rya yachtmaster antigua

Yachtmaster Offshore Fast Track Programmes

Rya yachtmaster offshore fast track programmes.

2nd January 2017 – 15th April 2017 and 4th September 2017 – 22nd December 2017

Ondeck’s Fast Track course is built to take sailing novices through to Yacht Master Offshore with STCW & Engineering Qualifications – ideal as a stepping-stone for a career in the sailing industry.

We are based in the Caribbean on the beautiful island of Antigua, a unique place to do our Fast Track programme, as it is a hub for super yachts looking for skilled & qualified crew.  Antigua & Barbuda is one of the principal yachting & sailing centres in the Caribbean. 

Our Ondeck Maritime Training Centre offers the complete STCW 2010 course curriculum, while the new engineering training centre offers engineering and yacht maintenance qualifications. Our programme also involves visits to other islands/countries so not only interesting but invaluable in terms of learning customs and immigration procedures for yachts 

We have a flotilla of modern 40 ft yachts plus a 65 ft training vessel – ideal for training & building your experience before working on larger private yachts. Our crew house is available to rent for the shore base courses.  We also offer dinghy sailing level 1 & 2 at Sailing Academy in Falmouth, which can be taken ahead of the Fast Track course to help develop basic sailing skills & wind awareness.

The course culminates in the Yachtmaster Offshore Exam by an independent RYA Yachtmaster Examiner. This is a 10 hour practical and oral examination on all aspects of sailing a yacht in difficult circumstances.  With your hard working & our experienced instructors, you can be fully prepared and confident of passing the exam.

After the course we offer agency help in finding work in the sailing industry.

These courses are timed to finish at the end of the 2017 season in April which means that delivery jobs back to Europe or North America will be plentiful. The second courses starting in September 2017 will finish in time for candidates looking for work in the Caribbean at the beginning of the busy season there.

Pre-Requisites

Before arriving in Antigua, suggest you have the following:

> ENG 1 or equivalent Medical which is a requirement for working on many yachts 

> B1/B2 Visa for the USA. This allows you to sail into the US and so opens up more work opportunities 

> Dinghy course – if no previous sailing experience.  This can be booked at the Sailing Academy in Antigua ahead of the start of the Fast Track Course.

Course Details

Module 1  – builds a strong foundation, introducing novices to the theoretical & practical side of sailing. Acquire the qualifications & licenses to run a yacht with confidence & pursue a profession in the sailing industry.

Module 2  – builds your experience & level of skills, continually broadening the conditions & circumstances in which you get to practice handling & running the boat.

Module 3  – Focus is on completing the miles required for your exam & then honing you skills so you are as prepared as you can be for the exam.

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• Certificates of Competence
• RYA Yachtmaster

What is an RYA Yachtmaster?

The RYA Yachtmaster® Certificate of Competence is often the ultimate aim of aspiring skippers. It is a well known, highly respected qualification worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper. Unlike other qualifications in the cruising programme, there is no formal training course to become an RYA Yachtmaster. Instead, provided you have sufficient experience, certification and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge. There are a number of RYA navigation courses that will help you prepare for your exam. Many RYA Yachtmaster candidates also choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for some specialised exam preparation training, but this is not compulsory.

You are capable of coastal passages

You are competent to undertake passages up to 150 miles offshore

You have the knowledge and experience to sail worldwide

• Arranging your exam

The Coastal and Offshore exams are practical tests afloat, and the Ocean is an oral exam. Find out more about qualifying passages, exam fees and how to book. 

With an RYA Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore or Ocean Certificate of Competence you can start a career at sea.

You'll need to have the appropriate qualification for the vessel and area of operation.

If you want to work commercially, you'll need a commercial endorsement.

Find out more about other RYA professional qualifications.

• Getting the most from a Yachtmaster Fast Track course

Can you really become an RYA Yachtmaster in as little as 14 weeks? Check out our top tips for getting the most from a Yachtmaster Fast Track course...

Chieftain Training

RYA & STCW Courses – Sail, Power, Super-Yacht & Workboat

Route to RYA Yachtmaster (Power or Sail)

The Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence Exam can be taken in a powered or sail craft (i.e. there are two separate disciplines). Much of the route (the shorebased courses) is identical for both disciplines.

There are actually three levels of Yachtmaster ( Coastal, Offshore and Ocean). When people refer to “Yachtmaster” they are generally referring to Yachtmaster Offshore. This article focuses on Coastal and Offshore, our separate article, “ What is an Ocean Yachtmaster ” deals with the higher level of the three.

