The RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship course is designed to help learn the skills of navigation, pilotage, passage planning and meteorology. They are great as stand alone courses, but also complement our various practical courses. Whether you are a sailor or drive a power boat, this on line course will equip would-be and experienced skippers with enough knowledge, at least in theory, to go afloat and take charge.

During the course you will be introduced to tidal awareness, charts, almanacs and the use of electronic navigation aids such as GPS. You will be taught about harbour entry and departure pilotage including knowledge of buoyage and a basic understanding of the collision regulations so you know who has right of way! Time will also be spent looking at sources of weather information and what impact this could have on your passage. Towards the end of the course you will put all this information together to plan an actual passage. You will also learn more about what safety equipment you should carry and how it is used.