The definition
A Yachtmaster is someone who holds an RYA Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence. The certificate is issued by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), the UK national body for boating, and jointly badged with the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). It is the most widely recognised yacht skipper qualification in the world and, in Australia, the standard by which charter companies, race organisers, insurers, employers and the national regulator judge whether someone can be trusted to skipper a yacht.
Three things distinguish it from most sailing qualifications:
- It is examined, not attended. You do not "do a Yachtmaster course". You sit a Yachtmaster exam with an independent examiner, on a boat, after building the required experience and (usually) doing a preparation course. The courses lower down the scheme are attended; the Yachtmaster levels are assessed.
- It is built on a logbook. You cannot sit the exam without documented sea time: days, miles, night hours, passages as skipper. The qualification certifies experience as much as skill.
- It is portable. The same certificate is recognised in Australia, the UK, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Pacific and by most flag states, and can be commercially endorsed for paid work.
The scheme exists in three disciplines: Sail, Motor and Power. This guide is about the Sail scheme, which is what most Australians mean by "Yachtmaster".
The three levels compared
There are three Yachtmaster certificates, each defined by the passages it qualifies you to skipper and the experience needed to sit the exam.
| Level | Qualified to skipper | Commercial limit (from a safe haven) | Minimum age | Key prerequisites | Exam format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yachtmaster Coastal | Coastal passages by day and night | 20 miles | 17 | 30 days, 800 miles, 12 night hours, 2 days as skipper (12 days and 400 miles with the relevant Coastal Skipper certificate) | Practical, 6 to 10 hours on board |
| Yachtmaster Offshore | Passages up to 150 miles from a safe haven, in all conditions | 150 miles | 18 | 50 days, 2,500 miles, 5 passages over 60 miles (2 overnight, 2 as skipper), 5 days as skipper | Practical, 8 to 12 hours on board |
| Yachtmaster Ocean | Passages of any length, anywhere in the world | Unlimited | Must hold Offshore | Yachtmaster Offshore, plus a 600-mile non-stop ocean passage of at least 96 hours, navigated by sextant | Oral exam of 1.5 to 2 hours, plus a written paper unless exempt |
The commercial limits are distances from a safe haven in the UK's vessel coding system, which the international yachting industry uses as a reference point everywhere. In Australia the relevant commercial limits are set by AMSA's own certificates (see below), and a Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean is the way in.
Who issues it, and how it works in Australia
The certificate is issued by the RYA. Australian Sailing, the national governing body for the sport, partners with the RYA so that the RYA cruising scheme, from Start Yachting to Yachtmaster Ocean, is delivered in Australia through RYA-recognised training centres. These centres run the courses, arrange the preparation weeks and book the independent examiners for the Yachtmaster exams. Australian Sailing also runs its own Keelboat Program, which is an excellent way to start, especially through a yacht club.
Since 1 July 2014, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has directly recognised RYA Yachtmaster certificates. In practice this means a commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore (or a Yachtmaster Ocean) is an accepted prerequisite for the AMSA Sailing Master Offshore (near coastal) certificate, the national commercial certificate for skippering sailing vessels under 24 metres. This recognition is what makes the Yachtmaster the single most useful sailing qualification an Australian can hold.
What it actually lets you do
Recreationally
Strictly, nothing you could not do without it: Australia has no legal requirement for a sailing qualification on a private yacht. What changes is how the world treats you. Bareboat charter companies in the Whitsundays, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean accept it without question. Insurers offer better terms. Race committees accept you as a person in charge for Category 1 and 2 offshore races (subject to their own safety-course requirements). Owners hand you their boats. Crew sign on with you.
Professionally
With a commercial endorsement (a medical, a sea survival course, first aid and the RYA Professional Practices and Responsibilities course, PPR), your Yachtmaster becomes a professional ticket. In Australia it unlocks the AMSA Sailing Master Offshore certificate for domestic commercial sailing vessels: charter, sail training, adventure tourism, deliveries. Internationally it is the entry qualification for sailing-yacht skippers and superyacht deck crew, and the first step towards the yacht-specific officer certificates (Officer of the Watch, Chief Mate and Master on yachts under 500 and 3,000 GT), which AMSA also issues under the STCW convention.
As an instructor
Yachtmaster Offshore is the prerequisite for the RYA Cruising Instructor qualification. If you want to teach the scheme, this is the door.
The Australian qualifications map
Australians meet several overlapping systems, and the confusion between them is the most common question we hear. Here is how they fit together.
| System | Who runs it | What it is for | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and territory boat licences | Each state's maritime authority | Legal requirement to operate a powered recreational vessel in that state. Not a sailing qualification. | NSW General Boat Driving Licence, Queensland Recreational Marine Driver Licence, Victorian Marine Licence, WA Recreational Skipper's Ticket |
| Australian Sailing Keelboat Program | Australian Sailing, via clubs and centres | Learning to sail small keelboats: crewing, helming, skippering, spinnakers, racing. | Start Crewing, Start Helming, Start Skippering |
| RYA cruising scheme | RYA, delivered in Australia through recognised centres in partnership with Australian Sailing | Learning to crew, navigate and skipper cruising yachts, culminating in the Yachtmaster exams. | Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster Coastal / Offshore / Ocean |
| AMSA domestic commercial certificates | AMSA under Marine Order 505 | Working on Australian domestic commercial vessels. | General Purpose Hand, Coxswain Grade 1, Master <24 m, Sailing Master Offshore, Marine Engine Driver |
| AMSA international (STCW) certificates | AMSA under Marine Orders 70 to 74 | Working on internationally trading ships and superyachts. | Watchkeeper Deck (Yachts), Chief Mate (Yachts), Master <500 GT (Yachts), Master <3000 GT (Yachts) |
| Marine radio certificates | Australian Maritime College (Office of Maritime Communications) on behalf of ACMA | Legal requirement to operate a marine VHF or HF radio. | SROCP (VHF), LROCP (VHF and HF) |
Is it right for you?
Yachtmaster Offshore is the right target if you want to skipper on coastal and offshore passages, charter overseas, take part in offshore racing, work on yachts, or simply become the most competent sailor you can be. Yachtmaster Coastal is a sensible earlier milestone if your sailing is mostly bays, harbours and day passages, or if you want an examined certificate before your miles reach 2,500. Yachtmaster Ocean is for people planning ocean crossings, deliveries or long-distance cruising.
If you only ever want to sail a small boat on your local bay, Day Skipper (or the Australian Sailing Keelboat Program) may be all you need. The scheme is a ladder, and there is no obligation to climb all of it.