RYA Essential Navigation & Seamanship

For new, inexperienced or those that need to brush up, this introduction to marine navigation and safety increases awareness of boating safety. This Essential navigation course is for anyone new to sailing, motor boating including RIBs and other small powerboats, sea angling and diving as well as experienced dinghy and keelboat sailors and inshore racers. The RYA Essential Navigation and Safety Course provides an introduction to the skills required before taking a small boat to sea, or taking an active part in running a boat. In preparation to go to sea it is essential that you know basic navigation and how to practically run your boat. During this course you will cover a introduction to marine navigation & charts. You will learn about buoyage, so that you can get out of, and back into the harbour, the basics of marine navigation, and a lot about boating safely. When you are out on your boat, you may want to anchor, so we will tell you how, and more importantly what to consider when looking for an anchorage, using RYA navigation methods. During this course you will be taught how to find tidal information, and how to apply RYA navigation to keep you safe. Electronic RYA navigation will also play a key part in the course, and you will learn how to use GPS information correctly. Weather forecasting will be discussed, how to obtain a relevant forecast, and what it means to at sea, as well as how to avoid a collision situation.

Course Structure

This Essential navigation course is the perfect introduction to marine navigation or as a refresher for anyone going afloat on inshore waters, and a stepping stone to the Day Skipper theory course. RYA Navigation complements on-the-water training. You will receive a Basic Navigation and safety course pack which includes a chart, plotter, course handbook, exercises and an electronic chart plotter CD. This introduction to marine navigation course is taught over 16 hours with exercises in RYA navigation to complete along the way. It can be covered as a series of short sessions or over two full days.

charts and publications

• safety

• engine checks

• buoyage

• tidal awareness

• visual and electronic navigation

• pilotage

• rules of the road

• anchoring

• weather forecasts

• passage planning