Our Westview Sailing RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore Shore Based course is a distance learning course

It is unique, presenter led and fully mentored.

The course is video led. And Duncan Wells is available every Tuesday at 7pm if you have any questions or simply want a chat. You can always contact us on email or phone at any time. And of course we see your progress as there are assignments throughout the course. With the Westview Sailing RYA Day Skipper shorebased course you are not alone. I am there in front of you, teaching you, encouraging you.

Meet Your Instructor

Duncan Wells

I’m Duncan Wells, RYA Instructor, Principal of Westview Sailing, author of the Stress-Free series of sailing books and creator of MOB Lifesavers. I’ll be your instructor.

Take your time

"You may have done your Day Skipper many years ago, so…"

We go back over all the fundamentals that we covered at Day Skipper just to make sure that everything is ticket-boo. And once you have remembered all the basic you will then start to fly. This distance learning course follows the same order as the classroom course. There’s plenty to do on a Yachtmaster course. The RYA state that it should be taught over 40 hours and it needs this. The beauty of the Westview Sailing distance learning course is that you can do it to suit your available time. I wouldn’t rush it however. Remember that you get 6 months' access. With a Zoom meet up each week available you will also get more interaction with me and the other students. All of which reminds you that you are not alone. We are on this path together.
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A Learning Style To Help You Remember

"Above All Shore Based Navigation Theory Should Be Fun And I Hope That Is What I Manage To Convey."

I have always believed that one of the best ways of retaining knowledge is through quizzes and so we have multi choice answer quizzes as we go, with fun answers alongside the correct answers and devices that help us to remember. You will never be overcome with a fit of the vapours at the thought of Secondary Ports – as many are - as I talk you through them step by step and we do our time and height interpolation on our ‘Crocodile’ diagram. And of course, the lessons being videos you can watch them time and time again. Check out the Free Preview module where you I take you through some of the lessons and you can get a feel for the thing.
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Assessment & Certification

Shore-Based Course RYA/MCA Day Skipper Certificate

Once you have been through the course you will be able to take the two assessment papers – one a general paper and one a chartwork paper – and on achieving the standard you will receive the ‘SHOREBASED COURSE RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore’, certificate.
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Navigational Instruments

The Right Tools For The Job

Finally, navigational instruments – the plotter and dividers – are not included with the Yachtmaster course but if you need a set just let me know. They cost £25 plus p&p and I offer the more flexible Handy plotter rather than the Portland plotter. I find the Handy plotter easier to work with. It’s thinner, it’s more accurate and you can use it one handed – the more professional plotter I think. And of course, the Blundell Harling solid brass 7 inch, one handed dividers.
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Course Highlights

  • Presenter led on videos

  • Just like our classroom courses – only all the resources are there for you to access whenever you want and then we have a weekly Zoom meeting.

  • Take as long as you like or go as quickly as you want. Our Yachtmaster course has always been run over 8 weeks but you can go much faster than this if you have the time.

  • A thorough grounding in all the traditional navigational disciplines plus integration with electronic navigation. Thanks to a tie up with Lightmaster and nauticalsoftware.com we are able to include real RADAR demos, integrated with MARPA and real VHF/DSC Mayday demos to give you a really good understanding of how they work and what they do. And we have a video on working with a chart plotter, waypoint plotting and passage planning to give you a good insight of what is available.

  • You are not alone. I will be with you all the way. In the videos, on email, on the phone and I am available on Zoom on a Tuesday at 7pm each week if you have questions. It is the most comprehensive Yachtmaster course there is. And presented by Duncan Wells, it is easy to understand.

  • There are fun multi choice quizzes throughout.

Course Costs

Includes: Shipping your pack to a UK address (If you want it sent anywhere else in the world please contact us) - 6 months' access - Weekly Zoom meet ups - Unlimited access to our team – headed by Duncan Wells

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Free Preview

  • 2

    Module 0 - Introduction to the Yachtmaster course

    • Introduction to the Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore Course

    • Yachtmaster Pack

    • The structure of the course, the order and the modules
  • 3

    Module 1 - Chartwork

  • 4

    Module 2 - Position

    • Introduction to Module 2

    • Position

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Distance - Measuring distance - Speed & Bearings Part 1

    • Distance, Speed and Bearings Part 2

    • Distance, Speed and Bearings Part 3

    • Position Quiz

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Plotting a Position

    • Plotting a position quiz

    • A tip when reading bearings from a chart or placing them on a chart - do a rough approximation first

    • Distance, Speed and Bearings quiz

    • Using the dividers one handed

    • Finding the latitude and longitude of a charted mark question

    • Finding the lat/long of a charted mark answer...and plotting a position and finding out what's there question...

