Yachtmaster Ocean Course

The Yachtmaster Ocean Course is divided between live-aboard passages and shore-based theory and day sailing. Training builds progressively, from fundamental sailing skills through to offshore passage making, ocean navigation, and exam preparation.

Week 1 – Dinghy Level 1 and 2 (2 days), RYA Powerboat Level 2 (2 days), Marine First Aid (1 day)
Week 2 – RYA Competent Crew (5-day live-aboard)
Week 3 – RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory, VHF Radio Operator (1 day)
Week 4 – RYA Day Skipper Practical (5-day live-aboard)
Week 5 – Race training and spinnaker handling (2 days), Basic yacht maintenance (2 days), RYA Diesel Engine
Week 6, 7, 8 – Yachtmaster milebuilder and qualifying passages (16-day live-aboard), PPR (self-paced online)
Week 9 – RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased Theory
Week 10 – RYA Coastal Skipper Practical (5-day live-aboard)
Week 11 – Yachtmaster practical skills and drills (5-day live-aboard)
Week 12 – RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Theory
Week 13, 14, 15 – Ocean passage planning, Yachtmaster Ocean qualifying passage (16-day live-aboard)
Week 16 – Yachtmaster Offshore prep and exam week (5-day live-aboard)

The programme may run in a different order depending on weather and conditions, but all training units are covered.

Start options

September start: Includes a two-week Christmas break, giving you time to relax, explore Australia, or join the Sydney to Hobart yacht race as a spectator. Training resumes in the new year with a flight to Hobart, Tasmania, where your ocean passage begins, sailing to Lord Howe Island and back to Sydney. This makes the total course approximately 19 weeks. The Hobart flight is an additional cost.

January start: The standard 16-week programme. Your ocean passage departs Sydney for Eden, then across to Lord Howe Island before returning to Sydney.
Both options are subject to weather and may be adapted accordingly.

Our training fleet

Beneteau 40.7 cruiser racers
Beneteau First 40
SV Arctos, our Radford 55, built for Southern Ocean conditions and loved by everyone who sails on her
Laser Bahia and RS Zest dinghies
Highfield RIBs for training and safety support

Our waterside classroom at Middle Harbour Yacht Club is fully equipped and purpose-built for professional RYA training.

Life outside the course

Weekends are generally free. Students are encouraged to join the racing scene at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, where local owners regularly welcome crew aboard their boats. Many students learn to surf, explore Sydney’s beaches and restaurants, and make the most of the Australian way of life between sessions on the water. Expect warm conditions, stunning seascapes, and regular encounters with dolphins, whales, and, if you are lucky, flying fish.

On our Yachtmaster Ocean Course you will earn a suite of internationally recognised qualifications from the RYA and MCA. Flying Fish is an approved RYA training centre and Australia’s longest-established RYA-approved Yachtmaster school.

Qualifications and certifications

• RYA Competent Crew
• RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Theory
• RYA Day Skipper Practical
• RYA Powerboat Level 2
• RYA Dinghy Sailing Level 1 or 2
• RYA Diesel Engine Certificate
• Basic Yacht Maintenance
• RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased Theory
• RYA Coastal Skipper
• RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence (Sail)
• RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Theory
• RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Qualifying Passage
• RYA Professional Practices and Responsibilities (PPR)
• First Aid Certificate
• VHF/GMDSS Marine Radio Operator Licence

Sea time and experience

• Approximately 3,700 sea miles logged
• Qualifying passages including overnight and offshore passages
• Live-aboard experience across multiple passages
• Watch-keeping experience
• Race training and spinnaker handling
• Ocean passage planning and celestial navigation using a sextant

Also included

• All tuition, logbooks, and training resources
• Safety equipment, life jackets, and safety harnesses
• Wet weather gear available to borrow
• Meals during all live-aboard passages
• Shared cabin accommodation on all training vessels
• Free weekend dinghy and windsurfing sailing during the course

Additional costs

• RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam fee (approximately A$465), paid to the examiner on exam day
• RYA Yachtmaster Ocean oral exam fee, paid directly to the examiner
• Flights to Sydney, and to Hobart for September start students

Unless you are an Australian or New Zealand resident, you will need a visa before travelling to Australia.

