yachtmaster refresher course

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Coastal / Offshore

RYA Yachtmaster

Online Theory Course

A challenging course which stretches you but backed up with excellent coaching and instructor support.

Advanced training for more experienced skippers to navigate safely on coastal and offshore passages

The RYA Yachtmaster  online theory course takes your theory knowledge to the standard required for the Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore practical exams.

This course advances your skills as a skipper of a yacht or motor boat, with an emphasis on navigation and passage planning for more complex coastal or offshore passages by day and night

Includes some time for the revision of Day Skipper subjects then moves on to cover a greater depth of knowledge and more advanced skills in navigation, pilotage & meteorology.

Successfully gaining your RYA Yachtmaster theory certificate will enable you to confidently work towards your Yachtmaster Coastal or Yachtmaster Offshore practical qualification.

• Assumed knowledge To Day Skipper theory level.
• Minimum duration A minimum of 40 hours of course study time is specified by the RYA, plus time for exercises and exams.
• Ability after course Theory knowledge to skipper a vessel on coastal and offshore passages by day and night.  

Simply click below to try a free lesson.

Pilotage for RYA Yachtmaster Offshore

• Charts & Other Publications
• Definition of Position, Time, Speed & Distance
• The Compass (including allowance for deviation and swinging the compass)
• Tidal Theory
• Tidal Heights (including secondary ports)
• Tidal Streams (including interpolation of drift)
• Estimated Position
• Course to Steer
• Visual Aids to Navigation
• Electronic Aids to Navigation
• Passage Planning
• Meteorology (including interpreting surface pressure charts)
• The Collision Regulations
• Safety & Protection of The Environment

Unlimited support from our dedicated RYA Instructors - 365 days a year via email, phone or Skype/Zoom.

14-day unconditional money-back guarantee.

17 fully-narrated online lessons including animations, videos and realistic 3D graphics.

Embedded quizzes with instant feedback in each lesson.

14 self-assessment exercises with fully worked answers.

Over 50 downloadable or linked resources.

Videos covering: updating paper charts, engine checks, dismasting, jury rig, flood control, firefighting, gas explosions, capsize, lifejacket checks, how to put on a lifejacket and what happens when it inflates, man-overboard recovery, launching and boarding a liferaft.

Free Radar course.

RYA Student Pack (including 2 training charts, training almanac & course handbook).

Mock exams to prepare you for the real thing and give you the confidence to pass. 

3 final online exams with detailed instructor feedback and free repeat attempts if requried.

RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased Theory Course Completion Certificate.

12 months access to study with instructor support and exams - you can extend this if you want.

Lifetime access to training materials once you’ve completed the course.

Optional Extras

Plotter and divider You’ll need a course plotter and chart-dividers to complete the chartwork exercises - if you don’t already have these you can purchase a top quality set from us for £28 when you place your order.

Delivery UK delivery is free.  European delivery is £20, outside Europe delivery is £40.

You can start studying immediately as many of the lessons don’t rely on the printed support materials.

This course is accessed online with no additional software required.

Lessons are accompanied by optional professional narration, and notes. 

They are intuitive and easy to follow, whilst more complex subjects are accompanied by interactive animations and graphics to help you gain a full knowledge of each subject in the course syllabus.

Detailed step-by-step workings for navigational or tidal calculations make it easy for you to follow along as we show you how to plot positions, make tidal height and stream calculations, etc

You can go over these again and again, and test your knowledge with regular quizzes throughout each lesson. 

At the end of each lesson there is an excercise containg similar questions to the exam, with detailed and illustrated answers sent to you immediately to confirm your progress and fully prepare you for your mock and final exams.

You can repeat entire lessons and excercises as often as you wish until you are confident that you fully understand each subject.

When you have completed the course you can request mock and then final exams.

These are assessed by our RYA Instructors and detailed feedback is provided in any areas that may require further study within the course.

If you pass the final exams you will be awarded the RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased Course Certificate , which will be posted to you.

Additional free resits, with suitable Instructor guidance, are available if required.

Call us for advice on 0238 218 2604

Course reviews.

Laura Anderson

Very enjoyable and informative

Impressively prompt and thorough feedback on all queries, tests, mock and real exams. Very high standards and you feel you have earned the Yachtmaster certificate.

Ciaran McIntyre

Comprehensive and well delivered

Excellent course materials and high quality delivery. Very responsive and excellent instructor feedback

Andrew Harvey

Excellent Yachtmaster theory course - I’d definitely recommend it.

Does what it says on the tin and more. I was impressed how well the course managed to tackle teaching relatively complex skills in a logical and easy to understand way.

Oliver Fleming

Well put together course.

I found the Yachtmaster theory course to be really well structured and covered all of the syllabus in great detail. I was impressed by how well the course managed to tackle teaching relatively complex skills in a logical and easy to understand way.

Combined - RYA Day Skipper & Yachtmaster to fast track your theory learning

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Tips and hints for passing your Yachtmaster theory

• Katy Stickland
• July 20, 2021

Racing turned cruising sailors Liz Rushall and her husband Mark go back to school to brush up on their Yachtmaster theory

Although accomplished sailors, Liz and Mark found their rusty knowledge was hampering their cruising enjoyment. The Yachtmaster theory course revealed a number of areas in need of a refresher. Credit: David Harding

Liz Rushall shares tips and hints for passing your Yachtmaster theory course

‘Why on earth are you guys doing your Yachtmaster ?’ was the question our friends repeatedly asked. ‘Surely, you know all that stuff?’

We’ve both sailed since childhood, competitively racing dinghies, then keelboats. Sailing is our work and life.

Liz Rushall has won national dinghy and keelboat titles, but currently cruises a 28ft classic Honeybee called Ragdoll

Mark is a British Sailing Team coach, we’ve both won championships together and with others, and raced keelboats offshore.

In between times, since 2000, we’ve cruised Ragdoll our 28ft classic Honeybee, from Emsworth, having slow adventures around Brittany, Normandy, and the West Country.

Generally, we’ve arrived on the day we had planned, if not quite always at our estimated time.

Although I did my Yachtmaster theory some 20 years ago, it’s just like I have a Maths O-Level. It’s still a mystery to me.

Sitting the course at night-school, during an intensely busy job, with a bunch of powerboaters talking jargon knowingly, it was as if I was reliving the horror of maths at school.

Needless to say, as with my maths, I battled through the exam and unfortunately not much of it stuck.

Meanwhile, Mark learned his navigation on the hoof, cruising on friends’ boats during his student days and he is self-taught.

Good at all things involving science and numbers, he was always a bit dismissive of things like compass deviation.

We had a little hand-held GPS, a Walker trailing log, and more recently a very small detachable Garmin chartplotter and Simrad AIS. It all seemed to work – we were fine.

What could possibly go wrong?

You never stop learning

The real answer to the question ‘why do our Yachtmaster ’ was a wake-up call that came last summer.

We’d had a hectic few months, working late and trying to fit in our summer cruise around Mark’s Olympic coaching commitments.

We were both tired and needed a break.

Mark plotted our Channel crossing.

Normally I try to get involved and have a crack at the passage plan too, but it takes me ages.

Making sense of passage planning, including tidal heights and gates, is much easier once you’ve had a refresher. Credit: Liz Rushall

I helped a bit with the tidal streams (which I thought I was good at) and had a quick, over-the-shoulder look.

We decided to head for Cherbourg, to have options.

We dismissed the idea of heading straight to Saint-Vaast, as we’d anticipated a four-hour wait for the lock gates – tedious after a long crossing.

We left Chichester Harbour early, although I wanted to go even earlier.

As soon as we had popped out of the harbour, the wind clearly was not as forecast. It was more WSW than west, so not the reach we had hoped for.

Continues below…

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We were keen to get to France, however, so we pressed on.

It was a big spring tide, so we expected to get swept hard eastwards and then back westwards.

We reefed early, anticipating the wind against tide effect as we got towards France.

But it was a horrible sea. Our little boat was sailing beautifully but struggled to keep to our estimated speed.

We were consistently too far east of our course, even after the tide had turned, and the tide didn’t push us as hard west to Cherbourg as had been expected.

Still behind schedule, the water didn’t flatten out when the tide turned east again.

How to calculate position, estimate time of arrival and course to steer is all easily forgotten in a digital age. Knowing how to extract this information from your chartplotter is also crucial

Now very tired from hand steering, less than two hours from Cherbourg we had to concede that we simply could not punch upwind, with or without the engine.

The whole day had been a domino effect of one little thing after another.

So, as the sun faded, a quick change of plan.

We altered course for St Vaast, rocketing down on the tide, arriving just as the lock gates opened at 2300.

In the end, it was a good result, landing in our favourite spot, although it had been a very long day on a little boat with no self-steering.

