Certification
Certification
Yachtmaster Ocean is the RYA's blue-water Certificate of Competence: an oral and written assessment for skippers who have already proved themselves offshore and completed a qualifying ocean passage. You are not learning to steer in waves on exam day. You are demonstrating that you can plan and execute voyages of any length, navigate when GPS is unreliable, and manage crew and maintenance far from shore.
Entry is strict. You need Yachtmaster Offshore (or equivalent MCA Officer of the Watch qualification), plus a passage of at least 600 miles, 96 hours underway, with 200 miles more than 50 miles from land, while serving in a responsible capacity. Celestial navigation is central: sun-run-sun, meridian altitude and a compass check using astro observations must appear in your submitted records.
The exam itself is about ninety minutes to two hours of questioning plus written sight work. Examiners probe worldwide meteorology, passage planning, crew management and yacht preparation. Failed sights are fixable with practice; that is normal. Arrive with tidy navigational records and a clear narrative of your qualifying passage.
Yachtmaster Ocean is assessed orally and in writing by an RYA/MCA examiner, not on a training yacht.
Quick answers about this qualification. For anything else, use live chat or browse bookable activities below.
Find activitiesIt is the RYA Certificate of Competence for skippers of ocean passages, assessed through an oral exam, written navigation work and scrutiny of your qualifying voyage records. You must already hold Yachtmaster Offshore or equivalent.
It certifies the standard to skipper vessels up to 200gt on passages of any length worldwide.
A non-stop ocean passage of at least 600 miles and 96 hours, with 200 miles sailed more than 50 miles from land, while you serve in a responsible capacity such as skipper or mate.
Leave a comment when you book with your intended or completed passage. Centres verify it meets RYA definitions before exam registration.
The oral and written session is typically ninety minutes to two hours. Preparing celestial navigation and your passage folder takes far longer than the exam itself.
Most candidates study ocean theory and practise sights for months before booking the oral.
Yes. You must submit evidence of astro navigation on your qualifying passage, including sun-run-sun or meridian altitude work and a compass check derived from a celestial observation.
GPS alone does not satisfy the syllabus. Examiners expect you to explain sights clearly, not recite tables from memory.
No separate day afloat. Assessment is oral and written, supported by your passage documentation. Your offshore boat handling is assumed from Yachtmaster Offshore.
Some centres run ocean prep weekends afloat, but those are training, not the certificate exam.
Passage narrative, navigational records, sight folders, certificates and logbook extracts as required by the RYA. Organise them chronologically; examiners appreciate skippers who can talk through their own charts.
Ask your centre for the current checklist before you scan and submit PDFs.
You hold the top tier of the RYA cruising scheme for practical command, recognised internationally for blue-water skippering within the certificate limits.
Professional roles may need additional STCW training beyond this exam.
Often yes, if you were in a responsible capacity throughout, the distance and offshore miles meet criteria and your celestial work is documented. Leisure rallies and club crossings can qualify too.
The RYA distinguishes responsible capacity from being a passenger. Be honest in your narrative.
Revise worldwide weather, ocean routing, victualling, emergency procedures and maintenance. Rehearse explaining your passage decisions without rambling.
Ocean theory courses help structure revision, especially if your offshore miles were years ago.
The examiner explains gaps, often in sight reduction or meteorology, and you rebook when ready. There is no partial certificate.
Failed sights are fixable with practice. Failed narratives need honest rewriting, not embellishment.
adventuro lists RYA centres offering Ocean exam registration, celestial workshops and passage planning advice, often clustered near major sailing hubs.
Compare whether tuition packages include sight practice before you commit to an exam date.
