RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Brush Up (with Exam)

This course is for those who hold the Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence or equivalent and are looking to undertaking the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam.

The Yachtmaster Offshore award shows your competency to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage during which the yacht is no more than 150 nautical miles from harbour. The candidate will be expected to demonstrate their skills based on broad experience.

This is your opportunity to discuss with the instructor any areas where you feel there are weaknesses as well as for the instructor to suggest areas which may need fine tuning or improvement.

Each student who wishes to undertake the exam will be examined for 8-12 hours by an independent RYA Yachtmaster Examiner (examination fee payable to the RYA). Candidates will be set tasks to demonstrate their ability as skipper of an offshore cruising yacht and may also be asked questions on any part of the syllabus for all courses except Yachtmaster Ocean.

As all of our instructors have been through these exams themselves they will be able to prepare you appropriately so that you are relaxed and confident on the day.

PLEASE NOTE THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL EXAM FEE PAYABLE TO THE RYA ON THE DAY OF YOUR EXAM

Pre-requirements

• You should have logged at least:
• 50 days sea time (5 days as skipper)
• 2500 recorded miles
• 5 passages over 60 miles including 2 as skipper and 2 overnight

You must hold a valid First Aid certificate and VHF Licence.

If you require more miles you might be interested in joining one of our mile builder trips, such as Ostend dash, Holland hop or Round Britain, a delivery trip on our race yacht or even the Rolex Fastnet.

Minimum age: 18

****NEW date added 10 - 14 June - contact the office to book****

What’s included?

An RYA Yachtmaster Instructor will coach your over aspects and skills you will be examined on as you live aboard one of the school's yachts.

• All meals are provided for the duration of the course including a home cooked wholesome and hearty evening meal, exactly what you need after a day’s sailing and learning!
• Accommodation on board – you are required to bring a sleeping bag along with you
• Parking – available at Suffolk Yacht Harbour
• All mooring fees, safety equipment, fuel and tuition from one of our experienced RYA instructors.

Maximum teaching ratio - 4:1 

Course language - English

Five day course (with exam) - The first 3.5 days are spent familiarising yourself with the yacht and ‘brushing up’ the necessary skills ahead of your Yachtmaster Offshore exam that takes place towards the end of the five days.

Five day course (brush up only) – Five full days of teaching/brushing up skills, you can then arrange to take the exam after the full five days or at a later date at additional cost.

Both options are five consecutive days on boards, usually commencing at 2030 hours on Sunday evenings.

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.

If the weather is not looking great or is forecast to be a bit chilly or windy you can hire wet weather gear from us.

Musto Waterproofs available in S, M, L, XL and XXL - £32.00.

You are expected to bring the following comfort pack items with you; however if you don't want to bring your best duck down pillow or you haven't got a sleeping bag, don't worry you can hire a comfort pack from us!

A Comfort Pack comprises of a freshly laundered sleeping bag with liner, pillow, pillow case and towel - £16.00.

In RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exams the candidates will be expected to demostrate competence based on broad experience.

International Regulations for Provention of Collision at Sea

General rules (1-3)

Steering and sailing rules (4-9)

Lights and shapes (20-31)

Sound and light signals (32-37)

Signals for vessels fishing in close proximity (Annex II)

Distress signals (Annex IV)

Safety

Must know the responisbilities of a skipper in relation to: 

The safety briefing 

Safety Harnesses

Life jackets 

Distress signalling 

Stability 

Fire prevention and fighting 

LIferafts

Knowledge fo rescue procedures 

Helicopter rescue 

Boat Handling

Answer questions or demonstrate ability of the following in complex situations:

Coming to and weighing anchor under power or sail in various conditions of wind and tide 

In all berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide 

In recovery of a MOB and able to describe effects of cold-water shock and the aftercare requirements of a casulty who has been in the water 

When towing under open-sea conditions and in confined areas

Boat handling in heavy weather 

When using helmsmanship and sail trim to sail to best advantage 

Using warps for securing in alongside berth and for shifting berth or winding 

General Seamanship, including Maintainance 

Properties, use and care of synthetic-fibre ropes

Knots 

General deck work at sea and in harbour 

Engine operations, rutine checks and troubleshooting 

Improvisation of jury rigs following gear failure 

Responsibilities of the Skipper

Can skipper a yacht and manage the crew

Communication with crew 

Delegation of responisibility and watch keeping organisation 

Preparing the yacht for sea and for adverse weather 

Tactics fro heavy weather and restricted visability 

Emergency and distress situation 

Victualling for a cruise and feeding at sea 

Customs procedures

Standards of behaviour and courtesy

Navigation

Charts, navigational publications and sources of navigational information 

Chartwork, including position fixing and shaping course to allow for tidal stream and leeway 

Tidal height and stream calculations

Bouyage and visual aids to navigation 

Instruments including compasses, logs, echo sounders, radio navigation aids, and chartwork instruments 

Passage planning and navigational tactics 

Pilotage techniques 

Navigational records 

The limits of navigational accuracy and margins of safety 

Lee shore dangers 

Use of electronic aids for passage planning and navigation 

Use of waypoints and electronic routing 

General understanding of AIS 

Navigational techniques for reduced visability 

Meteorology

Definition of terms 

Sources of weather forecasts

Weather systems and local weather effects

Interpretation of weather forecasts, barometric trends and visable phenomena 

Ability to make passage-planning descisions based on forecast information 

Signals

Must hold the SRC certificate