After two days’ sleeping, having a sailing coach on board and racing in our blood meant, of course, a thorough debrief.

Naturally, over some lovely seafood and French wine.

We realised that our brains were not getting younger, and clearly there had been some ‘gaps’ in our navigational planning.

For a long time, I’ve felt aware that I didn’t have a complete handle on chartwork, despite owning a certificate that says I do.

The decision was made. Let’s have a crack at our RYA Yachtmaster and find out what we do and don’t know.

A course in ‘Johart’s Window’

Stage one of our plan was enrolling on an Intensive RYA Yachtmaster Theory course with the Emsworth School of Navigation – six days completed over two weekends.

Using dividers to transfer a position line from a scale is easier on a small boat than lining up a plotter or parallel rules. Credit: David Harding

Compared to my memories of scary night-school, the experience was a refreshing change.

Karen Dorontic, the principal, turned out to be an amazing teacher, with astounding levels of patience and a gift for not making you feel stupid, despite most of us coming up with some bizarre calculations and answers.

Her empathy with our learning process, the pitfalls and the mistakes we would make as we progressed through the topics and papers, was clearly based on her own experiences.

We had an interesting, mixed group on the course; a couple refurbishing their yacht to cruise around the world, two people who take people sailing on club-owned yachts, a Solent based cruiser, and my brothers.

One who, like me, did his Yachtmaster theory exam many years ago, the other a confirmed dinghy sailor now doing a bit more yacht racing.

Straight into the first session, and many of us were picking up some great tips.

Frequently things that sounded obvious, although only once you had been told.

For us, it was time-saving things, such as using the dividers to transfer positions from the side of the chart rather than struggling with parallel rules, and unlocking the delights of a Portland plotter.

Both were far more useful for our tiny navigation table. Then, there were the really useful ways of remembering things.

Who knew the cones on cardinal marks point to the black section? Easy.

Bizarrely, one of the most entertaining sessions was learning the Colregs (collision regulations).

We were in hoots visualising all those bells and gongs going off in poor visibility.

Yet once again, Karen gave us really helpful tips for working out lights, especially for towing vessels, which initially felt like a sea of colour we’d never remember.

The intensive nature of the course means there is a vast amount of information to process but without the luxury of a few days to absorb and reread what you are learning.

Almost inevitably, that meant some of us ‘hitting the wall’.

By day two of plotting estimated positions and courses to steer, I could no longer figure out Variation and Deviation.

The phrase ‘Error East Compass Least’ rapidly became another maths maze. Plus or minus?

The more I tried to think about it, the more it went wrong.

One candidate put his dividers down saying: ‘I’ve completely forgotten what it is I’m trying to achieve’.

I began to wonder how we’d ever got our boats anywhere around the Solent, let alone to St Malo, Chausey, and Tréguier.

Homework humiliations

With a lot of exercises to practise before the second weekend, it was hard to cram our homework into a busy fortnight.

Somehow we did, although mealtime conversation got down to the level of ‘what do two red lights mean?’ Riveting stuff!

The family WhatsApp was busy that week with shrieks of frustration as we all made chartwork errors.

Back in the classroom, we all compared notes. Everyone had struggled with their homework.

Mark didn’t get a single question right first time.

Liz found it useful to identify areas of weakness ahead of her Yachtmaster Theory course. Credit: David Harding

Number blindness set in as we all plotted the wrong information, dates and data and tried to use the tidal height tables to calculate tidal stream rates. We’d done it all.

One man owned up to plotting the date as a position on his chart.

At least we were all suffering in the same boat.

Undoubtedly, it was a painful process to go through, as we all fell into the pitfalls and traps deliberately set in the exercise questions.

However, it was true that practice makes perfect.

Through comparing our random attempts with the answers, we were all learning from our errors.

The fog is clearing

With homework horrors behind us, our practice paid off as we went through our exam papers.

Everyone passing the Colregs paper was a confidence boost. Bang the gong!

While we waited to hear our results, the bemused conversation went along the lines of, ‘Were those yellow and red lights a Hovercraft that was fishing?

Or an air-cushioned, displacement fishing vessel?

Details of the RYA Yachtmaster Theory course

Officially speaking, the RYA Yachtmaster Theory course builds on that which is taught in the shore-based Day skipper course.

However, for most people who have sailed regularly, then jumping straight to Yachtmaster theory is unlikely to be a major problem.

The course covers advanced navigation techniques including: position fixing; course shaping and plotting; tidal knowledge including secondary port calculations; navigation in restricted visibility; Admiralty publications and electronic position-finding equipment.

Much of this will be familiar to even the most casual cruiser, but as Liz discovered, some of the specifics might well need a bit of study.

The meteorology tuition includes the taking and interpretation of forecasts, plotting of weather systems as well as weather prediction.

Further courses

Many people who jump straight into Yachtmaster Theory may find that it turns up a weakness or gap in their knowledge.

It can often be helpful to identify areas of weakness and consider a training course that might help raise your level ahead of a Yachtmaster practical exam.

Several schools offer courses on many of the subjects in a Yachtmaster exam and they can help you to improve your knowledge.

On the other hand, it might just be an area you devote more time to in the lead up to Yachtmaster Practical.

Know your COLREGS

The one area where there are no shortcuts are Colregs; you just need to know your stuff – and finding the time to learn isn’t difficult.

So far as the MCA is concerned, this is the crunch.

Examiners are encouraged to demand high standards in this subject, and there’s no reason for a candidate, knowing full well they are going to be grilled extensively on this, not to have the regulations solidly in their mind.

The best way to be exam-proof is to invest in A Seaman’s Guide to the Rule of the Road (Morgans Technical Books Limited (£12.50), available for modest money online or in any chandlery.

Place it prominently in the heads some months before the exam and devote five minutes of each day to digesting its contents.

The book makes it easy and should leave you with no excuse for not having a thorough working knowledge.

Aside from the certificate, we both got a lot out of the course. Mark felt that it reminded him what he did know and reinforced what he didn’t.

Liz found she had forgotten some useful shortcuts during her Yachtmaster Theory course and put these into practice during her Yachtmaster Practical assessment. Credit: David Harding

Learning the processes and the ways to remember them, was so helpful.

For me, cracking the tidal stream rates was a revelation, and fears of secondary ports and tidal height calculations are mostly gone.

It will definitely help us explore places we never felt confident to visit because we have a long keel.

Karen’s many wise tips such as not trusting the electronics unquestioningly, and rapid plotting techniques will be invaluable.

Pilotage plans for new ports will now be a joy rather than a scrabble around through the pilot books.

We love our little boat, we sail her well, yet she will never be anything like the quickest boat on the water.

She needs all the help we can give her, which includes accurate navigation to arrive on time.

Having returned to the Yachtmaster theory I now feel that my confidence is up.

Mark and I now can’t wait for our next big voyage, to see what we’ve really learned.

Now there’s the small matter of our practical exams on the horizon.

5 key points to take away from our Yachtmaster Theory course

• Quick Plotting Techniques: Karen’s quick plotting technique really helps if, like us, you have a very small chart table. Simply plot your latitude using your Portland plotter or ruler. Then measure off your longitude along the top line of the chart from the nearest major longitude line eg 002°. Move the dividers down to in-line with your latitude plot and draw an arc on your first line
• Deviation and Variation: In the end, I solved this by learning to literally translate ‘error east/compass least’ and ‘error west/compass best’ into plain English! In other words: Compass error West – compass will be bigger than True; Compass error East –compass will be less than True. Learning how to use a pencil mark on the error scale on the Portland plotter to avoid the mental arithmetic entirely was another gem.
• Extrapolating tidal streams : One particular ‘lightbulb moment’ was calculating tidal streams. We’d only ever interpolated the tidal streams, estimating the rate between the mean spring and neap rates shown in the tidal atlas. The exercises highlighted that a big spring tide will be higher than the mean rate, and extrapolating this accurately makes a big impact on your course to steer.
• Remembering lights: Learning the lights felt really complex, but Karen taught us to look for the patterns. Remember a clock face for the number of flashes of the N, E, S and West cardinals (E is three flashes, South six, West nine and North continuous) is a great tip. For remembering the lights for towing vessels, adding an extra masthead light to represent the vessel it is towing, plus another for boat length over 50m, and another for tow length.
• Templates for secondary port and tidal stream calcs:  Rather than working it out from scratch each time, Karen encouraged us to develop our own, or use standard templates for calculating tidal information. It helps reduce errors, speeding up the planning process and saving brain cells for other tasks.

Key information on the Yachtmaster practical and theory courses

Why yachtmaster.

Although a Yachtmaster qualification is required for anyone planning to become a professional, thanks to the continuing efforts of the RYA, Brits who sail for leisure still don’t have to carry any proof of competence in home waters.

