RYA Yachtmaster - Everything You NEED to Know

[@littleolly28]

I do not comment very often on posts, but this was one of the best explanations of the RYA way i have seen. I am YM Ocean Commercial and have forwarded this to the RYA, we need more positive endorsements like this. When i did my offshore it was 3 of us and 18 hours of sailing, At the end on the debrief, the examiner asked me how i thought is went and i said simply " you never asked me to do anything that i did not know and i really enjoyed it" He looked at me and said that's how its supposed to be and shook my hand and said well done... Adam explains you need to know your theory and if you don't know your it the examiner will know within minutes. I teach sailing and i am old so you just get the feeling... well done Adam.

[@aihobbyistinfo]

I passed my Yachtmaster exam in 1996! I was taught by Alison Noice, (look her up!) undoubtedly the finest sailor I was ever on board with. My examiners name was Bond! It was without doubt the most pressured 13 hours of my life. My Father crewed for me. I will never forget it! The feeling of accomplishment when the examiner told me I had passed was amazing! Cheers Dad!

[@govsquid]

Totally understand why your editor suggested pulling this thread out of the normal programming, but I'm really glad you put the effort into giving it its own platform. It sounds like a really good course and a good experience as well. A bit stressful and nerve-wracking perhaps, but far better to have your nerves tested by an examiner than by a mishap at sea. Like say if one's prop shaft let go while one was 200 miles out from Bermuda...

[@GordDiv]

I really enjoyed this video. Brought back memories of my youth when I was training to be a Deck Officer in the British Merchant Navy. There were 7 written exams (each one with its own pass mark but the average had to be 70%+} a signal’s exam and an oral. The oral was carried out by a Master Mariner and he was at liberty to ask you anything. He had seen your marked written exams and could pick up on any place you had been weak. Gruelling to say the least. Everyone used to say the only way to be guaranteed to pass was to back into the examiner’s room with your trousers neatly folded over your arm 😳

[@andytaylor97]

Excellent video Ads. Having done all of that myself, I 110% agree with everything you said. Your comment about it being a polishing course is spot on. You have to be a competent sailor before you start. The other thing to remember is that they are looking to see how you cope in difficult situations, because that is what you will encounter for real once you are on your own. The other great comment is successful completion of the course does not mean your learning journey has finished. There is always stuff to learn… Congratulations. You and Kiarra will be even better prepared for your future passages now that you are armed with new knowledge and dare I say it, confidence. I also think doing the course in difficult conditions is the best way - ‘train hard, fight easy/easier’. Nothing worse than doing the course in easy conditions and then not being prepared for the rough stuff when everything is going wrong around you! One of the best videos yet. 👍🙏

[@petergroves9343]

As a complete land lubber, I found this video excellent viewing, I now know there's a lot more to yachting than I ever thought Great job Adam & well done on passing the exam Fair winds ⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵

[@peterengel7885]

Here, here, Hip, hip, Boya

[@tomnikles8810]

Many might think the two of you are casual sailors, bobbing around the ocean. However, watching this and many other of your episodes, it is extremely evident that both of you can be and are very technical and educated.

[@daviddecker264]

I'm very impressed and grateful to hear first hand your experience. I have not done the practical yet. I am mile building.(4,200 in 90 days last summer) Sorry I didn't get the chance to say hi and meet you in Ponta Delgada when you were with Ryan and Sophie, last summer...... Take care and thanks again.

[@Neilhuny]

"Work hard on theory, work hard on experience, work hard on knowledge, work hard on EVERYTHING!" All of life is generally better if you work hard for yourself. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to the people/pets on your boat. And it helps reduce insurance costs

[@francismontocchio9910]

Congratulations and thanks, Adam! I’m doing my Offshore exam in August in the Solent and I’m busy doing the Kipper Sailing theory course you did. Thanks for all your pointers. In fact, I’d be interested in even more detail!! Cheers!!

[@chappyd5109]

I have learned more from your channel than all the rest. Great job and congratulations.

[@garviere]

Thank you very much, a great insight into what is required to do a Yachtmaster. My main take away is that it is not a training course to teach you up to Yachtmaster level but more of a fine tune working off your experience you've already built up, so you already need to know a load of stuff! So on that basis I'm going to do the theory online first. Great stuff. Thanks again.

