RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Sail Course

In collaboration with the RYA Center MT Sailing we offer the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Course in Barcelona.

Yachtmaster Ocean Qualifications:

The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course looks at passage planning, astro-navigation and worldwide meteorology as well as exploring and solving the mysteries of the use of a sextant!

This course covers Celestial/Astro navigation, Ocean Passage Planning, Meteorology including Tropical Revolving Storms and Electronic Navigation Aids.

The course included use of a sextant and the theory of how to convert this information to give you positional information. While considered a theory course we ensure a lot of hands-on work including taking sights with a sextant.

We offer a practical trip for those people who have a completed a qualifying passage but not had the opportunity to take sights. This is normally a 2-3 day intensive sailing to Menorca or Sardinia navigating without any electronic aids.

The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean certificate is also a pre-requisite for the MCA’s Chief Mate, Master 500 and Master 3000 qualifications.

Yachtmaster Ocean Course structure

Ideal for holders of the Yachtmaster Offshore certificate who are preparing for their first ocean passage, and for commercial Skippers or Mates planning on operating unlimited areas.

This course will introduce you to the principles of celestial navigation, the practical use of the sextant, the measurement of time, position fixing by the sun and stars, compass checking and great circle sailing.

You’ll also study concepts of worldwide meteorology, including tropical revolving storms, and passage planning for ocean voyaging.

Upon completion of the course, you’ll have a firm understanding of the theory of astronavigation and be able to fix a position using sun, moon and star sightings.

Course Syllabus

The Earth and the Celestial Sphere.
The PZX Triangle.
The Sextant.
Measurement of Time..
Meridian Altitudes.
Sun, Star and other Sights.
Compass Checking.
Satellite Navigation Systems.
Great Circle Sailing.
Meteorology.
Passage Planning.
Passage-making.
Communications.

PRE-REQUISITES

Hold a RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.

A restricted (VHF only) Radio Operators Certificate or a GMDSS Short Range Certificate or higher grade of marine radio certificate.

A valid first aid certificate (STCW or RYA).

To qualify for your Yachtmaster Ocean Oral Examination you will need:

To be at least 18 years old.
Completed an Ocean passage as skipper or mate of watch (see below).
During the passage a minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles must have been run by the log, the yacht must have been at sea continuously for at least 96 hours and the yacht must have been more than 50 miles from land while sailing a distance of at least 200 miles
All qualifying sea time must be within 10 years prior to the exam.