MCA RYA Yachtmaster Offshore (Sail)
The holder of a Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence has sufficient knowledge to skipper a yacht on any passage during which the yacht is no more than 150 miles from harbour.
What I like about Allabroad’s set up is that it comes with its own waterfront: each day after intensive tuition in Gibraltar Bay you can relax and carry out post mortems over a drink in the local bars or an excellent sea food dish in the harbourside restaurants within halliard clanking distance of Allabroad’s fleet.
I met dozens of students at various levels during my Yacht Master course and all of them agreed on one thing: they didn’t know they had it in them until Allabroad lured it out.
The Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore Certificates of Competence are the most useful and credible of yachting qualifications. They are administered by the RYA on behalf of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency and accepted as a worldwide standard.
These certificates of Competence are gained by examination. The RYA Yachtmaster Examiner is independent of Allabroad Sailing Academy, and will not having been involved in your training, and is therefore objective when assessing your ability. With the addition of a commercial endorsement, this highly respectable qualification can open up a variety of work opportunities.
We run frequent intensive preparation courses for the Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore examinations. During these courses only those aiming for an examination, or those benefiting from an intensive skills week at the same level, will on the yacht together. We do not mix preparation courses with other courses, as this would compromise both.
During our intensive preparation courses, we focus on building your exsting skills and incorporate as many advanced manoeuvres as possible. Despite being a demanding week, even very experienced skippers will come away from the experience with new skills and greater proficiency onboard. We limit the numbers onboard to four students and the instructor—we feel that this is the ideal ratio.
I liked the two week prep course as I felt we had the time to really get to know the boat and run over everything properly in the first week so it was then a matter of just polishing our skills and knowledge in the second week. Richard fitted everything in to meet our needs without making anything rushed. He has a good way of explaining things and progressing a student into the role of skipper by what ever means is needed for that particular person.
You will remain within the examination area, returning to the home berth of Marina bay each evening, where you may use the shorebased classroom for extra study should you wish. The bay of Gibraltar is an excellent location for this type of examination due to the breadth of experience available on our doorstep. The busy shipping lane through the Straits gives challenging pilotage opportunities, including genuine night time collision avoidance experience.
Course summary
- Pre-Exam Requirements
- Candidates must be aged 18 or over, and require:
- Radio Operator’s Qualification
- A Restricted (VHF only) Radio Operator’s Certificate or a GMDSS Short Range Certificate or higher grade of marine radio certificate.
- First Aid
- A valid first aid certificate. First aid qualifications from the Police, Fire and Armed Forces are acceptable, along with the STCW 95 Elementary First Aid Certificate.
- Sea Time
- 50 days, 2,500 miles which must include at least five passages of over 60 miles acting as skipper for at least two of these passages, and including two which have involved overnight passages.
- A minimum of five days experience as a skipper is required.
- At least half the qualifying sea time must have been conducted in tidal waters.
- Duration
- Sunday 1800 until Saturday 1000 with four full days instruction, the final independent examination taking place throughout the fifth day. An additional five days preparation may be booked prior to the final week, giving you an additional two day weekend free in-between courses to self study other development needs highlighted by your instructor.
- Certificate
- MCA RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence
- Price
- One week preparation and exam course is £495
- Two week preparation and exam course is £990
- Exam fees payable directly to the RYA on your application form, these are currently £194
- Availability
- Regular courses dates each month, these are booked early so please contact us for current availability.
