Yachtmaster Coastal is a Certificate of Competence, not a course. There is nothing to attend; you present yourself, your logbook and your supporting certificates to an independent examiner and are assessed on board over most of a day (often spilling into the night for the night-pilotage component). The examiner is looking for a skipper who is safe, decisive and competent on coastal passages but who may not yet have the experience for long offshore legs. In practical terms it is the same exam as Yachtmaster Offshore with a lower experience threshold and slightly less depth expected. Many Australian sailors treat it as a stepping stone, and some skip it altogether and go straight to Offshore once the miles are there.
At a glance
| Type | Certificate of competence (exam) |
|---|---|
| Duration | Practical exam: 6 to 10 hours for one candidate, 8 to 14 hours for two |
| Minimum age | 17 at the time of the exam |
| Stage in the pathway | Stage 7 of 10 |
Exam prerequisites
| Minimum age | 17 at the time of the exam |
|---|---|
| Days at sea | 30 days on a vessel less than 24 m LOA (12 days if you hold the Coastal Skipper Practical certificate) |
| Days as skipper | 2 days on a vessel less than 24 m LOA |
| Miles logged | 800 nautical miles (400 if you hold the Coastal Skipper Practical certificate) |
| Night hours | 12 hours |
| Tidal waters | At least half the qualifying sea time in tidal waters |
| Time limit | All qualifying sea time within the 10 years before the exam |
| Radio certificate | A GMDSS-compliant marine radio operator certificate, such as RYA SRC or higher; confirm acceptance of your exact certificate with the centre |
| First aid | RYA First Aid or a valid alternative meeting the RYA minimum requirements; confirm course acceptance before booking |
| On the day | Photographic ID, your logbook and the originals of your certificates |
Assumed knowledge: Theory to Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore level and practical skills to Coastal Skipper standard.
What is assessed
- Skippering skills and decision-making
- Boat handling under power and sail in confined spaces
- General seamanship and crew management
- Navigation and pilotage by day and night
- Safety awareness and emergency procedures
- Collision regulations (IRPCS), meteorology and signals
What you get
RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence. It can be commercially endorsed, and in the international coding system used as a reference point worldwide it qualifies you to skipper a coded vessel up to 20 miles from a safe haven.
Who Yachtmaster Coastal is for
Three groups get the most out of this level. First, sailors who have completed Coastal Skipper and want a certificate of competence sooner rather than waiting to accumulate 2,500 miles. Second, people who mainly sail bays, harbours and short coastal hops (Sydney to Pittwater, Moreton Bay, Port Phillip, the Whitsundays) and have no immediate plan for long offshore passages. Third, career sailors who want an assessed qualification on their CV early and will upgrade to Offshore when the miles allow.
If you already hold 2,500 miles with the required passages, most examiners and instructors will suggest you go straight to Offshore: the exam is the same format and the prerequisites are the only real difference.
How the exam runs
The examiner joins the boat, checks your paperwork and logbook, then asks you (and any other candidate) to skipper a series of tasks. Expect to plan and execute a short passage with pilotage into a harbour, handle the boat under power and sail in tight spaces, recover a man overboard under both sail and power, anchor, pick up a mooring, answer questions on the collision regulations, meteorology and safety, and demonstrate a night pilotage exercise. The examiner does not take part in running the boat; they observe, question and sometimes create scenarios (a sudden engine failure, a crew member with a broken arm).
Examinations are conducted on a vessel arranged by the training centre where you did your preparation. The examiner is independent of the centre.
The result
At the end of the exam the examiner debriefs you and tells you the result. Possible outcomes are a pass, a fail with clear feedback on what to work on before re-sitting, or in some cases a recommendation that you are ready for a higher level next time. Certificates are issued by the RYA after the examiner's report is processed.
Questions about Yachtmaster Coastal
Can I sit Yachtmaster Coastal without the Coastal Skipper course?
Yes. The course certificate can reduce the required days and miles (30 to 12 days, 800 to 400 miles) but is not mandatory. Without it you need the full 30 days and 800 miles.
Is Yachtmaster Coastal enough to work commercially in Australia?
Not for the AMSA Sailing Master certificate, which requires Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean. Coastal can be commercially endorsed for use on coded vessels under other flags and for instructing.
Where it sits in the pathway
Before this: Coastal Skipper Practical. After this: Yachtmaster Offshore.