RYA Essential Navigation & Seamanship

The Essential Navigation and Seamanship course is a two day course and a great introduction to navigation and safety awareness for new or inexperienced skippers and crew, and those wanting to refresh their skills.

In fact it’s for anyone interested in sailing, motor boating, sea angling or diving, and works well in complementing our on-the-water training, such as the Powerboat Level 2, Start Yachting and Helmsman courses. This is a good foundation course to build on later for the Day Skipper and Yachtmaster qualifications.

The RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship Course covers the basic concepts of inshore navigation and safety in an easy to understand and enjoyable format. During the course you will be introduced to the basics of navigation including tidal awareness, charts, almanacs and the use of electronic navigation aids such as GPS. You will be taught about harbour entry and departure pilotage including knowledge of buoyage and a basic understanding of the Collision Regulations so you know who has right of way!

Time will also be spent looking at sources of weather information and what impact this could have on your passage. Towards the end of the course you will put all this information together to plan an actual passage. You will also learn more about what safety equipment you should carry and how it is used.

It’s a highly informative course with lots of opportunities for you to put your new found knowledge into practice on practical sessions later.

Course Structure

Charts and Publications, safety, engine checks, buoyage, tidal awareness, visual and electronic navigation, pilotage, rules of the road, anchoring, weather forcasts, passage planning