Motor Cruising Courses
Yachtmaster® Offshore Practical Course

The definition is: ‘a yachtsman or woman competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage that can be completed without the use of astro navigation.’ In practice, this means coastal and offshore passages. A Yachtmaster® needs a wealth of knowledge, not only to cope with plain sailing or motor cruising but also to be able to cope when things go wrong.

Many yachtsmen and women would agree that the Yachtmaster® Offshore Examination is the most useful and credible of all yachting qualifications. This is perhaps because Yachtmaster® Examiners are independent assessors and cannot be involved in the training of candidates. They are therefore able to be objective when assessing ability. The RYA administers Yachtmaster® Certificates of Competence and examines candidates on behalf of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. The exam is a one-day test of the candidate’s ability to skipper a yacht.

The certificates are required by commercial yacht skippers on sailing and motor vessels under 24 metres and as entry to Megayacht qualifications.

The RYA’s Certificates of Competence are emulated throughout the world.

Seaskills provids tailor-made tuition for Yachtmaster candidates to prepare for their exam.

Yachtrmaster exam:
The exam takes place at the end of the course and is carried out by an external RYA examiner.

The Yachtmaster® Offshore test lasts 8-12 hours for one candidate and 10-18 hours for two. No more than two candidates can be examined in 24 hours and no more than four candidates can be examined in one 2 day session. The exam can be taken in a power or sailing vessel.