£2,000 Single Cabin
£3,200 Shared Cabin
Saturday 12th to 19th September 2026
Small groups. Serious progression.
Sea Fever Sailing — beyond certification, into confidence.
Ready to prepare for Yachtmaster?
If you are close to exam standard and want a focused, practical preparation week before assessment, we would be happy to talk it through.
Tell us where you are in your Yachtmaster journey, what you have already logged, and which exam you are aiming for.
We’ll give you clear, honest guidance on whether this is the right next step.
To maximise helm time and individual coaching, we limit each preparation and exam week to a maximum of three Yachtmaster exam candidates. One additional crew member may join when sharing a cabin with a candidate, provided the cabin is booked as a shared twin or double. This allows us to maintain a small, focused group while ensuring every candidate receives plenty of time on the helm before assessment.
Yachtmaster Preparation & Exam Week
Focused preparation for sailors ready to be examined at RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore level
If the Yachtmaster exam is your next step, this week is designed to help you arrive at the examination with your skills sharpened, your thinking clear, and your boat handling properly settled.
This is not a week for learning Yachtmaster from scratch. It is a focused preparation week for experienced sailors who already meet the RYA exam requirements and want calm, practical, honest coaching before sitting their RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or Offshore exam.
Prepare properly. Sail clearly. Step aboard ready.
The Yachtmaster exam is a practical assessment of your ability to skipper a yacht safely and effectively.
During the week, you’ll work closely with Dónal Boyle, RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, to refine the areas that matter most: close-quarters boat handling, passage planning, pilotage, navigation, safety awareness, seamanship, crew management, decision-making and confidence under pressure.
The aim is simple: to help you perform at your true level when the examiner steps aboard.
The Sea Fever approach
Before the course begins, you’ll have a one-to-one conversation with Dónal to review your experience, logged mileage, previous training, confidence levels and intended exam route.
This helps us make sure the week is the right fit before you book, and allows the preparation to be shaped around the people on board.
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Yachtmaster preparation works best when it is honest. If there are gaps, we will identify them clearly. If something needs repetition, we will repeat it. If you are ready, we will help you settle into that readiness with calm, practical structure.
Small groups mean more time on the helm, more time making decisions, and more focused feedback throughout the week.
Who this week is for...
This week is ideal for sailors who:
• Are preparing for the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or Yachtmaster Offshore practical exam
• Already meet, or are very close to meeting, the RYA exam prerequisites
• Have strong practical sailing experience and a sound knowledge of navigation and pilotage
• Want focused preparation before examination
• Are ready to take responsibility as skipper, not just complete tasks
• Want clear, constructive coaching in a calm onboard environment
• Understand that the exam is a test of judgement, seamanship and experience — not just polished manoeuvres
What the week focuses on
Throughout the preparation week, we will work through the practical areas most likely to matter during your exam, including:
• Skippering under sail and power
• Close-quarters boat handling
• Berthing, leaving pontoons and confined-space manoeuvres
• Picking up moorings
• Anchoring
• Man overboard recovery under power and sail
• Passage planning and execution
• Pilotage by day and night
• Blind navigation and restricted visibility techniques
• Use of paper charts, almanacs, tidal information and electronic navigation
• Collision regulations, lights, shapes and sound signals
• Meteorology and weather decision-making
• Safety briefings, emergency procedures and crew management
• Clear communication, leadership and delegation
• Making sound decisions under pressure
You’ll be expected to think, plan, brief, command and adapt — because that is what the exam is really testing.
Yachtmaster Coastal or Yachtmaster Offshore?
We can support candidates preparing for either RYA Yachtmaster Coastal or RYA Yachtmaster Offshore.
The right exam depends on your logged experience, confidence, mileage, skippering history and long-term goals.
If you are unsure which route is appropriate, we are happy to talk it through honestly before you book. Sometimes the right answer is to prepare for the exam now. Sometimes the right answer is to build more sea time first. We would rather help you make the right decision than rush you towards an exam you are not ready for.
RYA Yachtmaster Coastal exam prerequisites
To sit the RYA Yachtmaster Coastal exam, you must meet the RYA’s current requirements, including the required minimum seatime, mileage, night hours and skippering experience.
You will also need:
• A valid Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate, such as the RYA Short Range Certificate
• A valid First Aid certificate accepted by the RYA
• Photographic ID
• The required qualifying experience on suitable vessels
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam prerequisites
To sit the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exam, you must meet the RYA’s current requirements for seatime, mileage, skippered passages and qualifying passages.
You will also need:
• A valid Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate, such as the RYA Short Range Certificate
• A valid First Aid certificate accepted by the RYA
• Photographic ID
• The required qualifying experience on suitable vessels
• The required 60-mile qualifying passages, including overnight and skippered passages as set out by the RYA
At least half of the qualifying sea time should be in tidal waters, and all qualifying experience must be appropriate to the type of exam being taken.
Because Yachtmaster preparation is a serious step, we ask all potential candidates to speak with us before booking.
Before you book
We’ll ask about your:
• Logged mileage
• Days at sea
• Night hours
• Skippered passages
• 60-mile qualifying passages, if preparing for Offshore
• Previous RYA training
• First Aid and SRC certificates
• Confidence levels and any areas of concern
This is not about catching anyone out. It is about making sure the week is useful, appropriate and properly timed.
Life on board
You’ll train aboard a comfortable, well-equipped yacht suitable for Yachtmaster preparation and examination.
As with all Sea Fever Sailing training, the week is designed to be focused, supportive and practical, with small groups and a high level of personal attention.
You can expect:
• A clean, comfortable boat
• Bedding provided
• Quality prepared meals onboard
• Dietary requirements catered for wherever possible
• A small-group learning environment
• Calm, constructive coaching
• Time to practise, reflect and improve
• a maximum of 3 exam canidates
What’s included
✔ Yachtmaster preparation with an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor
✔ Small-group practical coaching
✔ Food and soft drinks onboard
✔ Fuel
✔ Marina fees
✔ Cleaning
✔ Support arranging the exam where appropriate
Not included:
• The RYA exam fee is paid separately by the candidate.
• Examiner travel or expenses may also be payable, depending on arrangements.
• The occasional well-earned pint in a cosy harbour pub is also not included — though after a solid day’s preparation, it may feel entirely necessary.
The RYA Yachtmaster Coastal and Yachtmaster Offshore exams are practical examinations conducted by an independent RYA examiner.
The examiner will assess your skippering, boat handling, seamanship, navigation, pilotage, safety awareness, meteorology, IRPCS knowledge, signals and overall command of the vessel.
The exam may include questions from the relevant RYA practical and shorebased syllabuses up to the level being examined.
The examiner is there to assess your ability as skipper. During the exam, the remaining candidates will normally act as crew.
The Exam
Ready to book?
Complete our booking form using the button below.