RYA Yachtmaster FastTrack Program
This fantastic course combines the Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster courses into one complete course. It is has been designed for those with minimal knowledge of navigation and seamanship to get to Yachtmaster theory level
quickly without compromising instruction. The course removes duplication between the Day Skipper theory course and the Yachtmaster theory course and takes you initially through the foundational parts of Day Skipper to develop solid
fundamentals.
The Day Skipper part is not assessed but rather designed to quickly get you up to speed on basic seamanship, chart work and tides. Following the Day Skipper module, students then progress to the full Yachtmaster Shorebased
theory course which covers all aspects of the Yachtmaster syllabus.
Certification:
- RYA Coastal Skipper /
Yachtmaster Offshore Theory Certificate
$745 AUD inc GST.
- Online E-Learning program with immediate access.
- 65 hours of study plus Exercises and Exams.
- No prior experience required.
- Course Pack sent direct to you.
- Commercial Grade Plotter & Dividers incuded.
- Private VC tutorials available.
- 6 Months course access with extension options.
- Bespoke, practical supplementary course material for Australia and South Pacific Weather Patterns.
Who is this course for?
This course is ideal for anyone looking to progress to achieving the yachtmaster qualification or wants to be certain of the skills for extended passages.
The focus of the course is to prepare you for navigating in waters, as well as entering or departing ports that are unfamiliar to you or your crew. This course is the perfect course for those looking to go to sea and discover new places.
- Skippers wanting to master their knowledge.
- Navigation in areas with complex passages or large tidal movements.
- Long distance overnight passages lasting several days.
Course Pre-Requisites:
This level course does require some degree of boating knowledge to start. Ideally you would have spent some time on the water crewing for someone of even skippering your own boat mastering the elementary parts.
- Boating Experience- ideally with some real world attempts at navigation
- Basic addition and subtraction maths.
What the course covers:
- General Seamanship
- Parts of the boat
- Securing the boat on the dock
- Preparation for Sea
- Sailing Knots
- Anchoring Techniques
- Basic Sailing Theory
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- Vessel Safety Requirements
- Safety Briefings
- Sea Survival Equipment
- Vessel Stability
- The impact of weather on safety
- Emergency Response
- Mayday, Rescue, and Abandon Ship
- Actions in Limited visibility
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- Interpreting Marine focussed Weather Forecasts
- Pressure Systems and weather patterns
- Observation of Weather Systems,
- Understanding local weather effects.
- The impact of weather on safety
- Using onboard instruments to predict weather
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Charts are the key tool used in navigation. All key jurisdicitons still require the use of paper charts due to management issues with GPS.
- Use of the Compass, variation and deviation compensation
- Position fixing with Latitude and Longitude
- Determining the currency of charts, manage updates and corrections.
- Working with charts.
- Understanding chart symbols and information
We will teach you how to use the plotter and dividers so you can be certain where you are every time. These tools are the link between the chart, a GPS and the real world.
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The effects of tide will push you off course. An effective navigator can use the tools available to compensate for the tide in advance and allow you to steer a shorter, faster course. A GPS will only tell you to compensate after you have gone off course.
- Identification of Tidal Streams
- Determing the effect of leeway and tide and how to compensate.
- plotting ground track and water track on a chart.
- Adjusting for variaiton and deviaiton with Course to Steer adjustments.
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Tidal rates change during the process of each tidal movement and throughout the lunar cycle. A Yachtmaster needs to be able to accurately work out the effects of tide when navigating, anchoring, and thorugh close quarters pilotage.
- Understanding the mechanism that causes tides to occur
- Understanding Tide Tables.
- Identification of Tidal Streams
- Working with Tidal Diamonds and the Tidal Stream Atlas
- The differences in tidal behavious for springs and neaps conditions.
- Adjusting for variaiton and deviaiton with Course to Steer adjustments.
Cumulatively you will be able to predict the impact of tidal movements throughout your journey, offset your course to account for the tidal stream, plan a course that safely accounts for the height of tide, and consideration
for the height of tide for departure and arrival times.
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- The use of leading lines and lights.
- Using dipping distances
- Recogniition of different navigation aids and purpose
- Stand on and and Give way
- Identification of Nav Aid Symbols on a chart.
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Safe and planned navigation is one of the most fundamental principles of being a yachtmaster.
- Position Fixing using Landmarks, naviads and natural features.
- Compensation for variation and deviation on position fixing and Course to Steer
- Determing Estimated position and expected accuracy.
- Impact of Hazards and weather.
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Nothing has changed navigation like the advent of GPS and affordable radar. But our overreliance on them mean we have lost awareness of the shortfalls and vulnerabilies of this technology
- The basics of a electronic chart plotter.
- Basic Radar Operation using the NAVatHOME radar simulator
- Safe practical use of a GPS
- GPS Validation
- AIS - Automatic Identification System
- Management of Electronic charts
- Paper Charts, electronic plotter and passage planning.
- Electronic Instruments.
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As of 2002, SOLAS requirements changed internatioanlly to require the skippers of all leisure vessels to make a passage plan of an intended voyage before leaving the dock. It is recognised as a fundamental aspect of the vessels safety.
- Requirements of a passage plan
- Live management of a passage plan
- Crew Management
- Development of close quarters pilotage plan
- Understanding pilotage techniques
- Pilotate in close quarters with restricted visibility
- Transits, clearing lines
- Harbour Requirements
- Adjusting for variaiton and deviaiton with Course to Steer adjustments.
Ultimately you will be able to put together a complete passage plan and pilotage plan with consideration for ports of refuge, weather and emergency response plans.
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- Understanding international rules of the road.
- Required action to avoid collisions.
- Definition of limited visibility and impact on coll regs
- Stand on and and Give way
- Traffic Separation Schemes
- Marine Clearance areas.
- Understanding Vessel Day Shapes
- Sound Signals - including those in restricted visibility
- Recognition of a vessel from its ship lights.
- What signals are you required to show.
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How is the course delivered
The course is provided using the world class NAVatHOME RYA accredited training program.
Support and Extras
Through out your course, you will be supportedby one of the NAVatHOME expert instructors. Throughout the course, students will have full access to all NAVatHOME supporting resources and access to the international Navathome support network if you are planning an overseas trip.
- Knots
- Glossary
- Bouyage
- Collision Regulations
- Vessel Lights & Flip Cards
- Interactive VHF radio Simulator
- Interactive Radar Simulator
- Interactive Chart Plotter Simulator
The NAVatHOME Interactive Radar Simulator. Includes the normal features for recreational use.
All elements of the DaySkipper and Coastal Skipper are covered in this course. Further detail on the content covered by the fastrack course is captured in the syllabus definitions for Coastal Skiper and DaySkipper. This course will cover information that
even experienced skippers may not have been exposed to before. The RYA syllabus ensures that a Yachtmaster has been exposed to all techniques that have been proven in use over thousands of sea miles by its members and students. To be awarded
an RYA Yachtmaster is to attain one of the highest standards that can be given to a recreational sailor.
Enrol Now
Each course comes with 6 months access with the opportunity to renew at any time. Course extensions cost $60 for an additional 6 months.
If this is your first time doing a NAVatHOME course, consider completing the free trial course so that you are aware of the style of the course before booking.