Sailing terms
Sailing terms and navigation basics, explained
Short, plain-English answers to the questions most people have before their first course — and a few that keep coming up long afterwards.
Sailing terms
Port and starboard: which side is which, and why it matters
Left and right at sea, the memory tricks, and the right-of-way rule behind them.
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What is a flotilla holiday?
Group cruising with a lead crew: how it works and what you need to join one.
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Sailing terms every new crew member should know
The vocabulary of your first week aboard, grouped and explained in plain English.
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Points of sail explained
Close hauled, reaching, running and the no-go zone, and how to trim for each.
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How to read a nautical chart
Depths, datums, symbols and buoyage, and how to plot a position on paper.
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Tides explained: springs, neaps and tidal range
Springs, neaps, range and streams, and why they shape every passage plan.
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Looking at qualifications?
Our course guides explain what each RYA qualification covers, who it suits and how to prepare.
Day Skipper preparation
How to prepare for your RYA Day Skipper course
Theory, practical skills, sea time and kit to review before your course.
Competent Crew
RYA Competent Crew: your first step into sailing
The beginner course: no experience needed, and what a first week aboard involves.
Coastal Skipper
RYA Coastal Skipper: the step up from Day Skipper
What changes when you skipper longer passages, and the mileage expected first.
Yachtmaster
What is an RYA Yachtmaster qualification?
Coastal, Offshore and Ocean compared, plus the exam and mileage requirements.
VHF / SRC radio
Do you need a VHF SRC licence to use a marine radio?
Why the SRC certificate is legally required, and what the one-day course covers.