[@gunnernic2531]

Thank you Adam, great vid, I have my day skipper but looking to push on, if you want to do another vid with even more detail, I'm sure many will benefit

[@rezaaf393]

I am planning to start this he course, basically I am new with no experience what's so ever, I really need to know where To start, with all these videos online it's confusing where I really need to start . Do I need to have a small boat or is it best to go taking courses the question I have is how can I get familiar to sailing to really understand how to get the theory to work, I am professional truck driver and sailing is my dream. I know I can do it but I need to get in the right track . 🙏

[@Lana_Warwick]

Props for doing the course. See way to many people not worrying about it, heading out thinking its as easy as driving a Kombi-van, no skills, insurance, dragging anchor, damaging other peoples property, putting other lives at risk to rescue them.

[@Shah0fBlah]

Thanks Adam. Got my Day Skipper a year ago and this information was brilliant.

[@TheNadOby]

Congrats for completion. Greate stuff. Huh, when I wanted to do RYA course I actually thought about taking theory at skippers online, they have high rating. And now somebody I actually consider thinking in the same way more or less recommends it. Nice.

[@bake162]

Thanks for that,….. didn’t think I would make it to the end but after 2 minutes I was hooked, very informative and nicely done

[@jonc919]

Many congratulations!! Made me smile as Carteret from drying uk harbour was same as my YM OS except only got this detail 9 pm night before exam. Great course, lots of night hours most nights to 22.30, sailed to 1am on first exam day. Credit to you doing it in 40knts.

[@jmtn67]

Another land lubber here Who is fascinated by sailing and saving and investing with intent Thank-you very much That was extremely insightful Congratulations 🎉

[@gorway7]

I remember sitting in on all the theory and chart work exercises on the kitchen table when I was about 14/15. That was mid 70s when my dad was doing his YM Coastal. It was all paper chart based back then with hand sited positional fixes, Reeds Nautical Almanac for tide tables and tallow loaded shot lines to plumb depth.

[@SailingMillennialFalcon]

Haha, it seems like nothing has changed then 🙂 it was very difficult having to lay out all the charts in our small saloon area!

[@DirkJacobsz]

Adam - mate - ya killed it.. .Well done- What a great overview - detail and summary. Excellent take a bow - thank you.

[@wolfchild66]

Congrats on the YM. I loved the YM course it was hard work and good fun I had the job of brining us to safe harbour after a freak storm blew up to F9 in the channel islands, we surfed into harbour on bare poles and the examiner just nodded after we got moored.

[@janecme]

I crewed for a couple of guys doing their yachtmaster and was full of admiration. They did amazing things with the boat and were as cool as cucumber. They both passed - deserved. Well done to you. I'm pretty sure your examiner sniffed out your experience quickly and they know the RYA way is not set in stone.

[@cjattard83]

Must have watched this video 5 times! Just passed by YM Offshore and your video was by far the best resource explaining the structure. Thanks!

[@elvismikel2271]

Your debrief is helpful, informative, and reinforces my opinion that your a tremendous sailor. In the end, your comment is so true, don't give up. Keep cracking on and take charge. In the end, it may look ugly, but your job as the skipper is the safety of your crew; get them home in one piece and its a win.

[@RoyClare]

Brilliant account of a tried and tested RYA process. I did my Offshore and Ocean qualifications decades ago, but your experience is a perfect match with mine. I even screwed up a berthing manoeuvre - and still passed! No substitute for detailed prep on the theory … and miles of experience. Huge congratulations on passing … and on doing an honest appraisal of the way it worked for you. Excellent vlog! Thank you. 🎉💯👌🏽

[@allanmoore7790]

WOW! Getting this certification Involved more then I imagined. Congratulations!

[@markringrose230]

I am not, and never will be sailing but I came across this in a search for something else. This is a great narrative and the generic lessons could be applied to many practical courses. Thanks for posting.

[@chrisevans7119]

Great video. Massive emphasis on people having the theory nailed down first. I recently passed my dayskipper up Scotland and found myself with a couple of guys who was way off the mark with theory and found it incredibly frustrating. Instructor was pissed off too how bad they was but there’s a bit more leeway on dayskipper to get them through.