The certificate certainly remains the logical target of many a self-motivated sailor, though.

It also represents the icing on the cake for those looking for the reassurance of an external assessment.

Theory and Practical

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 popular Internet distance learning programmes, ends with a theory exam.

Success in this will help a student in later qualification upgrades, but it is not officially recognised.

The only certificates accepted by the authorities are those issued after an at-sea examination. To become a fully-fledged Yachtmaster, this practical test is the one that counts.

Coastal or offshore

In recent years, the old Coastal Skipper has been superseded by the new Yachtmaster Coastal certificate.

The qualifying mileage for this MCA-recognised qualification is 800 miles, with passage and night-hour requirements being regarded as fairly relaxed in comparison with Yachtmaster Offshore, which keeps its 2,500-mile entry level.

Either will serve as a proper Yachtmaster qualification and can be described as such.

Only the often-dropped suffix distinguishes the two.

Apply for ‘coastal’ and the examiner, recognising that you have less sea-time, will be more inclined to cut you a bit of slack.

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

In real terms this includes an annual trip across the Irish Sea, the North Sea or the Channel in a calculated weather window.

Yachtmaster Exam Preparation

The boat school 5-day yactmaster preparation course (sail) is an intensive course to hone your practical skills before you take the the rya yachtmaster coastal or offshore exam. depending on your skill level and experience, you can elect to take the yachtmaster exam at the coastal or offshore level., quick facts, read the requirements carefully, 5-day intensive practical course, optional 2-day theory refresher, taught by our chief instructor · sail, allow 9 days for the course & exam.

The details

• You'll learn
• Requirements

Depending on your skill level and experience, you can elect to take the Yachtmaster exam at the Coastal or Offshore level. The preparation is exactly the same; however, the requirements are different (see the tab “requirements”) and the examiner will be looking for a higher level of ability at the Offshore level. You can choose which level to apply for anytime before the actual exam date and, if you’re uncertain, your instructor can help you decide during the course.

Although the Yachtmaster exam is essentially practical, candidates are expected to demonstrate a sound knowledge of navigation (including tidal streams and heights), weather and forecasts, collision avoidance, pilotage and passage planning. For this reason, at The Boat School, we always run a 2-day theory refresher immediately before the 5-day practical course. You can opt out of this refresher, but we highly recommend doing the course even if you think your theory is up to scratch!

We will book your RYA Yachtmaster exam for dates immediately following the Prep course. In most cases, the exam will last two full days. In arranging travel, you should therefore plan to spend 7 full days with us, or 9 full days if you elect to do the theory refresher.

The Boat School course to obtain the RYA Coastal Skipper (Sail) certificate is taught in small groups with a maximum of four Yachtmaster candidates.

Is this course for me?

You can choose to complete the course either as part of an open group or you can rent a boat for the day and complete the course with family and friends.

Open groups With an open group booking, you book a place on a course and we’ll admit up to a maximum of four students onto that same course. This is the most economical option; however, it’s also the least flexible option if your availability is limited. The price of a seat on an open course includes fuel and mooring fees away from our base.

We schedule courses in accordance with the availability of students interested in the course. Please contact us for details of the next course.

Rental & course pack With this option, you charter a sailing yacht and we provide the instructor and teaching materials. This option gives you maximum flexibility in terms of dates and the option to choose the boat on which you’ll be learning (subject to availability). As with any charter, you’re responsible for paying the fuel for the boat as well as mooring fees away from our home port.

Rental with tuition: please ask us for a personalised quotation

Own boat tuition If you already own a yacht, or if you have a friend who owns a sailboat, we’re more than happy to run this course on your own boat. This option is significantly cheaper than open groups and charters; however, you do need to make sure that your boat is up to the standard required by the RYA for training.

What’s included? Your RYA Yachtmaster Prep course with The Boat School includes:

• Use of a coded sailboat during the course and exam
• Use of light-weight inflatable life jackets
• Cold water on the boat
• Fuel and mooring fees (open groups only)

This course includes accommodation aboard for the complete duration of the course; however, we cannot guarantee that you will have your own cabin (this depends on the type of yacht used for your course). We do guarantee:

• Couples (or friends) will have their own cabin
• Female participants will only share a cabin with other female students
• Please contact us if you have any questions about accommodation

What’s not included? RYA examiners fee and travel expenses.

The exam can require you to demonstrate knowledge and competence across a very wide ranging syllabus (see Logbook G158 pages 74-76.)  so the Yachtmaster preparation programme will be demanding and hard work. You can expect to be working long days and into the evening. During the Yachtmaster Prep course your instructor will frequently update you on your progress and ability and recommend which exam you should aim for – Coastal or Offshore. Below is a list of the prerequisites you need before you can take the exam together with the documentary evidence you will need to present. This documentary evidence will be reviewed by the examiner at the start of exam. If it is not complete, the exam cannot continue. To be absolutely clear, you will not be permitted to take the exam if any of the following does not meet the required standard. However, you will still be charged for the use of the vessel, and may also be liable to cover the costs of the examiner’s time and travel.

All the information below is also available in the RYA Yachtmaster Scheme Syllabus and Logbook, (G158) available from the RYA (www.rya.org.uk).

Coastal Yachtmaster Exam

• Minimum 17 years old
• A valid radio operator’s licence (SRC -or equivalent- or higher)
• A valid current First Aid Certificate (see RYA website for acceptable certificates)
• Minimum of 800 sea miles logged within the last 10 years (half the miles logged MUST HAVE BEEN in tidal waters)
• 50% of sea time must be in vessels of 7-24m LOA
• 30 days at sea (20 days if you have completed the RYA Coastal Skipper certificate)
• 2 days as skipper
• 12 night hours

Offshore Yachtmaster Exam

• Minimum 18 years old
• Minimum of 2500 sea miles logged within the last 10 years, of which at least 1,250 MUST HAVE BEEN in tidal waters.
• 50 days living on board
• 5 days as skipper
• 5 passages of over 60 miles . Of these you must have been skipper for a minimum of 2 passages.
• A minimum of 2 qualifying passages must have been overnight.
• Qualifying passages must have been in vessels of 7-24m LOA

Find out more about the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam

Book your yachtmaster preparation course, book a place in an open group, rental with course pack or own boat tuition.

The option of chartering one of our sailing yachts or running the course on your own boat gives you maximum flexibility whether you’re looking for a small group (up to 5 students) or you want one-to-one training. You can choose between:

Yachtmaster Preparation

Coastal & Offshore

Ready to book? Got any questions?

Or give us a call on:

Call an RYA Boat School instructor on: 639202297

We'd be delighted to talk you through different course options and send you a personalised proposal if you need a package of courses.

The Boat School

Recognized by the Royal Yachting Association to conduct Powerboat Training, Sail Cruising courses in the Yachtmaster (sail) scheme and Shorebased (theory) courses.

Recognized by the Spanish Directorate General for Merchant Shipping, the Comunidad Valenciana and the Region of Murcia to conduct sail, motor, powerboat and VHF training.

Operational Base Denia

Marina de Dénia (Sail courses) Darsena de babor s/n 03700 · Denía Alicante · Spain Click to call

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Classrooms & pick up for certificates Carrer de Fora Mur, 12 03700 · Dénia Alicante · Spain Click to call

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Greenwich Náutica C/ Marqués de Lema 7, Local 6 28003 · Madrid Spain Click to call

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customer Carolyn

Great Course

Day skipper theory course was very good - well explained and clear. There was help on hand when needed but working it out for yourself was great instruction in itself! I would certainly do another course with Navathome and would recommend it to others.

Comprehensive course with helpful feedback

I recently took the Coastal/Yachtmaster theory course with Navathome, and happily I passed. There is a great deal of information to cover, and trying to fit this round a day job meant I needed an extension to the time to go through the course, but they kindly granted me this, and provided helpful and constructive feedback at every point. The exam itself probably needs several days, especially if you are as slow at plotting fixes as I am. Think of a number and double it is useful in terms of time needed. The final paper is really an all-day job, so make sure to allow yourself a clear block of time when you can drop everything else and give it your undivided attention. Overall, this has been a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience, and I now feel far more confident that I have decent knowledge to back up the practicalities of sailing.

Navathome Day Skipper Theory

Just completed and passed the RYA Day Skipper Theory course with Navathome. It was a really great experience and I was pleased to discover that I am still capable of learning lots of new things. The content is excellent at delivered at your own pace so you can go back over things that you don't understand as many times as you want.

Tom, Cardiff

Well laid out lessons/resources

Well laid out lessons/resources. Excellent practice questions covering all scenarios. Instant feedback. Very helpful and patient instructors!!! Thank you All at Navathome

The day skipper theory course from…

The day skipper theory course from Navathome is really good. It is well laid out and easy to follow. It is simple to see your progress. The website works very well, I didn’t have any issues with it. I didn’t need to ask many questions, as the online course is so well structured, but when I did they were answered quickly and clearly.

