The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased course is the RYA’s advanced theory course in celestial navigation, worldwide meteorology and ocean passage planning.
Often called Yachtmaster Ocean Theory or Ocean Yachtmaster Shorebased, the course teaches you how to determine your position using a sextant and observations of the sun, stars, moon and planets, as well as how to plan and manage long-distance ocean passages.
Who is the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased course for?
The course is aimed at experienced sailors and professional mariners who want to develop the knowledge required for ocean passages and celestial navigation.
It is particularly suitable for:
- recreational sailors planning Atlantic crossings or other long-distance ocean passages;
- candidates progressing towards the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence (CoC;
- commercial skippers who already hold RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore CoC and want to operate beyond 150 miles from a safe haven.
- superyacht deck officers;
- candidates progressing towards MCA Master 200 / OOW 500 unlimited certification;
- candidates progressing towards eligible Chief Mate and higher yacht qualifications.
Candidates should already have navigation, passage-planning and meteorology knowledge to approximately RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased standard.
HOW LONG IS THE RYA YACHTMASTER OCEAN SHOREBASED COURSE?
- Classroom – 5 days
- Classroom Night school – 1 weekend plus 8 evenings
- Online – 40 to 50 hrs in your own time
All options and dates can be found at the bottom of this page.
WHAT ARE THE PREREQUISITES FOR THE RYA YACHTMASTER OCEAN SHOREBASED THEORY COURSE?
Candidates should have navigation, passage planning and meteorology knowledge up to RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased level and some practical experience of putting this knowledge into practice.
What will I learn on the Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased course?
The course combines practical astro navigation with the wider knowledge required to plan and manage an ocean passage.
You will learn how to:
- set up, check and use a sextant;
- correct sextant observations for errors and atmospheric effects;
- calculate latitude from a meridian altitude of the sun;
- reduce and plot sun, star, moon and planet sights;
- work with UTC, local mean time and zone time;
- calculate great-circle and composite routes;
- understand global weather patterns and tropical revolving storms;
- plan long-distance ocean passages;
- manage fuel, water, victualling, spares and watchkeeping;
- use appropriate ocean charts, publications and communications systems.
The detailed RYA syllabus is outlined below.
The earth and the celestial sphere
- Definition of observer’s zenith and position of a heavenly body in terms of latitude, longitude, GHA and declination
- Right angle relationships, latitude and co-lat, declination and polar distance
- Relationship between GHA, longitude and LHA
- Tabulation of declination in nautical almanac
- Rate of increase of hour angle with time
The PZX triangle
- The tabulated components of the triangle, LHA, co-lat and polar distance
- The calculable components, zenith distance and azimuth
- Relationship between zenith distance and altitude
- Introduction to the tabular method of solution in the Air Navigation Tables and the basic sight form
- The use of calculators for the solution of the PZX triangle
The sextant
- Practical guide to the use and care of a sextant at sea
- Conversion of sextant altitude to true altitude
- Application of dip, index error and refraction
- Correction of side error, perpendicularity, index error and collimation error
Measurement of time
- Definition of, and relationship between, UT, LMT, standard time and zone time
- Rating of chronometers and watches
Meridian altitudes
- Forecasting time of meridian altitude
- Reduction of meridian altitude sights
Sun, star and other sights
- Reduction and plotting of sun sights using
- Air Navigation Tables
- Awareness of use of calculator for sight reduction
- The plotting of sun-run-sun meridian altitude
- Awareness of the reduction and plotting of sights obtained from stars, moon and planets
Compass checking
- Use of amplitude and azimuth tables systems and/or calculator
Satellite Navigation Systems
- Principles and limitations of use of all systems
Great circle sailing
- Comparison of rhumb lines and great circles
- Vertices and composite tracks
- The computation of a series of rhumb lines approximating to a great circle by use of gnomonic and Mercator projections
Meteorology
- General pressure distribution and prevailing winds over the oceans of the world
- Tropical revolving storms, seasonal occurrence and forecasting by observation
Passage planning
- Publications available to assist with planning of long passages (routeing charts, ocean passages of the world and other publications)
- Preparation for ocean passage including survival equipment, victualling, water and fuel management, chafe protection, spares and maintenance
Passage making
- Navigational routine
- Watchkeeping
- Crew management
Communications
- Satellite and terrestrial systems
- Weather information
For the classroom course, we provide all the tables, sextants and other tools for this course. During the week we will also cover the written exam required as a prerequisite for the RYA Ocean Yachtmaster oral exam.
INCLUDED IN THE COURSE?
OCEAN YACHTMASTER CLASSROOM BASED OPTION
- Use of our sextants, routing charts and publications
- RYA Ocean Shorebased Exercise Book
- RYA Ocean Shorebased Nautical Almanac
- RYA Ocean Shorebased Sight Reduction Tables
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased certificate
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased written exam
- Free Parking
OCEAN YACHTMASTER ONLINE COURSE OPTION
- RYA Ocean Shorebased Student Tables
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Certificate
- UK Postage
- Email support
- RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased written exam, (some candidates will need to be invigilated, read here if this applies to you)
NOT INCLUDED IN THE COURSE:
- Overseas postage- click for charges, (only required for the online course)
- Meals
RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Theory Course Ratios
The RYA allow centres to run with up to 12 students on this course. While this works for night school we find it is far too many for our 5-day and weekend courses so we limit the class size to 8 students, which means you each get a double desk to spread out at and can access more of the instructor’s time. In reality the class size is often smaller and we run with as few as two students. The classroom is equipped with 4 sextants and a huge selection of ocean passage planning books and publications.
