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

Am I ready to be a Yachtmaster? 

It is important to understand that within the RYA Sail and Motor Cruising scheme, there is NO Yachtmaster course. We cannot train you to be a Yachtmaster. You should have reached this level already by skippering small boats, over 7m and less than 24m in both tidal and non-tidal waters over a number of years. Like other schools we offer Yachtmaster Exam preparation courses.

Our exam preparation week aims to perfect your abilities, improving the skills and knowledge you already have, and showing you some new stuff. We will assess your strengths and weaknesses and concentrate on improving the latter, to help prepare you for the exam by your independent RYA Yachtmaster examiner.

During your practical exam you are also tested on your theory knowledge so if you are not doing the theory course with us, it is very important to make sure your theory knowledge is at the required standard for the exam.

To be eligible for the Yachtmaster exam you must meet the prerequisite mileage/experience given below. You are not asked to prove your miles but you will be asked to fill out a sea miles log that will be handed to the examiner before the exam.

Whether you go for Sail or Motor depends on the experience you have as the miles and experience you present to the examiner must be on the same type of vessel as the discipline you’re going for (e.g. you can’t present miles on a motor yacht if you’re hoping to achieve Yachtmaster Sail).

Pre-course experience / requirements

• 50 days at sea, 2500 miles on yachts up to 500gt2
• 5 days as skipper on vessels less than 24m LOA
• 5 passages over 60 miles long which must include 2 overnight passages and 2 as skipper
• At least half the qualifying sea time must be gained in tidal waters and on vessels less than 24m LOA.
• All qualifying sea time must be within 10 years prior to the exam.
• Navigation to the standard of the Yachtmaster Coastal/Yachtmaster shorebased course
• VHF Certificate and a Valid First Aid certificate (to be eligible to take the exam)
• For Commercial endorsement you will also require a Sea Survival certificate and a ENG1 Medical

The fee includes:

• Five-day YM practical training
• Use of the boat during the exam
• Fuel for the course and exam

Other Expenses:

• Exam Fee: £241 paid directly to the RYA.
• Accommodation: Not provided, but we are very centrally located in Palma so there are lots of options nearby.
• Examiner expenses: Typically around 75€-200€ per student

Course Structure

5 days practical course followed by the Exam Exam fee - £241 payable to the RYA

Useful Information

You will also need: • First Aid Certificate (in date) • VHF/SRC Certificate