is offered on our modern and well equipped 23' (7m) center-console training vessel, with electronic chart plotter, DSC equipped VHF radio and all the latest safety equipment.  Included in the tuition is an online voucher for the Start Boating course notes booklet.  We keep our student/instructor ratio to 3:1 for the best training experience.  Please contact Steve from the contact details below for a consult and infomation on booking your course.

TheOceanAcademy is your best resource for RYA Training In Fort Lauderdale, including custom yacht crew training, PBL2 and RYA Yachtmaster Offshore(Power) instruction

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915 Middle River Drive, Suite 318, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304, USA

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Yachtmaster Power Theory and Practical

Combines both RYA Yachtmaster Theory and the practical prep week.The Course price included the £241 exam fee.

£2,460

• Yachtmaster power

Our two-week Yachtmaster Power Theory and Practical is an all-inclusive course combining the Yachtmaster Theory and the practical prep week.

This course is popular with experienced Superyacht Deckhands, crew from the commercial maritime sector, or those with RYA Yachtmaster sail looking to convert to Yachtmaster Power.

The RYA Yachtmaster qualification

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Power Certificate of Competence allows the holder to skipper of a motorboat up to 24 meters in length, 150 miles from a safe haven. Add STCW Basic Safety Training , and you have a qualification to skipper a motorboat up to 200GT, which may be more than 24 meters.

Course Overview

Our two-week course starts with RYA Yachtmaster Theory. The advantage of the combined theory and practical course is the navigation is fresh in your memory, and you have all your notes to refer back to. We find that customers help and encourage each other and learn a lot more than if studying at home.

Week two is the practical prep week, with five days of practical training, putting the theory into practice as well as learning how to manage the yacht and its systems, mooring, as well as a whole host of other skills required to be a competent skipper. A day-by-day breakdown of what is covered can be found in the key facts below.

Course prerequisites

Customers joining for RYA Yachtmaster Theory would have completed RYA Day skipper theory before or have equivalent knowledge. We recognise that not all customers sit at a chart table every day, so before you join the course, we will provide some background reading.

You must have the prerequisite miles and experience for the practical prep, which you must document and provide to the examiner before you sit the Yachtmaster Offshore exam. Some essential requirements are:

• Completed 2500 miles in the last ten years.
• Within the 2,500 miles above, you have completed at least five passages (known as qualifying passages) of over 60 miles. You would have been acting as skipper for two of these passages.
• You must hold a valid First Aid certificate.   Please note that if you hold an STCW Elementary First Aid, it must have been issued in the last five years .
• Hold a GMDSS-compliant marine radio license, such as the RYA VHF short-range radio certificate.

We recommend you read our comprehensive guide on the Yachtmaster Offshore and Coastal exam requirements . If you are unsure, don’t hesitate to contact us for further guidance.

The RYA Yachtmaster Exam

The Yachtmaster exam is conducted by an RYA examiner independent of Flying Fish. Your instructor will not be onboard for the duration of the exam. The RYA examiner will look at all areas of the Yachtmaster syllabus and assess each candidate’s practical and navigational skills. Your examiner will complete a report form detailing skills covered during the exam. 

The Yachtmaster exam will take between 24 and 36 hours to complete.

The Solent offers a great training ground with numerous ports, strong tides, and traffic. Training in the Solent will improve your knowledge of skippering a small motorboat. 

Flying Fish is based in Cowes, in the middle of the Solent; therefore, we can operate in almost any weather conditions.

There are a maximum of four customers on week 2, the prep week.

Before you join the course

• You must be 18 years old to sit the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam.
• Have completed a minimum of 2,500 miles before you sit the Yachtmaster offshore exam. At least half the sea time must be in tidal waters on a Motorboat between 7 and 24m in length .

Note: If you have been working on a Superyacht/a vessel over 24m, then at least 1,250 sea miles gained on the larger vessel can be used towards the 2,500 required.

Please click the link below for more details on recording your sea miles, converting from sail to power, and more.

Requirements for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam  

For RYA Yachtmaster’s to work as professional skippers, you must apply for commercial endorsement through the RYA. If you plan to work in the maritime sector, please see our article on how to apply for Commercial endorsement .