The route to Yachtmaster Coastal and Offshore is similar, candidates for both will have followed a similar pathway, but the offshore candidate will have logged considerably more experience prior to exam and will be pushed harder during the exam. Visit our helpful RYA Advanced and Yachtmaster Qualifying mileage page for more information.

The route to Yachtmaster has several stepping stones, most students work through Day Skipper Shorebased and Day Skipper Practical and then Coastal Skipper , however if you already have relevant experience and skills you can consider skipping these courses.

Before considering embarking on a Yachtmaster practical week , you must arm yourself with;

• Qualifying mileage (power or sail as appropriate)
• RYA SRC (1 day) or
• Higher level GMDSS Radio Certificate of Competence  (3-8 day)
• RYA First Aid (1 day) or
• STCW Elementary First Aid (1 day) or
• STCW Medical First Aid (4 day) or
• Seafish First Aid
• RYA Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased (6 days or online)
• Knowledge level to RYA Radar (1 day)
• Knowledge level to RYA Diesel (1 day)

You are also strongly advised to take the RYA Sea Survival or STW PST Course (1 day), which is required if you intend to operate as a commercial Yachtmaster (most candidates take the exam for commercial reasons and add the RYA Commercial Endorsement however some are leisure boaters and do it for themselves).

Our Yachtmaster practical (preparation and exam) week is 5 days, it takes place on board our motorboat and results in the Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore (Power) Certificates of Competence . If you prefer to take the sail exam we can put you in touch with a sail school once you have all of the above shorebased courses. During the prep week our Instructor will take you through many of the exercises the examiner is likely to throw at you on the final day. We operate the prep week with a maximum of 3 students.

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Everything You Need To Know About RYA Yachtmaster Theory

In last weeks blog we broke down RYA Day Skipper Practical and how it fits in to your learning progression. RYA Yachtmaster Theory is the next step in that journey and on its completion you opens up RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Course as well as several other interesting optional courses you could take. This blog will tell you Everything You Need To Know About RYA Yachtmaster Theory.

What is RYA Yachtmaster Theory? 

Being a theory course its shore based in a classroom or online via zoom. It assumes you have completed RYA Day Skipper theory or possess a comparable level of knowledge as it teaches you more advanced navigation techniques. You will learn about navigating safely on coastal and offshore passages. If you plan to progress to Coastal Skipper practical, Yachtmaster Coastal or Yachtmaster Offshore then you should be taking this course.

What RYA Yachtmaster Theory teaches you?

The course in essence will teach you advanced theory of navigation and meteorology.  For those with extensive sailing experience with previous navigational experience, the course builds upon those basic skills. You will be developing a comprehensive depth of knowledge and understanding of navigation theories, techniques and practices.

www.firstclasssailing.com/rya-courses/yachtmaster-theory-course

What can I expect to do?

RYA Yachtmaster Theory is an in-depth course with a wide subject field. But in short it will include position fixing, magnetic compass, tides, tidal streams, buoyage, lights, pilotage, and introduction to GPS and plotters, meteorology, collision prevention regulations, safety, navigation and passage planning among a lot more to numerous to go in-depth about in a short blog.

Where & When Can I take RYA Yachtmaster Theory?

There are three different ways you can take Yachtmaster Theory. We offer classroom based courses in our Southampton (Shamrock Quays) location and across London.  The classroom based course runs for 8 weeks ( 1 evening per week) and a weekend, or over 2 and a half weekends. If you have a suitable space we can also come to your office and run the program for your colleagues. Due to the impact of COVID we adapted our shore based courses for online zoom learning. This became very popular over the pandemic and the flexibility it offers means it has maintained it popularity. Like the in person course is typically run over 8 weeks however is sometimes compressed with multiple lessons a week. Finally we have a purely online version that allows you to dip in and out as and when it suits you. Support from an instructor is only a phone call or email away

What Equipment Will I Need?

No matter if you doing RYA Yachtmaster theory in a classroom, via zoom or online, each format comes with a extensive set of materials to make use of.  All students will receive a RYA work pack of charts, tide tables, port information and mock questions. A website with course slides will also be accessible after each lesson to help you refresh you memory. Those taking the Classroom or Zoom versions will also receive s Cockpit Companion.

To complete the course you will need a set of plotter and dividers. We can provide them to you for £20 to be collected at your first lesson. If your doing the Zoom or Online versions we will courier them to you. You can also opt to buy your own however they will likely be more expensive. If you have already completed RYA Day skipper theory or have the comparable experience you should already have everything you need.