Graham Foster

Comprehensive and high quality on line learning

A very comprehensive course giving time to complete all the exercises at your own pace, build confidence and commit everything to long term memory. I found this far better than creaming everything in over several weekends but be warned this is not the easy option. Fortunately great instructors available when required and instant feedback aids learning. Highly recommended.

Great course

Great course, super concise and well structured. I was able to sail through my practical assessment without any issues. (Dayskipper and Diesel Engine)

One of the best online courses ever!

One of the best online courses I’ve done, in any field. A great combination of text, diagrams, videos/animations, use of practical and physical components (charts, books, almanacs), quizzes, tests and full-on assessments. And there is always help from real people, who care about getting you where you want to be.

Very nice and helpful instructors

well structured course, with explanations for everyone. the instructors who are there for the student, helping him whenever he needs it.

Steve SP REPAIRS

Great Day skipper theory course fit in with my spare time.

Working so many hours I was able to fit the course in around my spare time.. the lessons were great and explained well with videos and graphics. The language was straightforward and although required some good concentration at times it was made even easier with how quick the reply to email questions would be.. I mean, literally a few minutes! This is a real professional set up with a real family/ kind feeling and atmosphere. Obviously you never meet the teachers apart from email but you can get a good sense that NavAtHome.com want you to pass vs just doing their jobs.. thank you NavAtHome.com, Jackie, Salomon and others that came back to my questions over the last months, look forward to doing the coastal course next year!

A very enjoyable course to do

The course was very easy to navigate and friendly to do. There are a few typos, but nothing to make anything ambiguous. I restarted the course this year after having to suspend doing it when I started caring for my mother a few years ago. The staff couldn't have been more helpful. I certainly will do another course in the future if I think it necessary for my level of sailing.

WHY NAVATHOME ?

Full support to pass, multi device support, highest rated school, free navathome app.

EXPERT RYA INSTRUCTORS

Fully animated lessons, group discounts, exceeds expectations, 6 months to complete with lifetime access to revision material.

Get 6 months initial access to complete the course, which may be extended, if required. After completing the course, you will receive lifetime access to our Revision Material to ensure you maintain the skills and knowledge you have learnt with us.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our goal is to assist you by addressing common questions and providing valuable information about our courses and services. If you’re unable to find the specific answer you’re seeking, we encourage you to reach out to our dedicated team. We are always ready to provide further assistance and support.

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Jump Into Your Next Adventure

Yacht crew training, our crew training centres.

Bluewater is the longest established dedicated yacht crew training provider. As superyachts have grown larger in length, more technical and more complex to run, the demand for quality yacht crew training courses has increased year after year. Read More

As superyacht cruising grounds have expanded, so have we. We are proud to offer quality training in the two major European yachting hubs: Antibes on the Côte d'Azur and the Spanish yachting hotspot of Palma de Mallorca.

Professional Yachtmaster Offshore

Advance your maritime career.

UKSA’s Professional Yachtmaster Offshore qualification is a bespoke, ALL-INCLUSIVE, comprehensive training package that will provide you with the skills you need to start your career in the maritime industry.

Our yachting career students will tell you that we provide unbeatable  course content, training and facilities.  You will also enjoy modern shorebased accommodation and freshly prepared daily meals while you are training with us.

About the Professional Yachtmaster course

This unique, premium qualification has been developed by Richard Baggett , one of the world’s top yachting instructors, and his highly experienced team at UKSA. The course is constantly monitored and adapted to ensure it remains relevant and always covers the current requirements for you to start working in the industry straight away. UKSA’s highly regarded Yachtmaster opens up the most opportunities for employment within the maritime sector. These opportunities include, but are not limited to, working on superyachts, flotilla, tug boats, and employment in the Merchant Navy.

• 16 weeks training
• 70 days afloat
• 2,500 tidal miles covered
• Navigation training
• Radar training
• Basic engineering and safety training
• Careers guidance from our professional team
• Networking within the industry

Train at UKSA and experience our unbeatable value, world-class tuition and invaluable industry support and insight.

Please note:  On occasion your sea phases may involve travelling outside of the UK. Therefore, to avoid restricting sailings we highly recommend that all Professional Yachtmaster Offshore students/Cadets are vaccinated against Covid-19 with the current maximum number of doses.

  Please note this is not mandatory in order to complete the course but a recommendation.

Why train with UKSA?

When you train at UKSA you experience our world-class tuition and over 35 years of maritime industry insight.  Also included in your course fee :

• Accommodation in our new  Sea.Change building when shorebased for the duration of your course *
• Freshly prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner provided each day
• Purpose built classrooms and navigational training simulators all on one site
• One-to-one mentoring throughout the course from your instructors
• Dedicated careers course manager
• Career support both during and after your time at UKSA
• Networking on site throughout your time at UKSA
• Use of our swimming pool
• Access to our fully equipped gym

*  subject to availability, we reserve the right to provide alternative accommodation on site

Qualifications gained

• RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore (Sail) or RYA Yachtmaster Coastal (Sail)
• RYA Day Skipper Shorebased
• RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Shorebased
• Personal Survival Techniques
• Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting
• Elementary First Aid
• Personal Safety and Social Responsibility
• MCA Proficiency in Designated Security Duties
• RYA Short Range Radio
• RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance
• RYA Powerboat Level 2
• RYA Professional Practices and Responsibilities

Commercial Endorsement

To work professionally within the maritime industry, you must be commercially endorsed. To commercially endorse your RYA Yachtmaster Certification at the end of your training, you will need to complete the RYA application for Commercial Endorsement Form, but you will gain all qualifications needed to commercially endorse your ticket during training.

Entry requirements

You must have an ENG1 seafarer medical fitness certificate to work at sea (click  here   for more details) and to enable you to apply for your RYA Commercial Endorsement (click  here  for more details). We recommend all students secure this before attending a course.

There are no other pre-requisites necessary to start the course. All that we ask is that you have enough sailing experience to know that you want a life at sea. If you don’t have any previous experience, we recommend you talk to our course advisors on  +44 (0)1983 203038  or  [email protected]

Funding available

We are here to support you

UKSA is committed to making training and qualifications accessible to those who have the desire to succeed in a yachting or watersports career. Funding could be available for this Yachtmaster course. To see a full list of all of our funding options visit our  funding opportunities page  or call us to talk about your options with our experienced course advisers on  +44 (0)1983 203038 .

Frequently asked questions

How to get a commercial skipper’s license

The recommended route to obtaining a commercial skippers license is to do two training courses which consist of the Day Skipper Shorebased course and the Day Skipper Practical course. These are both included in the Professional Yachtmaster offshore course. The first covers the theory and knowledge-based training, such as meteorology, navigation, pilotage techniques and collision regulations; the second is putting this theory into practice in addition to developing the practical skippering skills of crew management, boat handling, practical pilotage and passage making.

What is a Yachtmaster?

A Yachtmaster is a person with a wealth of maritime knowledge who can cope with plain sailing and motor cruising and is also able to cope in demanding situations. Our Yachtmaster offshore qualification is recognised and respected all around the world and is the ultimate aim of many skippers, both professional and recreational.

Who are the RYA?

The RYA (Royal Yachting Association) are the national body for dinghy, yacht and motor cruising, all forms of sail racing, RIBs and sports boats, windsurfing and personal watercraft and a leading representative for inland waterways cruising.

View more Yachtmaster FAQs.

Dates and pricing

Don’t just take our word for it.

“The course is very professional, the instructors are experienced and highly motivated, and everyone is friendly and keen to help you succeed. The key reason I joined UKSA is to get my yachting ticket from an organisation that is well respected in the yachting industry. I also wanted to benefit from the careers support to be able to break into a career in professional yachting.”

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#SeaChangeStories

I jumped at the chance to compete in the Golden Globe Race. This was everything that I had worked for and I had a chance to live it. For the past few years, I have been working flat out with a team of people to realise my ultimate goal of doing this race. It will be a challenge like nothing I have done before and I am throwing myself completely into it. Gregor McGuckin -Golden Globe Race/Professional Yachtmaster

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Need help finding the right course for you?

Speak to an advisor on +44 (0)1983 203038 or email us

Ideal for candidates for the Coastal Skipper practical course & Yachmaster Offshore exam. Some revision of the Day Skipper shorebased course plus more advanced skills in offshore & coastal navigation by day & night, pilotage & meteorology.

Knowledge to the level of Day Skipper Shorebased.

40 hours plus exam time

Position fixing, course shaping and plotting, tidal knowledge, use of almanacs and admiralty publications, electronic position finding equipment, taking and interpreting forecasts, plotting weather systems, weather predictions using a barometer.