[@rikvandok]

This sounded so familiar! And as you said, make sure you have the theory in your head, because that should come as natural. We had to do the mob during the night, which was kind of stressful. But it’s really worth talking the cours and the exam. Great video!

[@phill2010uk]

I’ve got my YM Offshore Motor coming up in a couple of months. Passed my Powerboat Advanced CoC back in March but still lots to revise before then but this video helps.

[@stevenhoffman6187]

Congratulations Adam. Reminds me of when I took my ASA after owning a small boat. You find out things you didn't know and like you said it polishes what you know and fills in what you didn't.

[@joecucch8261]

Because shit happens, and pressure is then the order of the day. Oh, and Congratulations on your successful completion of the Yacht Master course that you undertook!

[@tbonemc2118]

Thanks for your time explaining the course. I did a Coastal Navigation course about 40 years ago just for interest because I'm coloured blind and had no hope of getting a Masters ticket as it was referred to back then. My course was all theory but each person was required to have many sea hours depending on the grade of ticket they were going for. This was back before chart plotters and I can still remember everyone (mainly fishermen) being admonished for navigating almost solely by radar. I loved the course and passed the theory and it's remained a lifelong interest of mine. Well done and thanks again.

[@svaltair]

Loved the walk through! Doing my Day Skipper at the moment and maybe one day getting the YM coastal. Thanks for taking the time to share!

[@kwesighansah8350]

I just finished my day skipper today. This is very helpful. Thanks mate.

[@sarapanzarella97]

Great video - sounds just like a pilot checkride - “leave your ego at the door” and “never give up” are things every pilot has heard as checkride prep. Another one for people who experience test anxiety is to remember there is no such Thing as a perfect checkride. it’s better to think of it as ‘mistake management’ - they want to see how you handle the situation when things do go a bit sideways. And it has always helped me to remember - “it’s not a sprint - it’s a marathon - one step at a time”. Really great video.

[@SailingMillennialFalcon]

Thanks for your comment, that’s exactly how it felt actually - mistake management. I’ll refer to it like that from now on 🙂

[@davidclaassen2448]

Congratulations! I did the Day Skipper in Norfolk...it is all very nerve-racking! Your take-aways were totally spot on. Anyone getting an RYA practical should watch this video.

[@bracadi1]

Many thanks for this explanation. I did the theory last year, and I'm going to do my practical part. My biggest concern is about English: I'm Italian and I hope instructor will go beyond the language difficulties. Thanks for posting...very useful!

[@humanafterall2076]

Fantastic, quick and simple. Demystifying the scary stuff and emphasised the reality of what it takes. Thank you

[@singlehand.nonstop]

Thank you so much for this comprehensive but absolutely non-boring summary and reflection of what people are getting themselves into. Very grateful for your effort. I think you really brought the idea of leaving your ego at the door home for me. Even before you said it. Thank you!

[@darrylhedges1372]

Great overview of the RYA course. Thanks for taking the time to debrief and let those of us who follow your exploits know what kinds of things to expect when signing-up for one of their courses!

[@smulismuli7976]

KZbin is a bliss because of genuine people like Adam...congratulations!

[@davidalexander-watts6630]

Excellent video - I did my YMO 11 years ago and it doesn't look to have changed much. This brought it all back to me - very sound information here.

[@gaplife3611]

I’m currently doing my theory exam & looking forward to doing my practical next year. It was great to hear what you went through & has helped me to know how prepared I will need to be. Great video by the way.

[@oldshipmatesadventures]

Thank you very much, just found this vid today, while I am about to sign up for the YM Coastal Skipper Theory distance learning course, and your video and summary is extremely helpful and encouraging in the same time. :-) Long way to go for me, as I only have approx. 1000 miles so far (on my own boat), and will first do the Coastal Skipper, then the YM Coastal, and finally the YM Offshore, but I think it is healthy to know where your current place is, and do all the learning and training one step at the time. Thx again, mate and safe sailing wherever you go! Best from Lisbon, Portugal, Frank

[@rfunk727]

You have got to be PROUD of yourself, that's a great acomplishment.

