MCA/RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore
(Preparation & Exam)

Qualification mondialement reconnue, qui atteste votre expérience et vos compétences de skipper en haute mer

MCA/RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Prep-course, sunset North Sea

The MCA/RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore qualification is recognised and respected worldwide with candidates demonstrating a wide breadth of existing knowledge.

Détails du stage
Pre-Course Experience	50 days, 2,500 miles including at least 5 passages over 60 miles measured along the rhumb line from the port of departure to the destination, 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 seatime must be within 10 years prior to the exam.
Assumed Knowledge	A sound knowledge of navigation theory. Solid boat handling experience in close quarters, plus an understanding of efficient sail trim and how to make a boat go faster under sail.
Student Instructor Ratio	3:1, in exemption 4:1
Duration	minimal 4 days, plus the exam which is up to 2 days (depending on the number of students).
Ability after Course	A Yachtmaster™ Offshore is competent to skipper a yacht on passages up to 150 miles from a safe haven, day or night.
Course Content	Overview Responsibilities of skipper Close quarters boat handling Hoisting, reefing and dropping sails Tacking, gybing and efficient sail trim Berthing and anchoring Rules of the road and signals Safety, plus man overboard General seamanship, including maintenance Navigation Meteorology See detailed Syllabus below

Syllabus MCA/RYA Yachtmaster™ Offshore: This course will be the final refresher training in a number of key areas. You will be well prepared for your exam with an external RYA examiner.

International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

Questions will be confined to the International Regulations and although candidates must be aware of the existence of Local Regulations, they will not be expected to memorise specific local regulations.
- General rules (1-3)
- Steering and sailing rules (4-19)
- 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

Candidates will be expected to know what safety equipment should be carried on board a yacht, based either on the recommendations in the RYA Boat Safety Handbook (C8), the ISAF Special Regulations or the Codes of Practice for the safety of Small Commercial Vessels. In particular, candidates must know the responsibilities of a skipper in relation:
- Safety harnesses
- Lifejackets
- Distress flares
- Fire prevention and fighting
- Liferafts
- Knowledge of rescue procedures
- Helicopter rescue
Boat Handling

Candidates for Coastal Skipper examinations will be expected to answer questions or demonstrate ability in simple situations only. Candidates for Yachtmaster Offshore will be expected to answer questions or demonstrate ability in more complex situations and will also be expected to show a higher level of expertise:
- Coming to and weighing anchor under power or sail in various conditions of wind and tide
- All berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide
- Recovery of man overboard
- Towing under open sea conditions and in confined areas
- Boat handling in confined areas under sail
- Boat handling in heavy weather
- Helmsmanship and sail trim to sail to best advantage
- Use of warps for securing in an alongside berth and for shifting berth or winding
General Seamanship, including maintenance
- Properties, use and care of synthetic fibre ropes
- Knots
- General deck-work at sea and in harbour
- Engine operations and routine checks
- Improvisation of jury rigs following gear failure
Responsibilities of skipper
- Can skipper a yacht and manage the crew
- Communication with crew
- Delegation of responsibility and watch-keeping organisation
- Preparing yacht for sea and for adverse weather
- Tactics for heavy weather and restricted visibility
- Emergency and distress situations
- 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
- Tide and tidal stream calculations
- Buoyage and visual aids to navigation
- Instruments including compasses, logs, echo sounders, radio navaids and chartwork instruments
- Passage planning and navigational tactics
- Pilotage techniques
- Navigational records
- Limits of navigational accuracy and margins if safety
- Lee shore dangers
- Use of electronic navigation aids for passage planning and passage navigation
- Use of waypoints and electronic routeing
Meteorology
- Definition of terms
- Sources of weather forecasts
- Weather systems and local weather effects
- Interpretation of weather forecasts, barometric trends and visible phenomena
- Ability to make passage planning decisions based on forecast information
Signals
- Candidates for Yachtmaster Offshore and Coastal Skipper must hold the Restricted (VHF only) Certificate of Competence in radiotelephony or a higher grade of certificate in radio telephony