Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore preparation week and exams with Lagoon Watersports in Barcelona

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.

To attain the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore candidates must pass a practical examination of their skippering ability. A Yachtmaster is capable of skippering the yacht on extended offshore passages by day or night.  He or she will essentially be a much more experienced Coastal Skipper and can do the same things more smoothly, for longer periods and in more arduous conditions.

Unlike other RYA yacht sailing courses, there is no formal training to become a Yachtmaster. As long as you have sufficient experience and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge. Many Yachtmaster candidates book themselves into a preperation course to prepare them for the exam. This is not compulsory.

For the theory part of the course we have a central office in Barcelona, Palau de la Musica, 1. This is a spacious office, on the doorstop to all tourist attractions, shops and bars - if you need one at the end of a hard day! Our yachts and motorboats are based in Port Vell, Central Barcelona. Since 2010 Port Vell has been undergoing huge transformations with significant invetstment in state-of-the art infastructure, that will position the marina as on of the leading superyacht destinations in the world. Central to just about everything, and where this vibrant city meets the sea, Port Vell is the perfect place for you to embark upon your RYA Yachtmaster Training.

For full details of what to expect see this link

Yachtmaster Coastal & Offshore - Preparation Week

To attain the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore candidates must pass a practical examination of their skippering ability. A Yachtmaster is capable of skippering the yacht on extended offshore passages by day or night.  He or she will essentially be a much more experienced Coastal Skipper and can do the same things more smoothly, for longer periods and in more arduous conditions.

Early in the week the instructor will asses your strengths and weaknesses and coach you in the areas required to pass the examination. We often work on the following areas; passage planning, man overboard recovery, close quarters handling, skippering techniques, navigation in restricted visibility, pilotage and knowledge of the International Collision Regulations. The instructor will debrief you fully as the week progresses and ensure that you get time to work on those weaker areas. 

The examiner will ask each candidate to skipper the yacht on several short passages and complete various demonstrations of their skippering and sailing ability over the course of the weekend.

Duration:  5 day preparation followed by a 2 day exam

Previous Experience Required: 50 days aboard, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles logged, 5 passages of over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper (Half the qualifying seatime must have been conducted in tidal waters). VHF radio operators certificate and a valid First Aid Certificate

Course Overview: Preparation and brush up for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence. Revision of advanced skippering techniques, close quarters handling under power and sail, navigation and pilotage by day and night, man overboard recovery and overall yacht management skills

Yachtmaster Coastal Exam

Coastal Yachtmaster from Brighton & Barcelona

The RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence examination is the next natural step for those who have completed the RYA Coastal Skipper course and some further practical coastal sailing. The holder of an RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence has the knowledge needed to to skipper a yacht on coastal passages. The theory knowledge required for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence is the same as that for Yachtmaster Offshore, but less practical experience and skill is required.

The exam will include an assessment of your skippering skills, boat handling, general seamanship, navigation, safety awareness and knowledge of the IRPCS (collision regulations), meteorology and signals. Candidates will be set tasks to demonstrate their ability and may also be asked questions on any part of the syllabus for all practical and shorebased courses up to Yachtmaster Coastal level.

Before taking this exam it is advisable to complete our 5 day Preparation Week in Yachtmaster Coastal & Offshore.

YACHTMASTER™ COASTAL EXAM PRE-REQUISITES

Minimum seatime

30 days, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles, 12 night hours (if you hold the Coastal Skipper course certificate this is reduced to 20 days, 2 days as skipper, 400 miles, 12 night hours). Half the qualifying sea time must be conducted in tidal waters.

Form of exam

Practical

Certification required

A GMDSS Short Range Certificate (SRC) or higher grade of marine radio certificate. A valid first aid certificate.

Minimum exam duration

6-10 hours for 1 candidate, 8-14 hours for 2 candidates

Minimum age

17

Yachtmaster Offshore Exam

Yachtmaster Offshore from Brighton & Barcelona

Candidates may be given the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of competence in the areas listed below. In each section the examiner will expect to see the candidate take full responsibility for the management of the yacht and crew. In Yachtmaster Offshore exams the candidate will be expected to demonstrate competence based on broad experience. It is advisable that you do your 5 day Offshore Preparation first.

• 1. 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.

1. General rules 
2. Steering and sailing rules 
3. Lights and shapes 
4. Sound and light signals 
5. Signals for vessels fishing in close proximity 
6. Distress signals 

• 2. 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:

1. Safety harnesses
2. Lifejackets
3. Distress flares
4. Fire prevention and fighting
5. Liferafts
6. Knowledge of rescue procedures
7. Helicopter rescue

• 3. 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:

1. Coming to and weighing anchor under power or sail in various conditions of wind and tide
2. All berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide
3. Recovery of man overboard
4. Towing under open sea conditions and in confined areas
5. Boat handling in confined areas under sail
6. Boat handling in heavy weather
7. Helmsmanship and sail trim to sail to best advantage
8. Use of warps for securing in an alongside berth and for shifting berth or winding

• 4. General Seamanship, including maintenance

1. Properties, use and care of synthetic fibre ropes
2. Knots
3. General deck-work at sea and in harbour
4. Engine operations and routine checks
5. Improvisation of jury rigs following gear failure

• 5. Responsibilities of skipper

1. Can skipper a yacht and manage the crew
2. Communication with crew
3. Delegation of responsibility and watch-keeping organisation
4. Preparing yacht for sea and for adverse weather
5. Tactics for heavy weather and restricted visibility
6. Emergency and distress situations
7. Victualling for a cruise and feeding at sea
8. Customs procedures
9. Standards of behaviour and courtesy

• 6. Navigation

1. Charts, navigational publications and sources of navigational information
2. Chartwork including position fixing and shaping course to allow for tidal stream and leeway
3. Tide and tidal stream calculations
4. Buoyage and visual aids to navigation
5. Instruments including compasses, logs, echo sounders, radio navaids and chartwork instruments
6. Passage planning and navigational tactics
7. Pilotage techniques
8. Navigational records
9. Limits of navigational accuracy and margins if safety
10. Lee shore dangers
11. Use of electronic navigation aids for passage planning and passage navigation
12. Use of waypoints and electronic routeing

• 7. Meteorology

1. Definition of terms
2. Sources of weather forecasts
3. Weather systems and local weather effects
4. Interpretation of weather forecasts, barometric trends and visible phenomena
5. Ability to make passage planning decisions based on forecast information

• 8. Signals

1. 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.

YACHTMASTER™ OFFSHORE EXAM PRE-REQUISITES

Minimum seatime

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.

Form of exam 

Practical

Certification required

A GMDSS Short Range Certificate (SRC) or higher grade of marine radio certificate. A valid first aid certificate 

Minimum exam duration

8-12 hours for 1 candidate, 10-18 hours for 2 candidates. 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.

Minimum age

18