[@jillrogers65]

Thanks, I didn’t pass my YM last year and having another go in Oct. This was really useful and honest - I wish i had seen it before my first attempt. Thanks

[@alistairmcrae7272]

Great video Adam, nothing like hearing some ones first hand experience in doing the course. Something I will come back to absorb the tips as I head towards doing the course myself down hear in Tasmania, Australia.

[@servantofgod5642]

You just gave me a flashback. to 1980 , I did an off campus coastal nav course with Frankston TAFE , Colin Fiford RN was the teacher and he was brilliant and gave heaps of extra curricular advise. It took a year and I took my time and got straight A+'s with every module. Trouble was the exam on campus had a 3 hour time limit and I hadn't counted on a time limit , it was a mad panic in the end!

[@grainneocarroll6427]

Great debrief Adam, and well done on doing the course. “Don’t give up” is what I keep hearing from people around me too (I’ve done my dayskipper theory and some miles but long term plan is full dayskipper, with both yacht master and actually buying a boat coming after that).

[@nick.caffrey]

Superb episode! Just from the way you expressed yourself, explained the process, and revealed your bloopers, you have shown the manner and manners of a master. Congatulations. I would be happy to sail with you!

[@stefanoguidone]

Thanks for the video, nice to hear true stories and tips! Much appreciated!

[@nonaparker564]

Adam,you are are absolutely AMAZING, ! I think you have explained this course so well. So damn proud of you x

[@bennyummer]

you're such a legend! i couldn't care less about this stuff and i was completely engaged and beyond entertained the whole time. it's just a pleasure to hear you talk about (probably) anything!

[@yachticus]

Adam in a former life I was the principal of a sailing school - and for my sins also 26 years in a grey funnel line. For mine the RYA way of doing things is first class - but I fear that's as much about the Brits and sailing being in their blood. (From an RYA perspective they do have a bit of doing things by numbers ( you will recognize this from your time as a choco.) If you are half interested in the thoughts around ensuring the clew is firmly bound to the boom when reefed. - my experience would say that leaving slack here has the potential to have a really bad shock load in the event the booms sky and bounces in heavy seas - (not uncommon here on the east coast of Aus) most gear holds ( sails don't split asunder) under a constant load but is prone to failure under dynamic load - leaving a little bit of slack in the line has the potential for that. the Jury is not in yet - but I suspect some recent failure with carbon sails (that have no give at all) can be attributed to shock loads. Dacron can give - carbon does not

[@stuartbarclay129]

This is something I aspire to do in the next few years and this was a great video for giving some real idea of what the whole process looks like! Awesome video mate.

[@dougtratch8260]

That was a fantastic rendition Adam. I am only a novice sailor in my opinion. Friends tell me different but this was a great description of what to expect. I’ve done lots of theory but until you get out there and practice, practice, practice you can only be good at critiquing others. Job well done mate. Very proud of you from a far in Vancouver Canada. Cheers Doug

[@badassturnip8039]

Congrats on passing and many thanks for this video, enjoyed hearing your debrief and take aways!👍

[@woody6t1]

Well done and thanks for taking time to give an in depth coverage. Don’t ever apologise for your hard work.

[@SailingMillennialFalcon]

Thanks mate 😊

[@Mike7O7O]

VERY interesting and VERY helpful. Thank you. I plan on doing my RYA Ocean next year, so it's great to get a brief on what to expect :)

[@jeffcanar7294]

Congratulations! Loved the debrief. Only wished it was longer. I could easily sit through much more of the explanation of your experience. Thank you for taking the time that you did, even though I'm sure it's outside the wheelhouse of many of your followers. Your time to create content, and theirs to watch, is precious. Appreciate the time and effort you took to put this togethter. Best of luck!

[@manolitopow]

Great video, great debrief. Currently doing my Day Skipper practical and did the theory on the same site you did. I took the lessons twice and some three times, and I do agree with you that doing it at your own pace can clear many doubts that time wouldn’t allow to clear on a 5-day crash course! I still have to put many miles down before I get to the YM, but hey… I won’t just give up!! Thanks for THAT advice!! Cheers and regards to Khiara too, she did an awesome job while you were out!! Kudos to both of you!

[@osteopata777]

FInally a great video about all the questions i had about it! Number one, brother. Thank You so much!

