RYA Yachtmaster Power, Prep & Exam

Our RYA Yachtmaster Power Prep & Exam Course is a focused, all-inclusive programme designed to prepare experienced mariners for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore or Coastal (motor) Certificate of Competence.

Over seven days you will:

• Spend five days on the water with intensive practical preparation, coaching, and scenario-based training.
• Sit the two-day practical examination, conducted onsite by an independent RYA examiner.
• The exam fee is included in the course price. You’ll also benefit from comfortable accommodation, freshly prepared meals, and full access to UKSA’s training facilities.

Training is delivered in the Solent, one of the most challenging and rewarding locations in the UK for motor training. With strong tides, busy shipping lanes, and varied weather conditions, it provides the perfect environment to build real-world confidence and competence. You’ll train on our training yacht, a Jeanneau Prestige 460, designed to handle the full range of conditions you are likely to encounter at sea.

This course is ideal for:

• Superyacht deckhands preparing for promotion
• Commercial mariners progressing towards officer-level qualifications
• Yachtmaster Sail holders looking to convert to motor

You are required to have the necessary sea miles and experience before undertaking the practical preparation, and this must be documented and submitted to the examiner prior to taking the Yachtmaster Offshore exam. The key requirements are:

• You must have logged 2,500 nautical miles within the past ten years.
• Of these 2,500 miles, included in this, must be at least five qualifying passages over 60 miles each, with a minimum of two undertaken as skipper. 1,250 of these miles must be in tidal waters. For further information, click here to read official RYA prerequisites.
• You must hold a valid First Aid certificate. If you have an STCW Elementary First Aid certificate, it must have been issued within the last three years.
• You must possess a GMDSS-compliant marine radio certificate, such as the RYA VHF Short Range Certificate.
• Completed RYA Day skipper theory or have equivalent knowledge.

You’ll gain hands-on experience and strengthen your theoretical understanding in:

• Advanced boat handling and close-quarters manoeuvres in varied wind and tide
• General seamanship, vessel maintenance, and preparation
• Skippering techniques, crew management, and passage planning
• Tidal navigation, meteorology, and pilotage (day and night)
• Safety and emergency procedures, including man overboard recovery, fire prevention, life raft use, and helicopter rescue
• International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs)
• Communication, delegation, and leadership under operational pressure
• Customs procedures, victualling, and standards of behaviour at sea
• Use of navigational publications, tidal calculations, chartwork, electronic aids, AIS, and techniques for restricted visibility
• Weather systems, local effects, interpreting forecasts, and making informed decisions under changing conditions
• Signals, including lights, shapes, and sound signals, plus competence in radiotelephony

Training takes place in the Solent, one of the UK’s premier yachting locations, offering a unique variety of tidal conditions, busy shipping channels, and sheltered waters – the perfect environment to build real-world confidence and competence.

Small class sizes means that our RYA qualified instructors can tailor content to individual needs, ensuring every candidate receives focused coaching and the opportunity to refine the specific skills they most need to develop. All aspects of the RYA syllabus are covered, giving you the best possible preparation for your exam.