    • Plotting a position and finding out what's there answer

    • Light and charted symbols quiz

    • Chartwork Question 1 - Latitude and longitude of Cape Balshaw Lighthouse?

    • Chartwork Question 1 Answer

    • Chartwork question 2- Latitude and longitude of Namley Bar Beacon?

    • Charwork Question 2 Answer

    • Checklist for Plotting a Position
  • 5

    Module 3 - Aids to navigation

    • Introduction to Module 3

    • Aids to Navigation 1 - Safe Water Marks, Lateral Marks and Special Marks

    • Lateral Marks Quiz

    • Aids to Navigation 2 - Cardinal marks, Isolated danger marks and Emergency wreck marking buoys

    • Cardinals and Isolated Danger Marks Quiz

    • Aids to Navigation 3 - Lighthouses, Leading Lights, Sector Lights & Light Vessels

    • Lighthouses, Sector lights, Leading lights and Light vessels Quiz

    • The Morse code signals on Navigation Aids that you should be aware of at Yachtmaster

    • Aids to Navigation Homework
  • 6

    Module 4 - The Compass, Magnetic Variation and Deviation

    • Introduction to Module 4

    • The Compass

    • Magnetic Variation

    • True to Magnetic and back

    • Deviation

    • Deviation quiz

    • The Compass Homework
  • 7

    Module 5 - Fixing a position

    • Introduction to Module 5

    • Fixing a position

    • Fixing a position quiz

    • Three point fix

    • Three point fix - the answer

    • An important note about 'Next to'

    • How to find places on the RYA charts - a handy tip!

    • A note about doing homework and assignments

    • AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ASSIGNMENTS

    • Fixing a Position - Assignmnent - Techniques for visual fixing page 31 question 2

    • Checklist for position fixing - homework and assignment

    • Homework 1 - a Fix - the question

    • Homework 1 - a Fix - the answer

    • Homework 2 - a Fix - the question

    • Homework 2 - a Fix - the answer

    • Nautical Terms

    • Different types of Boat
  • 8

    Module 6 - Tides & Time Zones

    • Introduction

    • Tides

    • The Tidal Hour

    • Tidal Diamonds & the Tidal Stream Atlas

    • If you are not sailing for a full hour, how much of the tidal rate do you allow? And what is the minimum amount of time that you would allow for a tidal set and rate?

    • Tides Homework

    • Time Zones

    • Working across time zones when establishing the set and rate of the tide

    • Which hour of the tide are we sailing on - Question 1

    • Which hour of the tide are we sailing on Question 1 - Answer

    • Which hour of the tide are we sailing on - Question 2

    • Which hour of the tide are we sailing on Question 2 - Answer

    • Time Zones - homework
  • 9

    Module 7 - Dead Reckoning and Estimated Position

    • Introduction

    • Dead Reckoning & Estimated Position

    • Computation of tidal rates

    • Computation of rates quiz

    • Tides Homework - inc Computation of Rates and working across 2 or more tides

    • Leeway and how we apply it

    • Estimated Position - including Deviation and interpolation of tidal rate using the computation of tidal rates table

    • Advanced Estimated Position

    • Projected Estimated Position

    • Anchoring

    • Calibrating the depth sounder

    • Dead Reckoning & Estimated Position Homework

    • Checklist for Estimated Position - homework and assignment

    • Working across more than 1 tidal hour

    • Dead Reckoning and Estimated Position page 12 question 5 - Assignment
  • 10

    Module 8 - Course to steer & Collision regulations

    • Introduction

    • Course to steer YM

    • Course to steer with Deviation and a 4.1m range

    • Scaling your chartwork for Course to Steer

    • International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea - Collision Regulations

    • Traffic Separation Schemes, Narrow Channels, Precautionary Areas and Moving Prohibited Zones

    • Course to Steer Homework

    • Checklist for Course To Steer - homework and assignment

    • IRPCS (Colregs) Homework

    • The Works! - Course to steer across two tides, two time zones, computing the tidal rates, clearing bearings, the lot