[@jameshull6776]

Firstly congratulations Adam. Thank you for doing this video, your information has been immensely helpful as I am looking at doing the RYA corse my self.Cheers and keep up the good work.

[@pinknblues1]

Really appreciate this Adam thank you, Im doing mine in November!

[@DorsetClive]

As many have said, thanks for a really informative video. I’m just starting on my journey from YM Coastal 20 years ago, to Offshore, and hopefully Ocean! Am definitely going to be digging out the theory books…GPS makes you very lazy!!

[@paultibbetts6603]

Thank you, a great insight into the course. Congratulations on your success.

[@SailingMillennialFalcon]

Thanks!

[@dulls8475]

I went from competent crew to YM Offshore in about 6 months. I had already done a lot of sailing before hand but I did all the courses because at the end of the day you are trying to pass their exam, so it is best do all their syllabus. The benefit I had of doing it in a short time was that I did not have to refresh myself as I was doing it in such a short time frame. Everything was still fresh. I even did the coastal as it would give me a great idea about the exam conditions. Day skipper is more of an everyone will pass type of course but it is a great foundation for the next levels going forward. All this was done in 96. I did my ocean in 2002 which was much easier than the yacht master exam. I think the RYA syllabus is the best one out there.

[@davidgrowse2041]

Congratulations and well done Adam! Thanks for all the great insights.

[@dket2571]

Brilliant! Well structured, Good overview of course, Attitude required to pass. Nailed it! Thanks

[@RichieKeane]

Really solid review and great advice, congrats on passing. Interesting second experienced sailor i know who slipped through to YMO and raised the reef issue. Would have thought ok advice for day skipper but for YM these are supposed to be qualifications for big ocean and weather sailors. would not fancy turning up wind, in big waves in the Atlantic at 25-30 going for my 2nd reef.. do it your way every time..

[@pc3250]

Congratulations and very well done Adam! Excellent reality check, you told it like it is, so others can be properly prepared. Your explanation was very clear. I did my YM exam many years ago and had similar experience, so glad that the standards are being maintained or even higher. Although I had many years sailing experience and passed the theory, I also took the week long course as a polisher and thought it really helped. I was also with two candidates who had crossed the Atlantic. They had done many miles, but didn't have the all round experience and theory required to take the YM exam. Keep up the good work you two and so glad you produced this slightly unusual video.

[@chrischristensen7410]

Really helpful! I’m actually doing an apprenticeship with searegs and have my offshore in august!!

[@Tomm9y]

Well done Adam. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I particularly like how you empahsise that you really need to know your stuff very thoroughly before turning up for the course. Interesting to hear your section on week long Theory courses. Having done many, for professional reasons, they are only a starting point. Learning complex information to be able to implement reliably to a high level, requires multiple points of learning. Our brains need to absorb, review, practice and refine knowledge, daily weekly, monthly. Beyond that, retaining and improving the knowledge long term requires a well developed foundation.

[@MarkGovier]

Well done. The assessment is quite an experience. It is meant to test you and stress you to see how you behave in those conditions.

[@verbeekh]

Thank you very much for this recap. Enjoyed it and will review it.

[@ratusbagus]

That was perfect. I'd often wondered about the mob. The RYA way too. We reef off wind lately but used to do it head to wind on motor. I didn't know the latter was the RYA way. I thought it was just an easy method they taught newbies. The ego angle was good although people usually complain that my problem is lack of assertion and direction.

[@ganthrithor]

Nice video: I'm sure your instructors appreciated having a student who took things seriously. I teach people to fly and this is the kind of attitude that's always pleasant (if unusual) to encounter.

[@duny2]

Doing my YM Power Practical soon, valuable tips here, will be handy and I’ll keep them in mind.

[@DiNiSRB]

Great video. I did my RYA Day Skipper a few years and now I was a bit overwhelmed on what to do next. You clarified it for me. Thank you. You both have been an inspiration. Keep it going.

[@2stepinfool]

Adam, if I ever need a Deckhand or a "Rent-a-Skipper", can I call you? Love your prep, attitude and execution!

