Hi,

I am very pleased you have decided to further your experience with this course. Knowledge of the content of the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster shore based course is essential to be safe at sea.

My name is Jim Duerden and I am the principal of Top Cat Cruising school. I have been sailing since my early teens and have been teaching sailing professionally for fifteen years. I don’t presume to teach you the right way to do any of the tasks required because I do not believe that there is "one right way". I teach a way that always works and is the easiest way to learn. Later when you gain more experience, you will no doubt develop your own ways, and that’s fine.

On the sea it doesn’t matter how much you cheat. Getting the right answer is all that matters!

I have broken the subject material into six modules, though there are links between them due to overlapping areas. Here is an overview:

Module1, Charts, including re-familiarization of symbols, Understanding Latitude and Longitude, Scale and Projection. Magnetics, Deviation and compass swinging . Distance measuring and the Knot. Position. Expressing position. Fixing by magnetic compass, Transit fixing. Electronics (GPS). Fixing by bearing and depth and dipping lights.

Module 2, Tides. Causes of tides. common terms and tidal levels.   Tidal height calculations by curve and rule of twelfths. (standard and secondary ports.)  Affects of weather on tides. Changes in Chart datum. Tidal streams including tidal atlases, diamonds, computation of rates and affects of headlands.

Module 3, Estimating Position. and Course to Steer. Including leeway drift and errors. The running fix. Multiple hour vectors  

Module 4, Weather. Sources of weather information. Common weather terms. Using synoptic charts, geostrophic scales. Beaufort wind scale, Warm and cold fronts, air masses and fog. 

Module 5, Pilotage, Pilotage plans, leading and clearing bearings. transits. Preparation, port information. IALA Buoyage region "A" International Regs for the Prevention of collisions at sea (IRPCS). Passage Planning. Pollution. 

Module 6, Seamanship and safety at sea. Stability. Yacht form .Anchoring and mooring, Cordage and knots. Safety briefing content, distress and rescue. Fog safety and sound signals

There are exercises to be completed for all modules and there is a reference to the RYA exercise booklet linked to all sections. Use the Back button on your browsers menu bar to return from hyperlinks.

This CD is a stand alone reference to the Coastal Skipper shorebased course, but if you have decided to take the full course including the exam, then you also have an RYA Coastal Skipper Shore based course pack, a Symbols booklet (5011) and a Practice Navigation Tables booklet (PNT).

You can telephone (0930 – 1630 local time) 01752 829150, fax 01752 823360 or email jim@seanavigate.com us for advice if you’re struggling and send in completed exercises for marking. This can be by post or email and in some cases by Fax. With scanned chart work please scan at as low resolution as possible (About 100) in mono colour.

We try to check your work and send comments back within the day, but this is not always possible. At busy times this may take a little longer.

When you have completed all questions to both your and our satisfaction, we will send out three exam sheets. One to cover chart work, one for weather and the other seamanship. On correct completion of these we will send you an "RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Shore Based Certificate"

Let's get started!