Yes. Every lesson, video and exercise is free, and you do not need an account. Your progress is saved in your browser.

Do I need sailing experience?

No. It starts from what is on board a charter yacht and builds up, lesson by lesson, to planning a week. If you already hold a Day Skipper or ICC it works as a refresher before the charter.

Is this an RYA course? Will I get a certificate?

No. This is independent training material and is not accredited by the RYA or any other body, so it does not lead to a qualification. Charter companies set their own requirements for bareboat skippers; a recognised training centre can get you certified.

Which waters does it cover?

The Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, where our charters sail: both IALA buoyage regions, the local winds, Med mooring and anchoring over seagrass. The tidal waters of northern Europe are only touched on.

Can I use the practice chart for real navigation?

No. The Isle of Kerran is a fictional practice area drawn for teaching. Always navigate with the current official charts on board.

Free interactive course

Navigation for charter skippers

Everything you need to take a charter yacht round a week's cruise.

A free, interactive navigation course for people who charter yachts: the chart, buoyage in both regions, pilotage into harbours, anchoring, the rules of the road, weather and the week's plan. Narrated video, clear notes, interactive charts and marked exercises.

Start lesson 1

1 of 13 lessons published · 12 minutes of lessons so far

The Isle of Kerran: the course's fictional practice chart.

Watch

A narrated, animated walkthrough at the top of every lesson, with captions and a transcript.

Read

Clear notes with diagrams, worked examples and the key terms, written for people who have never navigated.

Try

Interactive charts and tools: zoom in, read positions, measure and plot.

Practise

Exercises marked instantly with worked answers, plus fresh practice questions each time.

The syllabus

Twelve lessons and a final quiz, in the order a first-time skipper meets things. Lessons are published one by one; the rest show as coming soon.

Module 1 — Before you cast off

What a charter skipper actually navigates with, how to read the chart, and how long a day's sail really takes.

Lesson 1 · 12 minNavigating on a charter: what the skipper doesThe plotter, the paper chart and the pilot book on a charter yacht, who does what on board, and the five-minute plan that keeps a day simple.Foundations12 min

Lesson 2 · Coming soon · 18 minReading the chartDepths, contours, rocks and the compass rose; latitude and longitude; what the chart tells you about a bay before you arrive.Foundations18 min

Lesson 3 · Coming soon · 15 minDistance, speed and timeNautical miles and knots, the 60D = ST rule, and how to size a day so you arrive with the sun still up.Foundations15 min

Module 2 — Finding your way

Bearings, the two buoyage regions, and what the marks and lights mean.

Lesson 4 · Coming soon · 18 minBearings and the compassTrue and magnetic, the hand-bearing compass, transits, and a quick fix when the plotter and your eyes disagree.Day Skipper18 min

Lesson 5 · Coming soon · 15 minLateral marks: Region A and Region BRed to port in the Mediterranean, red to starboard in the Caribbean: the one rule that catches charter skippers out.Day Skipper15 min

Lesson 6 · Coming soon · 15 minCardinal, danger and safe-water marksYellow and black marks that say which side the danger is, and the rest of the IALA family.Day Skipper15 min

Lesson 7 · Coming soon · 15 minLights at nightLight characteristics, what a harbour looks like after dark, and why charter companies say arrive by daylight.Day Skipper15 min

Module 3 — Close to land

Pilotage into harbours and bays, anchoring, and the rules of the road.

Lesson 8 · Coming soon · 18 minPilotage into a harbour or bayPlanning the approach, clearing bearings and leading lines, and the last mile into a marina stern-to.Day Skipper18 min

Lesson 9 · Coming soon · 18 minAnchoring and mooring buoysChoosing the spot, depth and scope, swinging room, seagrass, lazy lines and the anchor watch.Day Skipper18 min

Lesson 10 · Coming soon · 18 minRules of the road for charter skippersWho gives way, ferries and fishing boats, narrow channels and the sound signals you will actually hear.Day Skipper18 min

Module 4 — The week

Weather windows, the plotter and apps, and planning seven days that work.

Lesson 11 · Coming soon · 18 minWeather for a charter weekReading a forecast, the local winds (meltemi, bora, mistral, trade winds), and knowing when to stay put.Coastal Skipper18 min

Lesson 12 · Coming soon · 20 minThe plotter, the apps and the week's planChartplotters and phone apps, their limits, waypoints and tracks, VHF basics, and a passage plan for seven days.Coastal Skipper20 min

Lesson 13 · Coming soon · 30 minFinal check: the charter navigation quizForty questions across the course, marked instantly, to see whether you are ready for the briefing.Coastal Skipper30 min

Questions

Is the course free?: Yes. Every lesson, video and exercise is free, and you do not need an account. Your progress is saved in your browser.
Do I need sailing experience?: No. It starts from what is on board a charter yacht and builds up, lesson by lesson, to planning a week. If you already hold a Day Skipper or ICC it works as a refresher before the charter.
Is this an RYA course? Will I get a certificate?: No. This is independent training material and is not accredited by the RYA or any other body, so it does not lead to a qualification. Charter companies set their own requirements for bareboat skippers; a recognised training centre can get you certified.
Which waters does it cover?: The Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, where our charters sail: both IALA buoyage regions, the local winds, Med mooring and anchoring over seagrass. The tidal waters of northern Europe are only touched on.
Can I use the practice chart for real navigation?: No. The Isle of Kerran is a fictional practice area drawn for teaching. Always navigate with the current official charts on board.

Ready to go further? Our sister site Boaty Jobs has a 40-lesson course up to Yachtmaster-level theory: Navigation for Yachts. And the cruising guides show where to put it all to use.