Background knowledge to skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day & night.

This is a shorebased course that can be taken in the classroom, online or by distance learning.

RYA Navigation Handbook 2nd Edition

£19.99

RYA Navigation Exercises

£22.99

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Deep Blue Sea Training

Rya yachtmaster training, yachtmaster courses mallorca.

This level of RYA training is a specialty for Deep Blue Sea for Yachtmaster candidates and our students come from many locations around the globe. With a remarkable exam success rate, professional training support (pre and post course) and a constant stream of positive reviews and feedback, we are quickly establishing ourselves as the professional choice for RYA training in Mallorca.

The RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore Certificate of Competence is recognised and respected around the world. An RYA Yachtmaster™ needs a wealth of knowledge, not only to cope with plain sailing or motor cruising but also to be able to cope in demanding situations.

Most Yachtmaster™ candidates choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for some tailor-made tuition to prepare them for the exam. This is not compulsory but if you have not previously undertaken any formal training it is unlikely that you will pass the exam.

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Yachtmaster Theory Workshop

Course runs throughout the year, but must be booked in advance as places are limited.

Yachtmaster / Coastal Skipper Theory Course

This course provides theory knowledge to the standard required for the Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore practical exams.

Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam Preparation

Yachtmaster offshore motor examination preparation, yachtmaster sail to motor conversion course.

The same rules apply whether you are converting from sail to power, or from power to sail, but the practical exam for converting from power to sail may take slightly longer.

Yachtmaster Ocean Theory Course

Note: If you are working towards your Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence, completion of this shore-based course exempts you from the written exam.

About Deep Blue Sea Training

Deep Blue Sea Training are an established and accredited RYA training centre in Palma de Mallorca, Spain providing RYA courses for leisure and recreational sailors as well as professional seafarers.

Professional Yacht Crew

If you currently work, or are hoping to work in the yachting industry you need appropriate training and qualifications. For sail, motor, power and personal watercraft, the Royal Yachting Association of Great Britain (RYA) has a wide range of highly respected qualifications that are internationally recognised and many of which can be commercially endorsed for those working in the maritime sector.

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Office: + 34 971 902 100 Mobile: + 34 694 452 709

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Calle de Sant Magi, 46 Santa Catalina Palma de Mallorca 07013 Spain

Yachtmaster Offshore Exam

A Yachtmaster Offshore is qualified to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage during which the yacht is no more than 150 miles from harbour. The Yachtmaster Offshore is competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage during which the yacht is no more than 150 miles from harbour. 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.

Please see our 2 week combined theory and practical exam preparation packages for more information: https://www.palmaseaschool.com/yachtmaster-packages/

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What is the yachtmaster offshore exam.

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

Prerequisite Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum age 18
• Hold a VHF Radio Operators License or Short Range Certificate
• Hold a valid first aid certificate
• 50 days, 2,500 miles including at least 5 passages over 60 miles, acting as skipper for at least two of these passages and including two which have involved overnight passages. 5 days experience as skipper. At least half this mileage and passages must be in tidal waters. All qualifying sea time must be within 10 years prior to the exam.

Please see our 2 week combined theory and practical exam preparation packages for more information:

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Yachtmaster Ocean Theory

International Certificate of Competence (ICC)

RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Sailing Course

© Palma Sea School - 2024 All rights reserved | RYA Yachtmaster & Powerboat Courses in Palma de Mallorca

RYA Courses

Fast Track can be a complete course or join at your level

Yachtmaster Sailing School offers a Fast Track for those sailors who already have some experience but little or no formal qualifications.

The Fast Track course is a comprehensive series of training modules covering all certificates in the RYA Sail Cruising and Yachtmaster Scheme as well as short courses in Sea Safety & Survival, MROCP (VHF & HF) Radio Licence and Diesel Engine course.

If you are an experienced sailor or have some qualifications, Yachtmaster Sailing School will go over your existing qualifications and develop a suitable program to help you complete the RYA Yachtmaster certificate.

Port Phillip is a unique sailing area. It’s a very large bay so we have rough weather, tricky sandbars and strong tides all of which will help give you the experience you need.

DO I NEED A MINIMUM MILEAGE AND SEA TIME BEFORE TAKING THIS FAST TRACK COURSE?

There is no minimum sea time requirement or mileage required to start this course. This course will provide the minimum sea time requirement to get you to RYA Coastal Skipper Certificate of Competence (a commercial certificate), but extra sea time is required for the RYA Yachtmaster certificate.

Our Fast Track course will provide you with approx 500 miles and 20 days of sea time and 14 days of classroom theory.

The RYA Yachtmaster certificate requires 50 days and 2,500 miles. The exam for RYA Yachtmaster can be taken once the miles have been accumulated. If you already have 1,500 miles and 30 days logged experience, by completing the Fast Track course you will have the minimum sea time experience to take the RYA Yachtmaster exam.

WHY DO I NEED A RYA/MCA YACHTMASTER CERTIFICATE?

This is the only certificate available in Australia that is recognised worldwide as a commercial ticket and is mandatory for work as a skipper on super yachts.

This certification allows you to work as Captain/Master on private vessels, commercial vessels and super yachts up to 24 metres. Over 24 meters and less than 200gt as Master up to 150nm from safe haven, beyond 150 miles from safe haven you are able to work as Chief Mate.

Note that all Masters and Crew must have the STCW10 short courses to secure work on vessels greater than 24 metres. We do not teach the STCW10 courses. For information on STCW10 courses, please contact the Australian Maritime College in Launceston, Tasmania on 03 6335 4711.

The RYA Yachtmaster exam is conducted on the water by an independent examiner. Taking part in or completing the Fast Track course does not give a guarantee of passing the exam.

The RYA Yachtmaster certificate requires a high standard of seamanship and knowledge. You will need to do a considerable amount of work/study outside classroom and sailing hours.

Yachtmaster Fast Track Syllabus:

RYA Competent Crew

RYA Day Skipper – Theory and Practical

RYA Coastal Skipper

RYA Yachtmaster Theory

RYA Yachtmaster – Preparation for exam

MROCP (VHF & HF) Radio Certificate

RYA Diesel Engine Course

Sea Safety & Survival Course

Fast Track Starting Early 2024

Fast track starting late 2024, what do i bring.

FOR SAILING

Wear clothes suitable for the season and rubber soled shoes, preferably with a white or light coloured sole. A cap, sunglasses, bottle of water and sun screen are also a good idea. You will also need change of clothes, toilet kit, sleeping bag and any special medicine you may require packed in a flexible soft bag. We provide you with wet weather gear (with the exception of boots) if required.

• Two soft 2B pencils
• Pencil sharpener
• Note pad and pens

* Must be pre-ordered 2 weeks prior and will be supplied on the day, please phone or email details.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

• RYA theory course notes and training charts
• Most meals on practical sailing courses (except for a few dinners ashore per course)
• Course completion certificates
• Radio Operator Licence (subject to exam)
• YA Safety and Sea Survival certificate

First Aid can be organised if required.

Please note that accommodation or meals are not included for theory courses.

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• Own Boat Tuition – Sail or Power
• ICC & CEVNI
• Corporate Team Building
• Sailing Holidays

Impartial training and careers advice

Call us: +441983 280 641

+441983 280 641

STCW Refresher Course

Seafarers are required to update STCW Fire fighting and Personal Survival every five years.

Cowes, Isle of Wight

Under the STCW code, all seafarers must refresh practical skills covered in Personal Survival and Fire Fighting every five years .

While working onboard you will be involved in fire fighting and evacuation drills however, it is unlikely that seafarers have the opportunity to board a life raft or tackle a real fire. Our STCW refresher course allows seafarers to practice key skills not covered during onboard drills.

Our STCW refresher course provides the skills and certification to keep your qualifications current.

What does the course cover?

Stcw fire prevention and fire fighting (2.5 days).

Refresh your knowledge on the different types of firefighting equipment found onboard a ship, including BA gear and the fundamentals of casualty recovery in a smoke-filled compartment. As part of this training, you will complete a live-fire exercise and use various fire extinguishers.

STCW Personal Survival Techniques (1 Day)

In this part of the course, you’ll get the chance to go back to the pool and get into a life raft. We’ll update you on protocol changes, techniques, and equipment since your last Sea Survival Course.

RYA Yachtmaster

If you are working as a skipper using your commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean certificate of competence, please be aware that you must refresh your First Aid qualification. If it’s STCW Elementary First Aid, this must be refreshed every five years.

MCA Recognition

Flying Fish UK are recognised by the MCA to deliver the STCW 2010 Basic Safety Training course. The course complies with Section A-VI/1 of the STCW code.

Safety equipment, and transport to and from our training location. Training and certification.