Lastly If you haven’t already got a logbook you should make sure you get one. They are £7.49. The Logbook is a place to record your miles and keep your certificates. It outlines the whole RYA Cruising Scheme giving the course content for each course again if you completed prior course you should already have one of these.

What skills will I have after the course?

On competition of RYA Yachtmaster Theory you should now have the Background knowledge you need to skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day and night. You can now develop your skills further by moving up a level and taking the RYA Yachtmaster Practical , which in itself opens up several more course options. You can find more information about course options by following the link below.

www.firstclasssailing.com/first-class-sailing-rya-course-progression-plan

Want to get started?

Hopefully this blog has answered Everything You Need To Know about RYA Yachtmaster Theory. If you have any further questions or  you are interested in taking RYA Yachtmaster Theory click here to see availability and dates. You can also E-mail [email protected]  or call 0203 006 3717

Find out more about this course by following the link below. 

www.firstclasssailing.com/rya-courses/day-skipper-theory-course

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Yachtmaster Offshore to Ocean Preparation

4 weeks: yachtmaster offshore theory and preparation week with examination (2 weeks) plus yachtmaster ocean theory and yachtmaster ocean passage preparation (2 weeks)..

2 Weeks: Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation Week with examination and Yachtmaster Ocean Passage Preparation plus Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean Theory Online

COURSE FEES: Discounted package price. Option 1: Classroom €3,880 Option 2: Online €3,350

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These options are for students targeting the highest level of RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean for global skippering from a level of RYA Coastal Skipper.

It is a combination of RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean training.

They comprise:

RYA Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore shore based – Theory Course 1

Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation Week – 5 days of skills assessment and practice.

Examination – 2 days

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean shore based – Theory Course 1

Yachtmaster Ocean Passage Preparation

4 Weeks: Personal “face to face” tuition in our waterfront classroom. Such is the importance to us of our students achieving success under examination, we prefer to coach them through their Yachtmaster training personally. 2 Weeks: Online Home Study Courses are delivered by Navathome through Miramar Sailing School.

Course Content: See Syllabus.

Course Fee: Inclusions are the same as for courses booked individually. Availability:

• Yachtmaster Offshore Classroom Theory starts the Sunday before the first Sunday in each month between November and May subject to prior bookings
• Reserve your dates.

Consider our 1 or 2 day training courses that will enhance your training and make the most of your time in Antigua. Not only will this maximise your investment in your trip but any one, or more, of these will make you a better Yachtmaster!

If you wish to include any of these in your package please contact us for availability

• Power Boat Level 2
• Diesel Engine Maintenance

Please visit our USA Online Store , or UK Online Store for the following recommended pre-course study materials, and a selection of clothing, sailing and travel accessories.

• Yachtmaster Handbook
• Offshore Sailing
• RYA Astro Navigation Handbook

Please check our Client Services for Accommodation & Travel information</strong</>

Yachtmaster Ocean Theory Syllabus

Ym ocean - syllabus.

The Earth and the Celestial Sphere The PZX triangle The Sextant Measurement of Time Meridian altitudes Sun, Star and other sights Compass checking Satellite Navigation Systems Great circle sailing Meteorology Passage Planning Passage making Communications

Miramar sailing is now owned by SECOND STAR SAILING !

Still proudly based on the stunning island of Antigua, with our beautiful office in Jolly Harbour Marina.

We’re continuing to do what we love most—offering top-notch RYA sailing and Powerboating courses, ADOMS Boatmaster training, all-female Women at the Helm courses, as well as fun Day Cruises and exciting Racing adventures!

VISIT THE NEW WEBSITE

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail – Everything You Need to Know

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail ticket is considered the most useful and credible of all sail cruising qualifications. Administered on behalf of the UK Maritime and Coastgaurd Agency by the RYA the qualification is accepted as a worldwide standard. To gain an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail qualification you must sit a practical exam. 

What Does the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Allow You to Do?

Gaining an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail will allow you to work commercially on sailing vessels not exceeding 200GT.

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam certifies that you are competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage that is not more than 150nm from a harbour.

How Can You Sit an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

The exam can be organised via the RYA to be done on your own vessel or via an RYA training centre, to be done on an RYA training vessel. It should be noted, that to complete the exam on your own vessel, your vessel must be up to an appropriate safety standard.

Most RYA training centres offering the RYA Cruising Scheme offer some form of pre exam preparation or coaching for those looking to take an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam.

