Yachtmaster Motor

Yachtmaster Training Cornwall

Yachtmaster Motor

An RYA Yachtmaster™ Certificate of Competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a well known, highly respected qualification worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper.

Unlike other courses in the cruising programme, there is no formal training to complete in order to become a Yachtmaster™. Instead, provided that you have sufficient experience and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge.

Many Yachtmaster™ candidates choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for some tailor-made tuition to prepare them for the exam, but this is not compulsory.


Working with a Yachtmaster™ Coastal certificate

A commercially endorsed Yachtmaster™ Coastal Certificate of Competence will enable you to skipper vessels up to 24 metres in length, operating in category 3,4,5, and 6 waters - up to 20 miles from a safe haven.

Working with a Yachtmaster™ Offshore certificate

A commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence will enable you to work as a Master of commercial vessels of up to 200gt in category 1 to 6 waters - that is up to 150 miles from a safe haven.

This Certificate of Competence can used commercially in its own right, or as a pre-requisite for the MCA's Officer of the Watch qualification, which enables you to work worldwide on vessels of up to 3000gt.

Working with a Yachtmaster™ Ocean certificate

A commercially endorsed Yachtmaster™ Ocean Certificate of Competence will enable you to work worldwide as a Master of commercial vessels of up to 200gt.

This Certificate of Competence can be used commercially in its own right. It is also a pre-requisite for the MCA's Chief Mate, Master 500 and Master 3000 qualifications.


RYA Yachtmaster Exam Preparation:

Start motor cruisingMost RYA centres offering the RYA Yachtmaster scheme offer some form of pre-exam preparation or coaching. These courses are often referred to as a “RYA Yachtmaster prep” course/week. This is unique within the RYA training framework in that it does does have a fixed course syllabus, length or course completion certificate. However RYA Yachtmaster preparation training is usually five days long, the duration includes the practical exam on day five.

What is Expected of you Prior to the Training Course?

To attend RYA Yachtmaster preparation training, the schools and the Instructor will expect you to have the prerequisites to be eligible for an RYA Yachtmaster Costal or RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam, outlined below.

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence:

The Yachtmaster Offshore is competent to skipper a motor cruiser on any passage during which the vessel is no more than 150 miles from harbour.

Exam duration:

The exam will take about 8-12 hours for one candidate and/or 5-9 hours per candidate where more than one candidate is being examined.

Candidates will be set tasks to allow them to demonstrate their ability as skipper of an offshore cruising motor cruiser and may also be asked questions on any part of the syllabus for all courses except RYA Yachtmaster Ocean.

Pre exm requirements:

To take the Practical Examination candidates must be over 18 years of age or over and require:

A Radio Operators Qualification – A GMDSS Short Range Certificate (SRC) or a higher grade of marine radio certificate.

A valid first aid certificate. A list of acceptable first aid certificates can be found on the RYA website (www.rya.org.uk).

Seatime – 50 days, 2,500 miles, including at least five passages over 60 miles, acting as skipper for at least two of these five passages and including two which have involved overnight passages. Five day’s experience as skipper. At least half the qualifying seatime must have been accrued in tidal waters.

Half of the qualifying seatime must have been gained in tidal waters. Qualifying vessel are between 7m LWL to 24m LOA (less than 80 gt).

Qualifying passages for RYA Yachtmaster Ocean and Offshore must be non-stop, by the shortest navigable route with no change of skipper. Passages such as recognised races which may not comply exactly with these requirements may be submitted to the RYA for approval before the voyage.

Trainee skippers undertaking 60 mile passages are strongly advised to take a Coastal Skipper course first.