Converting between sail and power
Holders of the Yachtmaster™ Coastal or Yachtmaster™ Offshore sail Certificate of Competence may take a conversion exam to obtain the equivalent power certificate of competence. Candidates may also convert from power to sail.
The same rules apply whether you are converting from sail to power, or from power to sail, but the exam for converting from power to sail may take slightly longer.
Exam duration
The exam will take about three hours. The examiner may ask questions or set tasks on any part of the syllabus but will concentrate on those sections which are markedly different in a motor cruiser, eg boat handling, passage planning, radar.
Pre-exam requirements
The mileage shown below must be in the type of boat that you are converting to. All qualifying seatime must be within 10 years prior to the exam. Half of the qualifying seatime must have been conducted in tidal waters.
For Yachtmaster™ Coastal conversion exams
- Minimum of 400 miles
- 12 days living on board
- 2 days as skipper
- 12 night hours
For Yachtmaster™ Offshore conversion exams
- Minimum of 1250 miles
- 25 days living on board
- 3 days as skipper
- 3 passages over 60 miles including 1 overnight and 1 as skipper