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Pre-course check

Yachtmaster Prep — pre-course knowledge check

Used to plan your Yachtmaster preparation and exam readiness. Be honest about recent, hands-on experience.

Your details
Sea time & qualifications

Logged miles, night passages, tidal experience and certificates held.

Approximate miles logged

Approximate night hours

Days as skipper in the last two years

I meet the mileage and sea time requirements for the exam I am targeting

Which certificates do you already hold (RYA, ICC, VHF, first aid, sea survival)?

Theory & passage planning

Yachtmaster-level navigation, tides, meteorology and IRPCS.

I can complete a full tidal passage plan with contingencies

I can carry out blind pilotage using bearings, depth and timing

I can apply IRPCS in traffic separation schemes and at night

I can interpret weather data and make a go/no-go decision

I have completed Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore theory

Boat handling under exam conditions

Blind pilotage, berthing under sail and power, springing off.

I can berth and depart under power in strong wind and tide

I can berth and depart under sail alone

I can spring off and use warps to move a yacht in a tight berth

I can helm confidently at night and in poor visibility

Seamanship & command

Skippering, crew briefing, decision making and yacht systems.

I can take command, brief crew and delegate under pressure

I can diagnose and fix common engine and system faults

I can manage victualling, watch systems and crew welfare on passage

Safety, emergencies & regulations

MOB drills, emergency procedures, safety equipment and legal requirements.

I can run MOB recovery under sail and power, day and night

I know the safety equipment requirements and legal obligations of a skipper

I hold a valid first aid and sea survival certificate

Which exam are you preparing for, and when?

Any medical, mobility or dietary needs we should know about?