RYA/MCA YACHTMASTER OFFSHORE
Prove your competence as a skipper on offshore passages, day and night.
The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam is an internationally recognised practical assessment of your ability to skipper a yacht safely and confidently on longer offshore passages, including extended periods out of sight of land. It demonstrates that you can take full responsibility for vessel, crew and decision-making over sustained passages — by day and by night.
Taking your exam in Antigua offers warm waters, open-sea passage planning, night sailing opportunities and realistic offshore decision-making, making it an excellent environment to demonstrate advanced seamanship.
What You Will Be Examined On
The Yachtmaster Offshore Exam is a practical assessment, not a training course. Over the exam period, the RYA examiner will assess your ability to skipper a yacht safely, responsibly and confidently on offshore passages.
You will be examined on:
- Preparation for sea — offshore passage planning, risk assessment, safety checks and crew briefing
- Navigation and pilotage — including coastal departure and arrival, offshore navigation and position fixing
- Boat handling under power and sail — precise control in varied conditions
- Rules of the Road (COLREGs) — applied correctly in complex and open-sea situations
- Seamanship and deck work — anchoring, mooring, lookout and watchkeeping
- Skippering and leadership — decision-making, communication, fatigue management and crew welfare
- Emergency situations — man overboard, heavy weather tactics, equipment failure and problem solving
- Night navigation and sailing — confident command and situational awareness after dark
The emphasis is on sound judgement, safety, leadership and calm command, not perfection.
Who Is This Exam For
The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam is for experienced sailors who:
- Regularly skipper yachts on longer coastal and offshore passages
- Are confident sailing out of sight of land
- Want formal recognition of their offshore competence
- Are progressing toward professional skippering or delivery work
- Plan extended cruising, chartering or maritime careers
- Want a respected qualification accepted worldwide
Some candidates take this exam as a stepping stone toward RYA Yachtmaster Ocean, but most sailors use it as a standalone qualification demonstrating high-level offshore competence.
Eligibility & Pre-Requisites
To be eligible for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Exam you must meet the RYA minimum requirements:
- Minimum age: 18
- Sea time within the last 10 years:
- At least 50 days at sea
- 2,500 nautical miles logged with at least 1,250 miles of those in waters where tidal streams played a significant role in passage appraisal, planning, execution and monitoring
- At least 5 passages over 60 nautical miles, with at least 2 of these as skipper
- 2 passages involving overnight sailing
- At least 5 days as skipper
- 25 night hours
- Required certificates:
- Knowledge to the level of RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Theory
All sea time must be logged and available for inspection by the examiner.
Exam Format & Preparation
Exam Duration: Typically 8–24 hours (may vary depending on conditions and number of candidates)
Examiner: Independent RYA examiner
Vessel: Cruising yacht fully equipped to RYA exam standards (this is normally a Second Star Sailing School yacht, or contact us to arrange exams on your own vessel)
Most candidates choose to take part in a RYA Yachtmaster Prep Week beforehand. This allows you to:
- Practise offshore-style exam scenarios
- Refine navigation, watchkeeping and passage planning
- Identify and close any skill gaps
- Build confidence on the exam vessel and in local conditions
Preparation weeks are optional but extremely strongly recommended, especially if you don’t have significant experience on the exam vessel, in the area in which the exam will take place, and with RYA courses and training.
Price and Availability
Taking only the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Exam with us costs USD $1,000 per person, which includes the use of the Second Star Sailing School boat for the exam, including on-board accommodation, and the examiner (who must be flown in to the island, normally from Europe)
If you choose to do the RYA Yachtmaster Prep Week and exam, the fee above is waived.
Exam Fee: Paid separately to the RYA (currently GBP £266 for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal exam)
If you would like to do the prep week and exam on your own boat, please contact us for pricing.
Prep Weeks are aligned with examiner availability and exam dates. Stand-alone exams can take time to arrange so early booking is strongly recommended.
If your preferred dates aren’t listed, contact us — we may be able to organise an exam for you.
Why Take Your Exam with Second Star Sailing
- Experienced instructors who understand how examiners assess Offshore candidates
- Warm-water offshore conditions with genuine passage-planning challenges
- Calm, professional and exam-focused preparation environment
- Small candidate numbers and personalised support
Whether this is a personal or professional goal for you, we’ll help you approach the exam with confidence and clarity.
After Your Exam
Achieving the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence confirms your ability to skipper a yacht responsibly on offshore passages, day and night. It is one of the most widely respected skippering qualifications in the world.
You can now:
- Apply for an RYA commercial endorsement, allowing you to work professionally on yachts up to 24m (subject to additional requirements such as ENG1 medical, PPR and Sea Survival)
- Work as a professional skipper or crew, including charter skipper, delivery skipper, flotilla leader and offshore crew roles
- Progress within the MCA professional pathway, toward RYA Yachtmaster Ocean and higher commercial qualifications
- Skipper yachts confidently on offshore passages, including extended trips out of sight of land