If you choose our accommodation option, you will stay in one of our crew houses in Cowes , comfortable and centrally located, only a 5-minute walk to the centre of Cowes and our training centre. Almost all customers stay with us. Only those who live on the Isle of Wight choose to stay at home.

You must hold an existing STCW Personal Survival Techniques Certificate and STCW Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Certificate to attend this STCW Refresher Course.

We will ask for copies of your original certificates on arrival.

Fire Fighting and Personal Survival Techniques are physically demanding and require a good level of fitness. You should hold an ENG1 Medical Certificate or equivalent to prove medical fitness.

For successful completion, 100% attendance is required, and students are expected to participate actively in all course elements.

Course briefing at our training centre in  Cowes, Isle of Wight

Beginning of fire fighting theory

Tuesday and Wednesday

These two days are the fire fighting practical, giving you the knowledge and skills needed to use firefighting equipment, fire extinguishers, and breathing apparatus to reduce fire to a safe and controlled state.

One-day Personal Survival course.

The course finishes in Cowes around 17:30.

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 STCW Refresher Course today!

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Still not sure.

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

Do you need to refresh STCW Elementary First Aid?

STCW Elementary First Aid Course

Yacht Crew Training Fort Lauderdale

Your career choice stay the course, experienced & knowledgeable yacht training professional yacht training is the only accredited iyt megayacht training provider in florida, stcw 10 training, international convention of standards of training, certification & watch keeping for seafarers the qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships., +300 google & facebook reviews 5 stars rating - the favorite among crew, marshall islands master & mate, marshall islands 350 gt master & 500 gt mate for the marshall islands 350 gt master & 500 gt mate course you must possess a 200 gt master of yachts or greater., mca officer of the watch, certificates of competency - 500 - 3000 gt training - oow yachts less than 3000 gross tons seven (7) different modules are required for a certificate of competency, mca compliance - oow, officer of the watch - yachts up to 3000 gt accreditation is widely recognized by all major yacht regulatory bureaus, insurance companies, as well as charter & management agencies., mca master modules, certificates of competency - 500 - 3000 gt certificates of competency (coc's) are required in order to command vessels up to 500 gt or 3000 gross tons., professional yacht crew training for careers in yachting, what is stcw training & stcw 10 basic safety.

The International Convention of Standards of Training, Certification and Watch Keeping for Seafarers defines the training necessary for all persons employed at sea. Starting out requires the completion of basic safety training courses which are compulsory requirements for all yacht crew.

STCW Refresher Program (STCW 10 Refresher / Revalidation)

Have You Satisfied the STCW Five Year Requirement – Providing Evidence You Have Maintained the Required Competence in Basic Training? STCW 10 Refresher / Revalidation entry requirements stipulated that you have previously been issued with a STCW certificate (STCW 95). This course is a requirement of the amended STCW 2010.

On-Line Tacht Crew Training Courses

Professional Yacht Training, Fort Lauderdale offers select on-line training courses through our training partner, VIRSEC. From MCA Approved STCW ISPS Maritime Security trainings to Hostile Environment Awareness & Antiterrorism trainings, VIRSEC’s fully online courses are user-friendly, affordable and easily accessible.

We provide the Fort Lauderdale yacht crew training courses you require for MCA compliance and which are widely accepted for the private and commercial operations of both power & sailing yachts up to 3000 gross tons. The accreditation is widely recognized by all major yacht regulatory bureaus, insurance companies, as well as charter & management agencies.

The mca officer of the watch certificate consists of seven different modules ( oow crew training courses ), these are required to be completed for the mca officer of the watch (yachts less than 3000 gt) certificate of competency and are preparation for the mca oral exam., fort lauderdale yacht crew training school, professional yacht training (pyt usa) offers international yacht training (iyt) for professional and recreational yacht crew. iyt worldwide master of yachts 200gt certificates are mca recognized and essential for working on board a yacht., since its founding in durban, south africa, in the year 2000, pyt has established an enviable reputation and we are delighted to now be able to bring our special approach to the us and offer selected courses in fort lauderdale., pyt reached a milestone in april 2013 when our subsidiary, pyt usa , was granted the license to offer iyt worldwide courses in fort lauderdale , florida thereby allowing us to bring our style of teaching to one of the main centers of the mega yacht industry., yachting careers | yacht jobs, start your yacht crew training in fort lauderdale, florida and work on a yacht, no surprises – no hidden costs.

Your costs are inclusive of exam fees and training boat time.

You receive a commercial-grade certification, not an “endorsed” leisure ticket.

Full MCA approval for 200 ton Masters Certificate.

Fort Lauderdale Training Facilities

Centrally located in the heart of the “yachting capital of the world”.

Within walking distance of crew houses and marinas.

Crew agencies are also just steps away.

Professional & Knowledgeable Staff

Experienced trainers give you the individual attention often lost in bigger classes.

We provide a wide experience of training for all levels of international yachting.

Committed to succeed & progress towards the fulfillment of your career ambitions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Refresher Course: How should we govern AI?

Every other Tuesday, the team behind Civics 101 joins NHPR’s All Things Considered host Julia Furukawa to talk about how our democratic institutions actually work.

Artificial intelligence tools are used almost everywhere, from social media to police precincts and courts. Civics 101’s host Hannah McCarthy and Julia talk about how AI is governed today and if current laws are enough to protect our rights and privacy.

You can listen to Civics 101  here , or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sign up for NHPR’s Rundown newsletter to stay informed

When we talk about AI, when we talk about the algorithm, machine learning, what are we actually talking about?

We are talking about a whole swath of technology. We're going to call it AI for the purposes of this conversation, but machine learning is the term typically applied to the type of tech that city and state governments are using.

Most people get their day-to-day dose of AI via social media and using search engines like Google. An algorithm takes existing, available data about you and uses it to display content you might be interested in. It feeds you ads based on what you've searched for in the past. It is, very simply, a prediction tool. And that same type of technology is also being used by government offices to do a wide range of work for city, state and country populations.

Are AI tools currently governed by our laws? 

So at the federal level, President Joe Biden signed an executive order that is designed to make AI safe, secure and trustworthy. And that same administration proposed an AI Bill of Rights . Now the executive order is enforceable. The [AI] Bill of Rights is not enforceable. It just suggests how AI might be governed going forward.

And while we have had dozens of House and Senate committee hearings on AI, laws that regulate AI are really slow to develop at the federal level. So in lieu of that, there are several states that have passed legislation to protect data privacy , prevent bias, increase transparency, all as their governments adopt AI technologies.

But the issue is that these technologies are developing at an incredible pace. The minute something new hits the market, that's something that has to be questioned often through court cases. For example, there was a tool that was measuring basically the performance of teachers in a public school. One teacher who was assessed by this AI technology sued, essentially, and said, this is a violation of my rights. So it's really piecemeal.

So I would say to answer your question, are there aspects of AI that are not able to be governed by our current laws? Plenty of them, because our current laws are often not specific enough to actually govern that AI.

How should U.S. courts and lawmakers think about governing AI tools? Is it possible for them?

It's definitely possible. This is about protecting rights and protecting privacy. That is something that we do in the United States. We have always developed laws as technology develops.

But again, the U.S. is looking to its states. It's looking to other nations. And I want to say most recently, the EU passed the AI Act to regulate machine learning technology. And it does outright ban all kinds of exploitative and intrusive tech like deepfake stuff, categorizing people based on certain biometric data, and, I kid you not Julia, emotion-inferring AI in the workplace and education is also banned.

And then this same act defines high risk environments for AI tech and attempts to regulate how it's going to be used there. So that includes health care, law enforcement, criminal justice. So thinking about, as these technologies are being developed, what's going to govern them as they come out? It's sort of trying to get ahead of the curve there. And I expect other nations, especially the U.S., to watch the rollout of this act and see what kind of impact it's going to have and whether or not we are essentially going to copy it.

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Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Tel : +7 (495) 434 5300

Website : www.rudn.ru

The University was founded in 1960 by a special resolution of the USSR government and named as PATRICE LUMUMBA UNIVERSITY OF PEOPLES' FRIENDSHIP symbolizing the struggle of oppressed people all over the world for freedom and independence. Over 72,000 foreign nationals from 170 countries have studied and graduated from this University which combines the classical structures of higher education and always promotes objectives of educating and bringing up youth in the spirit of tolerance, mutual respect and patriotism. This University is a state university under the Government of the Russian Federation, occupying one of the top places among classical universities in Russia and a leading position in training of international students.

The University has 14 Faculties and Academic Institutes. The teaching staff consists of 2200 lecturers and professors (1300 Ph.D, D.Sc. and academicians). The scientific research is based upon dozens of research laboratories and centres, operating within the University. Out of a total of 28000 students, about 6000 are international students from 145countries, they are organized in students associations by country and regions.