    • Course To Steer - question 2 - Assignment
  • 11

    Module 9 - Weather 1 and Collision regulations - Lights, Shapes & Sound Signals

    • Introduction

    • Weather 1

    • Weather 1 - Highs and Lows and the passage of a depression quiz

    • Collision Regulations Part 1 - Lights on vessels

    • Collision Regulations - Lights on vessels quiz YM

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Collision Regulations Part 2 - Day Shapes

    • Collision Regulations - Day shapes quiz YM

    • Collision Regulations Part 3 - Sound Signals

    • Collision Regulations - Sound signals quiz

    • The Phonetic Alphabet and the Flag Signals - What you should be aware of at Yachtmaster - and what is worth knowing

    • Apps to help you remember the Colregs, lights and shapes

    • Weather 1 Homework

    • Collision Regulations Homework
  • 12

    Module 10 - Weather 2 and 3, Navigating in restricted visibility, Rope and seaman's knots

    • Introduction

    • Weather 2

    • Weather 2 quiz

    • Weather 3

    • Weather 3 quiz

    • Navigating in restricted visibility

    • Rope and Basic Seaman's knots

    • OXO

    • Weather 2 and 3 Homework

    • Meteorology - question 2 - Assignment

    • Interpreting the synoptic chart - assignment
  • 13

    Module 11 - Tidal heights (Standard Ports and Secondary Ports) and using the correct tide table

    • Introduction

    • Tidal Heights

    • Tidal curves for the standard ports - Victoria, Port Fraser, Namley, Dunbarton, Hamilton, Colville, Port Fitzroy

    • Tidal Heights Quiz

      FREE PREVIEW

    • Secondary Ports

    • Establishing the Depth of Water to Anchor in to be Afloat at LW

    • Which tide table to use bite-sized version

    • Which tide table to use full version

    • Mean Tidal Ranges Table - By Port for HAT - MHWS - MHWN - MLWN - MLWS - Page 12 in the Training Almanac

    • A sheet of Crocodiles for working out time and height differences

    • Tidal Heights Homework

    • Checklist for Tidal Heights - homework and assignment

    • Tidal Heights - question 10d - Assignment
  • 14

    Module 12 - Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)

    • Introduction

    • Electronic aids to navigation Part 1

    • Electronic aids to navigation Part 2

    • The Chart Plotter

    • Radar & MARPA demo

    • Radar and the EBL demo

    • Radar MARPA harbour exercise

    • Radar 3 point fix by radar range

    • Electronic Aids to Navigation Homework
  • 15

    Module 13 - Pilotage and Passsage planning

    • Introduction

    • Pilotage

    • Port Signals and Moiré Lights

    • The Running Fix

    • Pilotage Homework

    • Passage Planning - Hamilton to the Farlow River - Part 1 - Appraise

    • Passage Planning - Hamilton to the Farlow River - Part 2 - Plan

    • Passage Planning - Hamilton to the Farlow River - Part 3 - Execute

    • Passage Planning - Hamilton to the Farlow River - Part 4 - Monitor

    • Passage Planning - Hamilton to the Farlow River - Part 5 - The answer to the EP question

    • A real passage from the Hamble to St. Helier in Jersey

    • Passage Making Homework

    • Passage Making - question 8 - Assignment

    • Running Fix Assignment

    • How to read the Reeds Almanac - the port and secondary port information
  • 16

    Module 14 - Safety, Calling a Mayday and Protecting the Environment

    • Introduction

    • Stability

    • Safety - Safety Equipment, Lifejackets, Fire and Gas

    • Safety - Safety Equipment, Lifejackets, Jackstays, fire and Gas Quiz

    • Distress, Distress Signals and Rescue Beacons

    • Distress and Distress Signals - Quiz

    • GMDSS - VHF DSC and the distress call

    • GMDSS VHF DSC and the Distress call - Quiz

    • The liferaft and the helicopter rescue

    • Man Over Board - return to the man and retrieval

    • Protecting the environment

    • Before we set sail

    • Safety Homework
  • 17

    Module 15 - Revision and preparation for the 3 assessments - Chartwork, Collision Regulations and Passage Making

    • Introduction - don't forget to read the notes below the video

    • Pre-assesment Chartwork Paper assignment

    • Pre-assessment IRPCS Collision Regulations Paper assignment

    • Passage making pre-assessment appraisal assignment

    • Pre-assessment Passage Plan assignment

    • Commercial Endorsements and Invigilated Assessments