These courses are often referred to as ‘RYA Yachtmaster Prep’ courses. This is unique within the RYA training framework in that it does not have a fixed course syllabus, length or course completion certificate.

Who Can Do an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam is open to anyone who meets the minimum criteria, with all experience within the last 10 years.

• 18 years of age or older
• 50 days spent at sea
• 2500nm sailed, with at least 50% in tidal waters
• 5 days as skipper
• 5 passages of over 60nm, with at least 2 as skipper

If you have skippering experience but not the required days or passages, then the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail might be for you.

If you have the miles, but not the skippering experience, then again, the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail might be for you.

Additionally, exam candidates must also hold a relevant GMDSS VHF certification and an RYA First Aid certificate or recognised equivalent.

Can You Go Straight to the Exam?

You can indeed jump straight into the RYA Cruising Scheme at this stage, however, it is imperative that you understand the levels that are required of you, both in your knowledge and practical skills.

It is suggested that as a minimum you have completed (and passed) the RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Theory course as the knowledge in here is both required for you to be at the level required, but will be formally tested during your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam, both orally and in practical applications.

What Do You Need to Know before Attending an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Course and Exam?

You, of course, need to be a suitably experienced skipper and this involves meeting the prerequisites mentioned above to be eligible. You should be able to handle your vessel competently in close quarters and at sea. You should be comfortable applying this in various day and night time passages.

As mentioned, it is strongly recommended to have completed the RYA Coastal and Yachtmaster Theory as the depth of knowledge gained from this shore based course will be tested throughout your exam. 

How Long Does a Prep Course and Exam Take?

The exam itself can take anything from 8 hours to 2 days depending on how many candidates are being examined on one vessel at a time. Up to 4 candidates can sit the exam at once and this would last for a maximum of 48 hours if so.

An RYA Yachtmaster Prep course is generally four and a half days long and is usually directly followed by the practical exam.

Is There a Set Syllabus for the Prep Course?

No, this is the one time that while there is a recognised ‘course’, there is no syllabus. It is up to the experienced instructor on the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep course to tailor the learnings to your needs. This is more about refining your skills rather than teaching new ones.

You should be honest with yourself and your instructor in order for learnings throughout the week to be tailored to improve yourself on any weak areas that you may have.

What Should I Expect from an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep Course?

These courses run as a standalone course and while there may be students on another course, generally everyone onboard is a candidate for an RYA Yachtmaster Exam. The courses should however be run with no more than 4 students on board.

The content will depend on the needs of all students and is aimed at fine-tuning existing skills rather than teaching new ones. This will involve a lot of night time sailing and navigation, carrying out challenging boat handling while using theory knowledge and ensuring general skippering skills are up to scratch.

There is a basic syllabus that is used to help shape the exam content, but in reality, you can be tested on anything from the RYA Cruising Scheme within the exam.

Before choosing the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Prep course you need to be honest with yourself and your own abilities. While on the course you need to take on the advice and guidance given by the instructor on what areas need work. If you speak to your instructor before the course, they can tailor the instruction to your needs.

What Should I Expect on an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

On the exam, you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and competence. You will be expected to take full responsibility of your vessel and crew. The examiner will be looking for you to demonstrate competence and show your broad range of experience.

The exam will be an intensive experience and even when you are not the designated skipper, you will still be asked questions and observed and examined as a participant of the crew.

During the exam you will be asked to complete various tasks, ranging from leaving the dock, skippering a short passage, casualty recovery, night pilotage and even blind navigation. Additionally, you will be tested on theoretical aspects such as how to deal with an engine failure, knowledge of your vessel’s stability, meteorology and IRPCS.

As a potential RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail, these tasks are ones that should now be second nature to you and should take minimal time to plan while the theoretical knowledge should be able to roll off your tongue. 

What Is the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam Syllabus?

The following topics make up the basis for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail exam syllabus. IRPCS, safety, boat handling, seamanship, responsibility as skipper, navigation, meteorology and signals.

But, as mentioned above, anything from the whole RYA cruising syllabus scheme can be tested.

What Is the Cost of an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Course and Exam?

As ever, many schools differ in price. We would recommend that you take a look around at the various options and find what suits your needs the best. Cheapest is not often better.

This can range from knowing if you will have to share a cabin while onboard to whether food and berthing charges are included to how many other students you will be sharing your week with.

The exam fee is usually not included, which is currently £231.

Where Should I Do My RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail?