[@Antoine-Zim]

Very helpful bro.congratulations for your yachmaster. Hi from windy Wellington, New Zealand 🌿

[@marlings]

Cheers so much for this epic collection of your experiences on your YM assessment. Congratulations too! So glad it popped up in my feed this morning whilst selecting my YM online theory course. 🙌🏻

[@anguswhitfield6113]

Hey Adam, I did the YM coastal exam a few years back: if only this video existed before I did the coarse & exam! Just a fantastic appraisal of the whole YM coarse and assessment process- should be mandatory viewing!

[@dougsrepair1060]

Congratulations. We always knew you were a bright guy. I would have complete faith in your abilities as a captain.

[@waynefederico9396]

I'm at that age were dreaming would be harder to accomplish. Now I have memories to fall back on and all the learning and building a life along the way as my memories recall,~ The more we know the less we know. Our time should be filled with "Everything we need to know" be it testing our knowledge or love ( not in a book) it amazes me when someone takes on a self challenge to better their life & love on the sea. My best memories are when I sailed. thx guys ,Great info, best of life for both of you ~. Carry-on

[@jeffclapp7330]

I really enjoyed this video (like most of your videos really :). I wanted to add on my experience with a lower-level course (Day Skipper). Though I didn't get to finish it due to equipment failure on the boat, it was still very educational for me. While some of our experiences were quite similar (doing theory ahead of time on our own schedule/pace), I think the Day Skipper is more teaching and less validating. Clearly the theory should be understood, and that prep-work actually makes doing the practical stuff fairly intuitive, but I don't feel like I was expected to be exceptionally confident about everything we did in the course for Day Skipper. I imagine that the further along in the certification process you get, the more that they expect you'll already understand/know how to do the things. I just wouldn't want someone to think they can't go take a Day Skipper or Competent Crew class because they don't think they already understand/know just about everything. The lower courses are evaluations to an extent, but also a lot of explanation/teaching.

[@woodnuub7626]

Exactly some of the information that I have been looking for. Thanks for posting this in sufficient detail.

[@MisterSyd88]

Great video, congratulations on the 'PASS'!

[@blainespaulding3197]

I really, really appreciate the insight and perspective on the course.

[@billradford2128]

I enjoy and appreciate your thorough professionalism in your approach to sailing - to all your sailing - so I am not surprised you passed. Congratulations. Will this certificate help with boat insurance?

[@darrylmunro96]

Hi Adam, outstanding overview, very informative. Congratulations on your achievement, especially under what sounded like very challenging conditions at times. I throughly enjoy the videos you both produce, fun, informative and entertaining. Wishing you both continued success. Darryl

[@GraemeAlfille-Cook-km7kl]

Very good/ helpful - swotting theory now - good call too for Skippers Online theory, very good bunch of instructors.

[@kirkrobbins9090]

Thanks for your assessment! Years ago I took our Architect's registration test. It was 4 days long, 12 parts, one of which was a 12 hr design test.at least half the folks didn't pass that portion because, I think, they were concentrating on the "design," I was there to pass the tests (like you said, the IYA way).

[@marktaylor484]

Excellent and presumably congratulations on your Offshore ticket. I am currently doing the YM Theory course with my passage making exam on Monday.

[@larsjohannesson398]

Great video, thank you for doing this one! I'm now considering perhaps buying one of those theory modules in order to keep working on that bit and get it solid. No RYA exams where I'm at (California). I have ASA levels to bareboat but what you just did sounds a lot more intense and high pressure. :). Congrats!

[@SailingMillennialFalcon]

The theory is great, learnt a lot in that one. I wish I knew more about the ASA levels but for your average (non commercial) sailor, the Offshore is probably a bit excessive!

[@chr15996]

So glad you took the time to do this debrief. Having completed the Day Skipper course and only having limited miles in the 'hot seat' I'm gently working my way through a couple of Yachtmaster books. All with a view to completing the theory online as I know it IS the only way I will properly internalise it and be anywhere near ready for the practical ;)

[@dingo397]

Thank you very much !!! I'm planning on doing the exact same thing, you have given me much to think about......

[@LittlestWave]

I have never been on anything more than a tiny lake fishing boat and I find all of this incredibly fascinating. You and Khi have taught me so much over the past year and a bit. I hope to get out on a sailboat one day. I live close to the west coast of Canada so I'm sure there would be some type of sailing experience/course type of thing here. Thanks for the debrief from your course 💗