The academic year is divided in 2 terms of 18 weeks. The first semester starts in September 1st and the second in February; students have vacations of 2 weeks in January and of 6 weeks in July-August. This University offers a wide number of professional courses. It gives study programs covering all fields in fundamental sciences, engineering, humanities, medical sciences, agriculture and arts. 75 major specilaities are available on the undergraduate and graduate level.

The students’ campus is situated in the South - West of Moscow city, and it is one of the best places for living and studies. The Hostels are situated in 5-storey and 16-storey buildings offering double and triple bedded self-contained rooms, costing from $ 750 to $ 2500 per year including water and electricity expenses, furniture, cooking and washing facilities. The rooms have connections to the internet, satellite TV and telephone. The students are organized in students’ councils, in charge of discipline, social education and support of their rights.

The site of the University Campus is fenced. Electronic gate pass system is strictly maintained. Visitors allowed being identified. Local Police station and the Department of Internal Security control over public order and discipline. Contemporary Fire Prevention system is being applied in all premises of the University.

University's Medical Centre provides regular health control and care on the basis of medical insurance policy costs of $ 250 per year. Students' dispensary and policlinic operate within the campus.

The common language here is the Russian language. All foreign students pass through the preparatory\foundation course, where during one year they receive accelerated courses of Russian language and the necessary scientific language for their future studies. Foreign Graduates are certified, after taking appropriate exams, as interpreters of Russian.

PFUR Campus consists of 13 blocks of student hostels housing over 7 000 PFUR students and graduate students. PFUR campus has everything for comfortable life: disposal laundries, dry-cleaning and other ateliers, barber shop and hairdressing saloons, stores and shops, post-office, banks. Special reading-rooms are provided for a better preparation for studies.

After lectures and studies and on  days-off students can relax and spend time with friends at numerous cafes and coffee-houses.  There are plenty of them: African, Chinese, Arab, Indian, Georgian – they may be found in every hostel block, more than 20 in all. The University is also keen about its students’ safety. Owing to the checkpoint system and round-the-clock video supervision across the campus area nothing may hinder students’ comfortable living.

Our Central Library has a literature with about 2,500.000 volumes in many foreign languages as well as specialised libraries at the faculties, and is of free access to students. At the beginning of the term students receive books at faculty’s library and can also freely visit the comfortable reading halls and internet classes whenever they need it.

To make students’ life comfortable at the University, we offer free of charge halls for gymnastics, handball, basketball and football grounds. Tennis courts and pools are also open in the campus. An International post-office, a telephone centre, a shopping centre, some restaurants offering dishes of national cuisine of different countries, an international students cultural centre, and a computer centre are situated within the campus.

Peoples’ friendship university of Russia takes care of students and teachers’ health. It provides medical service within the free health insurance to all the students, who get qualified medical assistance in the clinic of the PFUR Medical centre throughout the year. Medical centre employees are developing their skills at the faculty of Refresher training for health care professionals.

Tuition Fees range from:

• Bachelors programs- $2650 - $8250 – 4 years
• Specialist program- $2850-$7350–5 years
• Masters programs- $2750 - $8250 – 2 years (after B.Sc\B.A.)

Accommodation fee per year is from $ 750 to $ 2500 including water and electricity expenses, furniture, cooking and washing facilities.

The fees as specified in the Admission Letter are to be paid at the beginning of each academic year (September) to the account of the University. An International bank service is available at the campus, where the Students can open private accounts and keep their money. Students are advised to have some $ 300-350 per month in order to meet the costs of the meals, transport, clothes, private needs etc.

Applications

Documents required for admission.

• certificate of completed secondary education
• statement of results
• application form, proof of sponsorship
• medical fitness and HIV test certificate
• certified copy of birth certificate
• scanned passport (page with photo)

(All documents of education must be legalized by the Consular section of the Russian Embassy in your country)

IMPORTANT: Due to requirements established by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, all foreign students willing to continue their studies in Russian Universities (including Peoples’ Friendship University) for the purpose of further education must pass through the recognition (Nostrification) procedures and to confirm the equivalence of the foreign education documents.

Definition: Recognition of foreign higher education document is a procedure which grants the document holder the right to continue education.

Nostrification is required:

• for admission to undergraduate courses if the applicant received Higher Secondary Education document in schools outside of the Russian Federation;
• for admission to postgraduate and additional education courses (internship, clinical, PhD, Grand PhD)  if the applicant received Higher Professional Education Diploma outside of the Russian Federation.

Documents required for the recognition (nistrification) procedure:

• Application for recognition of the foreign qualifications in the Russian language.
• Copy of the ID document (passport or other document if there is no passport system in the applicant's country of citizenship) of the applicant and/or the holder of the document, if necessary with the notarized translation into Russian.
• Original of the duly legalized (if necessary) document of education.
• Original of the duly legalized (if necessary) diploma supplement, if foreseen by the legislation of the issuing country, with the list of all study courses and disciplines (modules) and their volumes as well as other constituencies of the study process.
• Copies of the document of education (original and transcript) with notarized translation into Russian (if necessary). Translations should be issued in the same name, first name and father name (if relevant) as written in the entrance visa or the registration in the Russian Federation

www.rudn.ru/en/contact.php

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Russia-Ukraine war: Nato allies condemn Russia’s withdrawal from key cold war-era security treaty – as it happened

Russia withdraws from treaty of conventional armed forces in Europe, which was aimed at preventing cold war rivals from massing forces at borders

• What we know on day 622
• 7 Nov 2023 Closing summary
• 7 Nov 2023 Senate Democrats block Republican bid to provide emergency aid to Israel and not Ukraine
• 7 Nov 2023 US says Russia has funded Latin America-wide anti-Ukraine disinformation drive
• 7 Nov 2023 Top US officials press Congress to pass Ukraine aid
• 7 Nov 2023 Summary of the day so far...
• 7 Nov 2023 Ukraine bolstering defences as it braces for winter attacks on energy facilities
• 7 Nov 2023 Russia likely ready to launch new assault on Avdiivka, says head of town's military administration
• 7 Nov 2023 First Dutch F-16s sent to Romania for training Ukrainian pilots
• 7 Nov 2023 Nato allies condemn Russia's withdrawal from key cold war-era security treaty
• 7 Nov 2023 G7 support for Ukraine in its war with Russia will not be affected by the intensifying Middle East conflict, says Japan
• 7 Nov 2023 Ukraine fired 17 drones towards Crimea, Russia says
• 7 Nov 2023 Adviser to Ukraine’s military chief died in explosion on his birthday
• 7 Nov 2023 Summary

Nato allies condemn Russia's withdrawal from key cold war-era security treaty

Nato allies have condemned a decision by Russia to withdraw from a key cold war-era security treaty (see earlier post at 08.22 ), saying they now intend to suspend its operation for “as long as necessary”.

Most of Nato’s 31 allies have signed the treaty of conventional armed forces in Europe , which was aimed at preventing cold war rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders.

It was signed in November 1990, but not fully ratified until two years later.

In a statement, Nato said:

Allies condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw from the treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe (CFE), and its war of aggression against Ukraine which is contrary to the treaty’s objectives. Russia’s withdrawal is the latest in a series of actions that systematically undermines Euro-Atlantic security. Therefore, as a consequence, allied states parties intend to suspend the operation of the CFE Treaty for as long as necessary, in accordance with their rights under international law. This is a decision fully supported by all Nato allies.

Russia’s foreign ministry announced earlier on Tuesday that Moscow had finalised its withdrawal.

Russia said the US push for enlargement of Nato had led to alliance countries “openly circumventing” the treaty’s group restrictions, and added that the admission of Finland into Nato and Sweden’s application meant the treaty was dead.

Senate Democrats block Republican bid to provide emergency aid to Israel and not Ukraine

Senate Democrats have blocked a Republican effort to win quick approval for a bill providing emergency aid to Israel that passed the US House of Representatives last week, but that provides no assistance for Ukraine .

“Time is of the essence and it’s imperative that the Senate not delay delivering this crucial aid to Israel another day,” Republican senator Roger Marshall said.

Democrats objected, stressing the importance of providing aid to Ukraine as well as Israel, in addition to humanitarian aid, border security funding and money to push back against China in the Indo-Pacific that was in a $106bn funding request Joe Biden sent to Congress last month .

“Our allies in Ukraine can no more afford a delay than our allies in Israel,” senator Patty Murray, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said.

US says Russia has funded Latin America-wide anti-Ukraine disinformation drive

The US has accused Russia of financing a Latin America -wide disinformation campaign that feeds media contacts with propaganda aimed at weakening support for Ukraine and boosting anti-American and anti-Nato sentiments, Reuters reports.

“The Kremlin’s ultimate goal appears to be to launder its propaganda and disinformation through local media in a way that feels organic to Latin American audiences,” the state department said in a statement.