Why Choose Chieftain for Your Yachtmaster Ocean Course?
Yachtmaster Ocean is a specialist subject, so the quality and experience of your instructor matters.
Chieftain has four RYA Yachtmaster Ocean instructors within the team. Our Principal, Doug Innes has taught the course for around 25 years, while our lead astro-navigation instructor, Nigel Rennie, has more than 30 years’ experience teaching and examining at this level.
Our Hamble classroom is equipped specifically for Ocean training, including:
- four training sextants;
- ocean routing charts;
- nautical almanacs and sight-reduction tables;
- hard copy ocean-passage planning publications;
- practical astro-navigation teaching equipment.
Wherever possible, we teach using the actual instruments and publications you will use at sea rather than relying solely on slides or illustrations.
To date, candidates trained by us who have subsequently presented for the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean examination have achieved a 100% first-time pass rate. Past performance cannot guarantee an individual result, but it reflects the depth of preparation we aim to provide.
Is The Ocean Yachtmaster Shorebased Theory Course Invigilated?
If you take the classroom course then the written paper is automatically invigilated. If you join the online course you will complete the same assessment paper as our classroom students. For the majority of our students this paper does not require invigilation. However if you intend to use the certificate as entry into the Chief Mate or Master 200 certification route then you will require invigilation. This does not have to be carried out here in Southampton, we can arrange for invigilation with an RYA Instructor near you (for which there may be a fee).
RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Course – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased course?
The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased course is the RYA’s advanced theory course in celestial navigation, worldwide meteorology and ocean passage planning.
It teaches you how to determine your position using a sextant and observations of the sun, stars, moon and planets, as well as how to plan and manage long-distance ocean passages.
Is Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased the same as Yachtmaster Ocean Theory?
Yes. RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased is the official course name, but it is commonly referred to as Yachtmaster Ocean Theory or Ocean Yachtmaster Theory.
Do I need to hold Yachtmaster Offshore before attending Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased?
You do not necessarily need to hold a Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence (CoC) before attending the Ocean shorebased course, but you should already have navigation and meteorology knowledge to approximately RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased standard. You will not however be able to progress to Yachtmaster Ocean CoC until you hold the Yachtmaster Offshore CoC.
The Ocean course builds on advanced coastal navigation rather than starting from first principles.
Do I need to own a sextant?
No. Classroom students do not need to own a sextant.
Chieftain has multiple real and training sextants available for use during the course, allowing students to learn how to check, adjust and use a sextant before deciding whether to purchase their own.
How long is the Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased course?
The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased course is normally taught over approximately 40 hours, including assessment.
At Chieftain, it can be completed as an intensive 5-day classroom course, through selected part-time or evening formats, or online at your own pace.
Can I complete Yachtmaster Ocean Theory online?
Yes. Chieftain offers the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased course online, allowing you to work through the syllabus at your own pace with instructor support.
Is the Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased exam invigilated?
The course includes a formal assessment. If you take our face to face classroom course then it is automatically invigilated. If you take the online option then invigilation will need to be arranged as an extra. Whether this needs to be completed under invigilated conditions depends on how you intend to use the certificate.
Candidates using the qualification as part of an MCA professional certification route should ensure that their assessment meets the required invigilation conditions.
If you are unsure, speak to us before choosing your course format.
Does the Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased certificate expire?
No. The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased certificate does not have a fixed expiry date.
What is the difference between Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean?
Yachtmaster Offshore focuses primarily on advanced coastal and offshore navigation and skippering, generally within 150 nautical miles of a safe haven.
Yachtmaster Ocean adds the knowledge required for unrestricted ocean passages, including celestial navigation, worldwide meteorology and long-distance passage planning.
In simple terms, Offshore prepares you for extended coastal and offshore passages, while Ocean prepares you for trans-ocean passages where land may be many days (or weeks) away.
Do I need Yachtmaster Ocean Theory before the Yachtmaster Ocean exam?
Strictly speaking, it is possible to progress to the Yachtmaster Ocean examination without holding the shorebased certificate. However, if you hold an appropriately invigilated Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased certificate, you are exempted from completing the additional written paper during the oral examination. For most candidates, completing the shorebased course first is therefore the most sensible route.
Is Yachtmaster Ocean required for MCA Master 200 unrestricted?
Yachtmaster Ocean is an important part of the route towards MCA Master 200 unlimited-area certification.
Professional certification requirements can be specific, so candidates aiming for Master 200 or other MCA deck qualifications should check the current MCA requirements before booking. Chieftain can help candidates identify the correct training route before they start.
What does Yachtmaster Ocean allow me to do?
The Yachtmaster Ocean qualification demonstrates advanced knowledge and practical competence for planning and navigating ocean passages.
For recreational sailors, it is the highest level within the RYA Yachtmaster scheme.
For professional mariners, it can also support progression towards unrestricted commercial certification, including certain MCA Master and Officer of the Watch routes, subject to the additional sea service, medical, safety and certification requirements for those qualifications.
Booking The Course:
FACE TO FACE YACHTMASTER OCEAN SHOREBASED COURSE
Select a date below. If the dates below do not suit you we can set up a bespoke 1:1, 2:1 or group course at a time that suits you, please contact us.
ONLINE YACHTMASTER OCEAN SHOREBASED COURSE
Select the “online courses” tab below. All online courses are scheduled for January, regardless of the date you book so you can effectively ignore the date listed.