RYA YACHTMASTER OCEAN
This very interesting advanced course leads to the RYA ‘Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased’ certificate and covers astro navigation, worldwide meteorology and ocean level passage planning. It also negates the need for a written test when you go for your exam.
Level of knowledge required
You must have a good knowledge of chartwork and meteorology up to RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore level and this is assumed in our study material. You do not need any prior knowledge of astro navigation.
All of the study material is written in an easy to understand format using very readable pdf documents. Each topic starts with the basics and gradually builds on that knowledge using self test questions to allow you to assess your own progress before moving on to the next topic. Your progress is checked by your instructor when you send the RYA exercises in for marking.
Tiller’s standard package £ 250
You will receive the complete course comprising:
- Tiller study material on CD which you may print as part of your studies or use on your computer. Expect about 300 pages and many illustrations in colour.
- Tiller study guide a course planning guide.
- Selected RYA and MCA booklets.
- RYA student pack (exercises and practice tables).
- The book ‘Ocean Sailing’ by Tom Cunliffe.
- 5 plotting sheets and a 2B pencil for chartwork.
- Marking and support including one year access to ‘tiller-online’ - our easy to use web system that allows you to download course modules, check for updates and see FAQs and hints and tips.
- Exam (which are sat at home on completion of course work) and issue of certificate.
- Courier delivery to most UK addresses.
Popular options
- Printed Tiller study material. You can start studying ‘out of the box’ with our smart colour printed and individually bound set of study ‘lectures’.
- Navigation instruments. You’ll need them and probably have your own. If not then we supply high quality dividers and plotters plus sharpener and eraser at realistic prices.
- Second Student Study with a partner or friends and receive a significant discount. Can only be ordered when ordering a complete course as well.
Lectures include
1. Astro Theory and Time – the basic concepts of astro explained together with time zones and the relationship between longitude and time.
2. The Sextant - how to adjust, use and maintain this expensive piece of kit.
3. Meridian Passage – the simplest and most basic sight which gives us our latitude.
4. Sun Sights and Plotting – the next stage in being able to put together sights and use them for practical navigation – the sun-run-sun.
5. Using the Stars – an under-rated tool for obtaining and instant fix. Once the method for the sun has been learned then the rest of the heavenly bodies are relatively simple.
6. The Moon, Planets and Polaris – the only new elements are the different adjustments that need to be made to the sight, and Polaris provides another method of obtaining latitude.
7. Weather – global weather explained for both hemispheres together with tropical revolving storms.
8. Passage Planning – the nitty gritty of Planning and making an ocean passage.
Exams include
Just one paper covers astro weather passage planning and passage making.
All the lectures are on the CD together with PowerPoint shows to help visualise the various subjects. There is also a section containing MAIB reports which highlight the importance of some of the danger areas such as collision avoidance and safety including the recent Ouzo incident.