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Power certificate of competence allows the holder to skipper of a Motorboat up to 24 meters in length, 150 miles from a safe haven.

Add STCW Basic Safety Training , and you have a qualification to skipper motor boats up to 200GT, which may be more than 24 meters.

Not all candidates have the sea time or command experience for the RYA Yachtmaster  Offshore   Certificate .

Candidates with 800 miles logged choose the Yachtmaster  Coastal certificate . Furthermore, some skippers have no intention of going offshore and want to stick to coastal waters.

If you own a motorboat, have no intention of going offshore, and are looking for a qualification that provides confidence, we recommend the Yachtmaster Coastal route.

This course is suitable for RYA Yachtmaster Coastal.

Fish Tales is a Fairline Phantom 40′. She has two Volvo Penta 370 HP diesel engines. She is a shaft-driven boat with a bow and stern thruster to help with maneuvers.

Fish Tales has two 12″ Garmin 8600 series plotters, a 24″ Garmin HD Radar, and an engine and rear-facing camera. All the instruments connect to a TV in the saloon so the entire crew can visualize the navigation exercise.

She is a comfortable, well-equipped boat with heating, a generator, and all the safety equipment you would expect to find on a CAT 2-coded vessel.

If you choose to stay with us, you will stay in one of our self-catering crew houses in Cowes, which are comfortable and centrally located.  There is plenty of space to complete homework and chat through the day with others on the course. Our accommodation is a 5-minute walk from the town and our training centre.

All customers booked onto our Yachtmaster Theory and Practical Prep courses has their own room.

• RYA Yachtmaster theory packs, almanacs, and certification
• All training, fuel, and berthing fees included
• 100 miles logged

Monday – Friday

Arrive for a course briefing at 10:00 am. The RYA Yachtmaster Theory Course starts after the briefing. We will check you into your accommodation around 16:30 pm

Tuesday to Friday – cover all aspects of navigation, meteorology, passage planning, pilotage, IRPCS, secondary ports, and tidal navigation exercises.

You will sit two exams during the day, chart work, and IRPCS. You will be awarded the RYA Yachtmaster Theory certificate on successful completion.

• 10:00 am Join the boat in Cowes
• Introduction to the boat and safety producers onboard
• Engineering, engines, control systems, and what to look out for
• Boat handling
• Marina berthing
• MOB and recovery at sea
• Engine checks/safety brief
• Navigational exercises in the Solent
• Picking up mooring buoys
• MOB and recovery
• Night-time navigational exercises
• Marina berthing/confined space boat handling
• Single engine berthing
• Navigational exercises day-time
• Collision regs/quiz/use of radar
• Marina berthing/confined space exercises
• Boat handling exercises/single-engine berthing
• Revision of the Yachtmaster syllabus

Friday afternoon, the RYA examiner arrives.

Saturday/Sunday

The Yachtmaster exam.

The examiner will join the boat, and your instructor will step off. The Yachtmaster Power exam will last between 12 and 48 hours depending on the number of candidates being examined, a maximum of 4 in any 2-day session. The exam will take place within the Solent. The examiner will ask each candidate to perform a series of practical and navigational exercises based on the weather and tidal conditions of the day.

What our previous customers have to say

What an absolute honour and pleasure it was being a part of Flying Fish family for the 2 weeks I completed with them! From the professional, helpful and attentive staff to fun, laughter and memories.

Staff are amazing and so kind! Great course and great accommodation. Lovely location and an all round great friendly atmosphere.

Book Yachtmaster Power Theory and Practical today!

The Course price included the £241 exam fee.

Would you like to spread the course fees over time? Consider our finance option. For further information, click here .

• Choose an option
• 25th Nov 24

Accommodation 2 weeks

Single room in shared accommodation.

Accommodation is sold out for the dates you have selected, please contact us to discuss your options

or, hold a space for 48 hours

Hold your space for 48hrs

Still not sure.

From training to career advise we’ll be happy to sit down and give you the guidance you need!

Have you completed your VHF course?

STCW Elementary First Aid Certificates may need to be refreshed if more than 5 years old

RYA VHF Radio Course

Stcw elementary first aid course.