As always there are many thoughts and pros on cons on this, and as a potential RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail you should consider yourself experienced enough to sit the exam anywhere. However, if you choose to sit the exam in an area that you are familiar with then you will take a little bit of the stress out of learning a new area and start with a small advantage of having that all important local knowledge at your disposal.

What Happens If I Struggle on the Prep Course?

Your instructor should be able to update you on your ability levels throughout the course. They will be highly experienced and it is suggested that you listen to their advice given.

If you are learning something for the first time you should consider if you are ready for the exam. Talk to your instructor and they will be able to guide you on if you are ready for the exam, if they would advise further training or if they recommend that you aim for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Sail exam instead.

What Is the Pass Mark for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Exam?

There is no pass mark as such and the examiner will be looking to see that you are a competent and complete skipper, capable of looking after both your vessel and crew in a safe manner.

Every exam is different and no examiner will be setting out to fail any candidates, but they must ensure and check that each candidate is able to demonstrate their ability, knowledge and skills in a safe and timely manner.

If you were to fail to reach the levels of an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence then the examiner will give you a thorough debrief complete with action points to work on before you have another attempt at the exam. 

What Comes after RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail

After completion of the exam, you will have gained the highly sought after RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence and you can get this commercially endorsed by adding a sea survival certification, a personal medical and a PPR course, all of which, along with your GMDSS VHF and First Aid should be sent off to the RYA for certification upgrade. This will now allow the holder to skipper a vessel commercially, so long as it is less than 200 gross tonnes, up to 150nm from a harbour.

The next step is of course to get out on the water and to keep learning, keep gaining experience and keep improving on the skills and knowledge learned so far. No skipper is the finished article and we should all keep seeking to improve.

Within the RYA cruising scheme, there are a couple more steps that are possible. This is to progress and upgrade your RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail certificate of competence to an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Sail certificate of competence.

To do this there is 3 main steps, first, you will need to complete an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course, where you will learn about astro navigation, ocean meteorology and ocean navigation, join the waiting list for our ocean theory course here . Next, is to complete an ocean qualifying passage that meets the necessary requirements. Finally, you will then need to complete another exam, this time an oral exam, where you will discuss your ocean qualifying passage and general ocean skippering skills.

On successful completion of this, you will be awarded the highest accolade within the RYA cruising scheme, the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Sail certificate of competence.

One other direction of travel is to become an RYA Cruising Instructor for Sail. To do this, you will first want to consolidate your skippering skills and knowledge then look to come back and start off with an RYA Cruising Instructor course. On this course, RYA Instructor Trainers will assess and guide you through what is required and expected in order to work as an RYA Cruising Instructor for Sail.

Releated Posts

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory – Everything You Need to Know

RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Motor – Everything You Need to Know

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RYA Competent Crew

• General Description
• Important details
• Enrolment Form

The 5 day RYA Competent Crew course is designed to make you a capable member of a friendly sail cruising crew.

Course content:.

During the course you will take turns helming and trimming the sails , assisting in all manoeuvres, from leaving the dock to anchoring in one of our turquoise bays, learning knots, nautical terms and participating in a variety of exercises, from man overboard recoveries to picking up mooring balls under sail.  

In this live-aboard class in the Caribbean, you will begin at our base in Jolly Harbour on the west coast of Antigua and might sail both north towards our beautiful beaches or south to English Harbour and Falmouth, or possibly around the whole island of Antigua. There will be sightseeing, swimming and relaxing opportunities after a full day of sailing. There is also the chance to sail to gorgeous Barbuda depending on the weather.

There is no exam at the end of the course, as it is a continuous learning and evaluative experience during the week.  

Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll receive the  RYA Competent Crew Certificate.

All of our practical sailing courses  are limited to four students on board .  This allows us to give you  maximum individual attention  and for our  instructors to create a bespoke sailing experience for each and every one of our students.

Groups of 5 can be accommodated on our Dufour 44’ should you wish to book together and enjoy the course as part of a larger group.

Prerequisites for the course:

• Minimum age – 12 years old
• No previous sailing experience needed
• You can order a RYA Competent Crew Skills book (paper or e-book) on RYA SHOP . It is not mandatory, but might be very useful before and during your course

Next Steps:

Following your RYA Competent Crew Course , and with maybe a little more experience, you will be able to move towards your  RYA Day Skipper course , possibly first taking the  RYA Day Skipper Theory  course (online or in a classroom) and then joining us for the RYA Day Skipper Practical course – maybe at our base in Tuscany, Italy or again with us here in the Caribbean!

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• Antigua and Barbuda
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• [email protected]

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