Candidates may be given the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge or competence in the aresa listed below. In each section the examiner will expect to see the candidate take full responsibility for the management of the vessel and crew.
In Coastal Skipper exams the candidate will be expected to deomonstrate understanding but may not have had the opportunity to practise all aspects of the syllabus under a range of different weather conditions.
- International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
Questions will be confined to the International Regualtions and although candidates must be aware of the existence of Local Regulations, they will not be expected to memorise specific local regulations.
General rules (1-3)
Steering and sailing rule (4-19)
Lights and shapes (20-31)
Sound and light signals (32-37)
Signals for vessels fishing in close proximity (Annex II)
Distress signals (Annex IV)
- Safety
Candidates will be expected to know what safety equipment should be carried on board a vessel, based either on the recommendations in the RYA Boat Safety Handbook C8, the Special Regulations of the ORC or the Codes of Practise for the Safety of Small Commercial Vessels. In particular, candidates must know the responsibilities of a skipper in relation to:
Safety harnesses
Lifejackets
Distress flare
Fire prevention and fighting
Liferafts
Knowledge of rescue procedures. Helicopter rescue
- Boat Handling
Candidates for Coastal Skipper examinations will be expected to answer questions or demonstrate ability in simple situations only. Candidates for Yachtmaster Offshore will be expceted to answer questions or deomstrate ability in more complex situations and will also be expected to show a higher level of expertise:
Coming to and weighing anchor in various conditions of wind and tide
All berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide
Recovery of man overboard
Towing under open sea conditions and in confined areas
Boat handling in confined areas
Boat handling in heavy weather
Helmsmanship
Use of warps for securing in an alongside berth and for shifting berth or winding
- General seamanship, including maintenance
Properties, use and care of synthetic fibre ropes
Knots
General deck-work at sea and in harbour
Engine operations and routine checks
- Responsibilities of skipper
Can skipper a motor cruiser and manage the crew
Communication with crew
Delegation of responsibility and watch-keeping organisation
Preparing vessel for sea and for adverse weather
Tactics for heavy weather and restricted visibility
Emergency and distress situations
Victualling for a cruise and feeding at sea
Customs procedures
Standards of behaviour and courtesy
- Navigation
Charts, navigational publications and sources of navigational information
Chartwork including position fixing and shaping course to allow for tidal stream and leeway
Tide and tidal stream calculations
Buoyage and visual aids to navigation
Instruments including compasses, logs, echo sounders, radio navaids and chartwork instruments
Passage planning and navigational tactics
Pilotage techniques
Navigational records
Limits of naviagtion accuracy and margins of safety
Lee shore dangers
Use of electronic navigation aids for passage planning and passage navigation
Use of waypoints and electronic routeing
Use of Radar as an aid to navigation, pilotage, collision earning and collision avoidance
An awareness of the capability of the vessel including an understanding of the tactics affecting stability
- Meteorology
Definition of terms
Sources of weather forecasts
Weather systems and local weather effects
Interpretation of weather forecasts, barometric trends and visible phenomena
Ability ro make passage planning decisions based on forecast information
- Signals
Candidates for Yachtmaster Offshore and Coastal Skipper must hold the Restricted (VHF only) Certificate of Competence in radiotelephony or a higher grade of certificate in radiotelephony.
