RYA Certificates of Competence are viewed by many aspiring skippers as the ultimate aim. They are well respected worldwide qualifications that prove your experience and competence as a skipper.
Responsibility for issuing Certificates of Competence is given to the RYA by the British Government through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Certificates of Competence exist at Yachtmaster Coastal, Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean level.
To get a Certificate of Competence for Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore you must pass an on board practical exam that can last from 6 to 12 hours. You do not need to take a formal course before taking the exam.
If you have sufficient sea time and experience you can go straight for it. However, many people do take a preparation course prior to the exam. A prep course helps get you up to speed by covering everything the examiner is likely to ask you whilst ironing out any bad habits you may have.
When you take a prep course with us we book the examiner for you.
Getting a Certificate of Competence for Yachtmaster Ocean involves an oral exam. We can help with booking an examiner for this.