Yachtmaster Offshore - 5 Day Prep/Exam (RYA, USCG or other)

Our Yachtmaster Power Prep Course is a one-week practical course to consolidate your practical and theoretical knowledge in preparation for the RYA Yachtmaster exam.

This course is popular with experienced Superyacht Deckhands, crew from the commercial maritime sector, or those with RYA Yachtmaster sail looking to convert to Yachtmaster Power.

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Power Certificate of Competence allows the holder to skipper of a motorboat up to 24 meters in length, 150 miles from a safe haven. Add STCW Basic Safety Training, and you have a qualification to skipper a motorboat up to 200GT, which may be more than 24 meters.

To pass the practical exam, candidates must have an excellent knowledge of navigation to RYA Yachtmaster Theory standard or equivalent. If you have not completed the RYA Yachtmaster theory course, we recommend joining our two-week theory and practical course.

Our two-week course starts with RYA Yachtmaster Theory. The advantage of the combined theory and practical course is the navigation is fresh in your memory, and you have all your notes to refer back to. We find that customers help and encourage each other and learn a lot more than if studying at home.

Week two is the practical prep week, with five days of practical training, putting the theory into practice as well as learning how to manage the yacht and its systems, mooring, as well as a whole host of other skills required to be a competent skipper. A day-by-day breakdown of what is covered can be found in the key facts below.

Course Structure

Monday: Introduction to the boat, systems, and safety producers onboard. About the exam, what to expect. Engineering, engines, control systems, and what to look out for. Boat handling. Marina berthing. MOB and recovery at sea

Tuesday: Engine checks/safety brief. Navigational exercises in the Solent. Anchoring. Picking up mooring buoys. MOB and recovery. Marina berthing. Night-time navigational exercises.

Wednesday: Engine checks/safety brief. Marina berthing/confined space boat handling. Single engine berthing. Picking up mooring buoys. Navigational exercises day-time. Night Navigation exercises.

Thursday: Engine checks/safety brief. Navigational exercises in the Solent. Radar. Picking up mooring buoys. Marina berthing/confined space exercises. Single engine berthing

Friday: Engine checks/safety brief. Navigational exercises in the Solent. Boat handling exercises/single-engine berthing. MOB and recovery. Revision of the Yachtmaster syllabus. Friday afternoon, the RYA examiner arrives.

Saturday/Sunday: The examiner will join the boat, and your instructor will step off. The Yachtmaster Power exam will last between 12 and 48 hours depending on the number of candidates being examined, a maximum of 4 in any 2-day session. The exam will take place within the Solent. The examiner will ask each candidate to perform a series of practical and navigational exercises based on the weather and tidal conditions of the day.

Useful Information

For the practical prep course, you must have the prerequisite miles and experience, which you must document and provide to the examiner before you sit the Yachtmaster Offshore exam. Some key requirements are: You must have been to sea for at least 50 days. Completed 2500 miles in the last ten years. Within the 2,500 miles above, completed at least five passages (known as qualifying passages) of over 60 miles. You would have been acting as skipper for two of these passages. You must hold a valid First Aid certificate, and a GMDSS-compliant marine radio license, such as the RYA VHF short-range radio certificate.

These are just the headlines. We recommend you read our comprehensive guide on the Yachtmaster Offshore and Coastal exam requirements. If you are unsure, don’t hesitate to contact us, and we can guide you through.

The RYA Yachtmaster Exam: The Yachtmaster exam is conducted by an RYA examiner independent of Flying Fish. Your instructor will not be onboard for the duration of the exam. The RYA examiner will look at all areas of the Yachtmaster syllabus and assess each candidate’s practical and navigational skills. Your examiner will complete a report form detailing skills covered during the exam. The Yachtmaster exam will take between 24 and 36 hours to complete.

The Solent offers a great training ground with numerous ports, strong tides, and lots of traffic. Training in the Solent will improve your knowledge of skippering a small motorboat.

Flying Fish is based in Cowes, in the middle of the Solent; therefore, we can operate in almost any weather conditions.

There are a maximum of four candidates on this course.

If you choose to stay with us, you will stay in one of our self-catering crew houses in Cowes, which are comfortable and centrally located. There is plenty of space to complete homework and chat through the day with others on the course. Our accommodation is a 5-minute walk from the town and our training centre. All customers booked onto our Yachtmaster Prep courses have their own room. Our accommodation is £320 per week.