On 20 October, the US released a declassified intelligence assessment, sent to more than 100 governments, that said Moscow is using spies, social media and Russian state-run media to erode public faith in the integrity of democratic elections.

Tuesday’s statement said Russia uses media contacts in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay to spread disinformation.

The “information manipulation campaign” has been coordinated by three Russian organizations, The Social Design Agency, the Institute for Internet Development, and Structura, said the statement.

It called them “influence-for-hire” firms that have co-opted local media and influencers in Latin America.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba , said that the EU commissioner for justice, Didier Reynders , “presented a vision for the establishment of the special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine” during their meeting earlier.

Kuleba said they discussed possible ways to use frozen Russian assets for reparations and the reconstruction of Ukraine.

During our meeting today, EU Commissioner for Justice @DReynders presented a vision for the establishment of the Special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. We agreed that it will be discussed with members of the Core Group during their meeting in November. We… pic.twitter.com/zHrE6LFxtt — Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) November 7, 2023

Shelling by Ukrainian forces killed six people in the city of Donetsk on Tuesday, a Russian-installed official in the eastern region of Ukraine said.

Eleven people were injured, according to preliminary data, Denis Pushilin , the Russian-appointed head of the region, wrote on Telegram.

These claims are yet to be independently verified.

Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu , and his counterpart from Burkina Faso, Kassoum Coulibaly , have agreed to strengthen defence ties, Moscow said.

Burkina’s military rulers have deepened cooperation with Moscow as the country looks to diversify its international allies after a coup last year .

Russia, which has grown more isolated since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, has in recent months discussed greater military cooperation with Burkina Faso.

Moscow has also pledged to deliver free grain to the African country, which is one of the world’s poorest, AFP reports.

“Russian-Burkinabé relations are based solely on the principles of mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests, and in recent years they have gained positive dynamics,” Shoigu said, according to the ministry.

Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy has told Reuters he will make non-interventionist foreign policy a central plank of his pitch to voters in the coming weeks.

Reuters reports:

In an interview, Ramaswamy said he would formally introduce a pledge on Tuesday in Miami, on the eve of the third Republican primary date, laying out non-interventionist foreign policy principles. If he does win the Republican nomination and later the 2024 general election against Democratic President Joe Biden , Ramaswamy said, he would require all political appointees to sign the pledge, and he would eventually ask other elected officials to sign on as well. “This will be specifically … a litmus test for anybody who is an appointee in my administration and a clear signal to our own supporters,” said Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old tech entrepreneur who is polling a distant fourth in the Republican primary. Ramaswamy’s introduction of the pledge comes after weeks of sparring with fellow Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley , a former US ambassador to the UN, over foreign policy. Ramaswamy has said Haley, who ranks third in most Republican primary polls, risks dragging America into a bloody conflict thanks to her aggressive foreign policy stances. Haley favours sending military aid to Ukraine and Israel, positions which Ramaswamy opposes.

Poland has signed a deal worth more than £4bn with defence firm MBDA for a ground-based air defence system, the British government has said.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the partnership would help bolster European security amid the war in Ukraine .

The air defence system would be able to launch missiles at air threats such as cruise missiles and fighter jets at ranges of more than 40 kilometres, the MoD said.

Grant Shapps , the defence secretary, said:

This is another crucial step forward for our historic defence ties with Poland, supplying next generation air defence capabilities to act as a clear deterrent to our adversaries.

Ukrainian Premier League’s Dnipro-1 and FC Oleksandriya played the longest match in the league’s history on Monday night, with the game ending four hours and 36 minutes after kick-off after multiple air raid warnings.

BBC Sport reports :

The match on Monday evening, played at the Dnipro Arena in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, kicked off 15 minutes late because of an air raid siren. The home side took the lead in the 34th minute but the players were marched off the pitch again early in the second half. Oleksandriya scored soon after the restart – only for it to be chalked off by VAR after an hour’s delay caused by another siren. With one minute left of normal time, the match was postponed for a further hour and a half following another air raid warning. The 1-0 win in the game, which kicked off at 17:15 local time and ended close to 22:00, leaves Dnipro-1 in second place in the Ukrainian Premier League.

Here are some of the latest images from the newswires:

We have more on the news that the Netherlands has sent its first five F-16 fighter jets to a Romanian airbase, where the planes will be used to train Ukrainian and Romanian pilots (see earlier post at 11.41 ).

In a statement, the Dutch defence ministry said “the planes will only fly in Nato airspace”.

“The Romanian training centre will first use the planes for a refresher course for hired instructors. This will be followed pilot training,” it said.

The planes will be maintained by its US-based manufacturer Lockheed Martin, who will also provide the training, AFP reports.

Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday it was planning to launch a digital platform aimed at providing Russian speakers with access to independent news.

After invading Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has intensified a historic crackdown on dissenting voices and ramped up propaganda. All the main independent media outlets, including Dozhd TV, have been shut down or suspended their operations in Russia.

Reporters Without Borders said it had signed a contract with global satellite operator Eutelsat to launch a digital platform called Svoboda, which means freedom in Russian, AFP reports.

The platform, which is expected to be launched in the coming weeks, will feature “news programs to offer a comprehensive and objective view of global events”, said the Paris-based media watchdog, known by its French acronym RSF.

Christophe Deloire, the secretary general of RSF, called the project “an ambitious initiative that intends to reverse the logic of propaganda”.

“It will allow independent media outlets to broadcast toward human beings that do not enjoy their right to information,” Deloire added.

As reported earlier , N ato allies have condemned a decision by Russia on Tuesday to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, a key post- cold war agreement, and said they would suspend its operation in response.

The United States said it would suspend treaty obligations as from December.

Russia’s war against Ukraine and its withdrawal from the treaty “fundamentally altered” circumstances related to it and transformed participants’ obligations, the White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said.

Russia suspended participation in the treaty in 2007 and halted active participation in 2015.

Sullivan said that despite Moscow’s continued disregard for arms control, the US and its allies would remain committed to effective conventional arms control.

Top US officials press Congress to pass Ukraine aid

The heads of the US treasury, defence and state departments called on Congress to fund $11.8bn in Ukraine aid as part of President Joe Biden’s supplemental spending request, according to a letter released on Tuesday.

“This funding benefits from an unprecedented level of robust oversight and transparency, and is bolstered by significant budget support from the European Union, other G7 partners, and the International Monetary Fund,” the secretaries, along with the USAid administrator, wrote to congressional leaders.

In October, the Biden administration submitted a $106bn request to Congress for military and humanitarian aid for Israel and Ukraine and humanitarian assistance for Gaza, insisting lawmakers had an obligation to support US allies standing up to tyranny and aggression worldwide.

Summary of the day so far...

Ukraine bolstering defences as it braces for winter attacks on energy facilities.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy , has said that Ukraine had deployed more western air defence systems, as it braces for a second full winter of Russian attacks on energy facilities, AFP reports.

Kyiv has said it is bolstering defences to protect key infrastructure ahead of winter.

Systematic strikes by Moscow’s forces last year targeted Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving thousands without heating or electricity in freezing temperatures for long periods.

“I received reports on the receipt of ammunition, hardware and equipment over the past day,” Zelenskiy said on social media.

“Additional Nasams (national advanced surface-to-air missile systems) systems from partners have been put on combat duty. Timely reinforcement of our air defence before winter,” he added.

As Antony Blinken and his G7 counterparts began two days of talks in Japan, the US secretary of state said it was vital for the group to show unity over Gaza , as it has over Russia’s war in Ukraine, and prevent existing differences from deepening, the Associated Press reports.

“This is a very important moment as well for the G7 to come together in the face of this crisis and to speak, as we do, with one clear voice,” Blinken told Japan’s foreign minister, Yōko Kamikawa, shortly after talks with the prime minister, Fumio Kishida.

Russia likely ready to launch new assault on Avdiivka, says head of town's military administration

Ukraine is bracing for a renewed Russian assault on the eastern town of Avdiivka , after several recent unsuccessful attempts by Moscow’s forces to surround it, AFP reports.

“The third wave will definitely happen. The enemy is regrouping after a second wave of unsuccessful attacks,” Vitaliy Barabash , head of the Avdiivka military administration, said on Tuesday.

Barabash said Russia was likely “ready” to launch its next full-scale assault on the city, but weather conditions were currently unfavourable.

Despite coming under daily artillery fire, about 1,500 of the city’s 30,000 pre-war residents remain, living mainly in basements converted into bomb shelters.

Russia’s military has focused on the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk after abandoning the initial aim of capturing Kyiv in the early days of the February 2022 invasion.

Russian forces captured the devastated town of Bakhmut in May after months of battles and since mid-October have focused their assaults on Avdiivka , a potential gateway to Donetsk, held by Russian forces and their allies since 2014.

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