The RYA Basic Navigation and Safety Course was introduced by the RYA in 2007.

The RYA Basic Navigation and Safety Course provides an introduction to the elementary skills required before taking a small boat to sea, or taking an active part in running a boat.

Before you go to sea it is essential that you understand how to practically run your boat so that you don’t get into difficulties. During this course you will cover a basic introduction to charts and associated publications, so that you can make an informed decision about where to go.

You will learn about buoyage, so that you can get out of, and back into the harbour, the basics of navigation, and a lot about boating safely. When you are out on your boat, you may want to anchor, so we will tell you how, and more importantly what to consider when looking for an anchorage.

During the course you will learn how to find out what the tide is doing, and how to apply that information to keep you day safe. Electronic navigation will also play a key part in the course, and you will learn how to use GPS information correctly.

At sea you will also need to know what to do in a collision situation, and how to avoid it. Towards the end of the course we will talk about the weather, in particular how to obtain a relevant forecast, and what it means to us at sea in a small boat.

 

The final section looks at combining all of the previous elements to discuss passage planning, so that when you leave us, you know how to safely get between two nearby harbours, during the day in good weather.

Students looking to progress onto RYA Day Skipper Theory are strongly advised to do this course first, as it is an excellent foundation.