Yachtmaster Ocean
The YachtMaster Ocean is the highest recreational qualification. It is the most difficult to obtain and demands not only an existing YM Offshore certificate but also the extensive time at sea. It is meant for ocean crossing sailors who want to be prepared for either electronic failure or solar flares that could damage GPS navigation. It primarily teaches celestial navigation or the art of finding one's position by either noon sighting or other celestial object triangulation.
Sailors with this certificate are qualified to skipper a sailing yacht up to 24 meters in length (78 feet) in any weather conditions and are not limited by distance to shore.
It is widely recognized around the world and a real accomplishment.
This credential marks an important point in your yachting career and your CV/resume looks far more attractive to charter companies as it removes the maximum distance to shore. Ideally, you are doing this course for your own personal development because you consider that being in the middle of the ocean with just GPS can represent a risk or you want to move to commercial endorsement and this is a necessary step.
The Yachtmaster Ocean is an advanced level certification and is available in a 2 week + exam program combining shore-based theory and practical hands-on techniques for a Sailing Yacht and the final Examination. You need to have at least the Yachtmaster offshore, or similar level, plus the properly logged and signed sea miles. Students enrolling in this course will be required to understand spherical trigonometry and other complex topics. In this course we teach several methods for solving celestial positioning, some are heavier on maths than others. We don't expect all our students to remember their high school trigonometry and we will review all the basic maths necessary to successfully pass the final exam.
We recommend that the STCW 2010 Basic Safety Training Course be completed by aspiring Skippers.
This is not mandatory but is highly recommended.
Course Outline:
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The Earth and the celestial sphere
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The sextant
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Measurement of time
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Basic Spherical Trigonometry
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Sight planning
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Sun sights (noon sight and sun run sun)
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Planet sights
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Moon sights
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Star Sights
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Reading the Almanac
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Positioning by trigonometry
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Plotting
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Sight reduction: Sumner's lines
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Sight reduction: Intercept method (with/without HO229 tables)
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Latitude by Polaris
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Great circle sailing, bearings, and distances
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Meteorology
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Oceanography
This comprehensive high-level shore-based course includes assessment papers and written examinations. Candidates are advised that a considerable amount of private study and varied cruising experience is required in addition to the formal instruction provided. We strongly advise you to sign up at least 3 months in advance so we can send you our course notes handbook, for revision purposes. (In two weeks it is impossible to cover everything that a Yachtmaster should know, understand and be capable of practicing).
The Ocean Yachtmaster is a serious qualification that demonstrates your tested theoretical knowledge and practical yacht handling skills. Anyone applying for this advanced course should hold the Yachtmaster Offshore certificate or equivalent to be accepted on this course.
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The pre-course requirements must be met!
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VHF Cert
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NG1 Cert
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STCW (is strongly advised)
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3000 NM sailing minimum
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50 days at sea including night watches
Certificate Limitations:
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Command of a vessel up to 24 meters in length
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All oceans / anywhere in the world
We accept different forms of payment depending on where you apply.
3990 €