The application process is straightforward and can be completed online.

A tourist visa or working holiday visa is the right option for this course. Do not apply for a student visa, as these are only available for government-sanctioned higher education courses at universities and other tertiary institutions.

Working holiday visas are available to eligible nationals aged 18 to 30 (or 35 for some countries) and are a popular choice for students who want to work in Australia before or after their course. Check the Australian Government’s visa finder for the most up to date eligibility information before applying.

Please click here for more information on what visa to apply for.

A significant part of this course is spent living aboard the training yachts during passages and live-aboard weeks. When you are ashore, most students choose to stay in Manly, a beach suburb on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and a short bus ride from Middle Harbour Yacht Club. Manly offers beaches, cafés, and a relaxed coastal lifestyle, while staying well connected to the city.

Flying Fish crew apartments

Our crew apartments in Manly are comfortably furnished for shared living and only a short bus ride from our training centre at Middle Harbour Yacht Club. Staying with fellow students is a big part of the experience, the apartments offer a sociable, relaxed atmosphere ideal for building friendships that often continue long after the course ends.

Accommodation is booked alongside your course and covers the full duration of the programme. We only offer packages for the whole duration, not shorter stays.

Please note if you choose the September start date, there is a two-week break over Christmas before your ocean passage begins. Our accommodation package for September is 18 weeks.

Airbnb

Some customers choose to book an Airbnb for the duration of the course. Manly is a huge tourist destination, and there are accommodation options for all budgets.

This course is designed for complete beginners. No previous sailing experience is required, though any background in dinghy sailing, windsurfing, or general boating will help you progress more quickly and confidently through the programme.

You must be 18 or over to train with Flying Fish.

All students must hold valid travel insurance for the duration of the course.

All seafarers seeking commercial certification under the MCA or AMSA must have full colour vision.

Medical requirements

If you intend to work professionally after qualifying, you will need an ENG1 Medical Certificate. We recommend completing this before your course starts, as it confirms you are fit for sea service and is a requirement for commercial endorsement. Contact us if you have any concerns about your medical eligibility before booking

The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence is the highest qualification in the RYA scheme. It qualifies you to skipper a sailing yacht up to 24 metres on passages of unlimited distance worldwide.

Working as a professional skipper

To work commercially, you will need to apply for a commercial endorsement through the RYA. Combined with STCW Basic Safety Training, your Yachtmaster Offshore certificate upgrades to RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore 200GT, allowing you to skipper commercial vessels up to 200 gross tonnes up to 150 miles from a safe haven.

Once you hold Yachtmaster Ocean, that distance restriction is removed entirely.

The qualification opens doors across the global sailing industry, from yacht deliveries and charter skippering to sailing school instruction and ocean passage work. Flying Fish graduates are now working on sailing yachts across the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific. It is a realistic and rewarding career for the right person.

What next?

If you are an existing Yachtmaster Offshore holder looking to take the next step without starting from scratch, our Yachtmaster Ocean Theory and Passage course offers a shorter route to the Ocean qualification. If you plan to work as an RYA instructor, you will also need the RYA Yacht Cruising Instructor course.

What if I don’t pass first time?

We do everything we can to make sure you are ready before you sit the exam. Over 90% of our candidates pass first time. In the rare event that you don’t, you will leave with a clear action plan and our full support through any resit.

We would advise all customers to complete the ENG1 medical before enrolling on this course. The ENG1 Medical is a requirement for commercial endorsement. Without it, you cannot work as a professional skipper.

Once qualified as a Yachtmaster Ocean, you must apply for commercial endorsement through the RYA.