The RYA Yachtmaster® Offshore Certificate of Competence is gained by taking an exam in either a sailing or motor yacht - your certificate will be endorsed accordingly.
There is no formal training course leading up to the exam, but those who have not previously taken RYA courses often find it useful to book themselves in for some informal training at an RYA centre prior to taking an exam. This training can be tailor-made to your specific needs and helps to fill any gaps in your knowledge that may become apparent.
If you need a Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence in order to work on board a commercial craft subject to the MCA's codes of practice, you will need to get it commercially endorsed - see the link above. You can then work as a Master of commercial vessels of up to 200gt in category 1 to 6 waters - that is up to 150 miles from a safe haven.
The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence can used commercially in its own right. It is also a pre-requisite for the MCA's Officer of the Watch qualification, which enables you to work worldwide on vessels of up to 3000gt.
|
Yachtmaster® Offshore exam pre-requisites |
|
|
| Minimum seatime |
50 days, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles, 5 passages over 60 miles including 2 overnight and 2 as skipper |
| Form of exam |
Practical |
| Certification required |
VHF/SRC and first aid certificates |
| Minimum exam duration |
8-12 hours for 1 candidate, 10-18 hours for 2 candidates |
The exam will include an assessment of your skippering skills, boat handling, general seamanship, navigation, safety awareness and knowledge of the IRPCS, meteorology and signals. Full details can be found in the Sail Cruising and Motor Cruising logbooks available for the webshop (ref codes G15 and G18).
