yachtmaster ocean passage

• Certificates of Competence

Qualifying passages

Definitions.

• Skipper:  The skipper is the person nominated and responsible for the planning and execution of a passage including vessel and watch management. The skipper is not necessarily the most experienced or qualified person on board but must be the person with responsibility for the safe execution of the passage. If the skipper's role is transferred to another person at any time during a passage then neither person can claim to have skippered that passage.
• Mate:  For the purpose of qualifying passages, a mate is any person on board who has sole responsibility for managing a navigational watch during a passage. They must be actively engaged in the planning and execution of a passage.
• Tidal:  An area is deemed tidal if published stream, current or tidal range data is available, the influence of which is significant enough to require the effects to be taken into account to plan and execute a safe and efficient passage.
• Days on board:  A day on board or as skipper is a period of eight consecutive hours living on board, the majority of which the vessel should have been at sea. Periods of less than eight hours cannot be aggregated to make up eight hours. Only one eight-hour period may be counted in any 24 hour period.
• During a qualifying passage there should be no change of skipper or mates. Trainee skippers undertaking 60 mile passages are strongly advised to obtain a Coastal Skipper qualification first.

Additional for RYA Yachtmaster Ocean:

• Candidates on Ocean qualifying passages must have acted in a capacity of either mate or skipper throughout the entire passage.
• If circumstances prevent astro sights being taken on the ocean qualifying passage candidates may take their sights on another shorter passage. Such sights must be taken whilst the vessel is on passage and out of sight of land or charted objects capable of being used for navigation/position fixing. The examiner will determine whether the candidate is competent at astro navigation.
• Qualifying passages, sea time and days as skipper must take place on a suitably sized vessel appropriate to the discipline being examined, as detailed below.

Suitability of vessels for exam pre-requisites for RYA Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore and Ocean exams:

For vessels over 24m LOA greater than 500gt please contact RYA Training 2 .

• Up to 50% of the minimum requirement. Evidence of status on board required by testimonial or seaman's discharge book.
• For vessels up to 200gt candidates must hold a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster Offshore or higher Certificate of Competence. For vessels over 200gt candidates should hold an STCW Officer of the Watch (Yacht 3000gt) Certificate of Competence or higher to be able stand navigational watches during the passage. Please see MSN 1858 for further information.
• Contact [email protected]  if your sea time is on a yacht greater than 24m and 500gt.

Chieftain Training

RYA & STCW Courses – Sail, Power, Super-Yacht & Workboat

What is an Ocean Yachtmaster

What is an ocean yachtmaster and how to become an ocean yachtmaster.

The RYA/MCA Ocean Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence (CoC) is the highest level certificate in the RYA scheme. It can be used by blue water leisure sailors and by commercial skippers and crew. Under the MCA Codes of practice the Ocean Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence holder, (with relevant commercial endorsement etc.) can skipper a vessel;

• Up to 200 tonnes
• Carrying up to 12 passengers
• Anywhere globally (i.e. beyond the 150 miles from a safe haven limit imposed upon a Yachtmaster Offshore).

Furthermore the Yachtmaster Ocean CoC is the minimum requirement for certain officer positions on board larger (over 200 tonne) yachts.

There are 5 stepping stones to becoming an Ocean Yachtmaster CoC holder. Steps 1-4 can be taken in any order although the order presented below is the most logical. Step 5 can only be completed once the first 4 steps have been completed.

• Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence

RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Shorebased Course

• Qualifying Passage
• Sights and Compass Check by sextant at sea

RYA/MCA Ocean Yachtmaster Certificate of Competence Oral Exam

It is technically possible to take the Ocean Yachtmaster CoC Oral exam without having previously completed the RYA Ocean Shorebased Course but not advised as it involves an additional written exam and you would require all of the relevant knowledge taught on the course. Further information is detailed the relevant 5 steps below;

Becoming a Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence Holder

While you can proceed towards the RYA Ocean shorebased course and the Ocean practical steps (qualifying passage and sights) you can not proceed to the Oral exam without first holding the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence.

This is a 40-hour theory course. It can be taken;

• Over 5 consecutive days face to face in the classroom
• Over 13 evenings face to face night school in the classroom
• Over 5.5 days face to face using zoom
• Online in your own time.

Whichever format you choose the course culminates in a written paper.

The course concentrates on astro navigation, i.e using a sextant and the heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars and planets) to fix your position. The course also devotes time to ocean voyage planning and worldwide meteorology.

Full details can be found at Ocean Yachtmaster Shorebased Course

While you don’t strictly need to be a Yachtmaster Offshore before taking the Ocean Yachtmaster Shorebased Course , the following knowledge is assumed before the Ocean Shorebased course starts;

• Use of plotting instruments (plotter, dividers etc.)
• Latitude and longitude, knots and nautical miles
• Variation and deviation
• Application of UT, DST
• 2/3 Point fixes and angles of cut
• Dead Reckoning / EP (and ideally the Running Fix)
• GPS and other electronic nav aids
• Coastal/offshore voyage planning
• Sources of forecast information
• Synoptic charts
• Low pressure systems
• Coastal communications /distress comms. (Navtex, VHF, EPIRBs and SARTs)

Is the Ocean Shorebased Written Exam Invigilated?

If you take a face to face Ocean Yachtmaster Shorebased Course then the written paper is invigilated and marked by your Instructor.

If you choose to take the Online or Webinar RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Shorebased Course then face to face invigilation may be required (see table below).

What qualifies as a RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Qualifying Passage?

A qualifying passage must have been taken in the last 10 years. Sea time prior to this date does not qualify. The passage must meet the following requirements

Ocean Candidate’s Role On Board

For your qualifying passage you should be either the skipper or mate in sole charge of a watch. You must have been  fully involved in the planning of the passage, including selection of the route, the navigational plan, checking the material condition of the vessel and her equipment, storing with spare gear, water and victuals and organising the watch-keeping routine.

If the skipper changes role at any point during the passage, then neither skipper can use the passage as a qualifying passage.

It is our opinion that it is impossible for multiple Ocean Yachtmaster candidates to use the same passage as their qualifying passage as you can not all fit the definitions above. More than two candidates would be highly unlikely more than three impossible.

Ocean Qualifying Passage

The passage has several minimum requirements

• Departure and arrival ports must be more than 600 miles apart by the shortest navigable route
• Minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles must have been run by the log
• At least 200 miles of that passage must have been more 50 miles from land (or charted objects capable of being used for navigation/position fixing, such as an offshore oil rig)
• The vessel must have been at sea continuously for at least 96 hours

Passages such as recognised races which may not comply exactly with these requirements may be submitted to the RYA for consideration before the voyage.

Examples of Ocean qualifying passages (non stop passages)

• Trans-Atlantic ARC Rally (Canary Islands to St. Lucia/Caribbean)
• Between Azores and anywhere in mainland Europe/UK or the Canary Islands
• Between Bermuda and any of; Bahamas, Caribbean, Canada or most of USA (parts of North Carolina fall below the requirements)
• Between Bermuda and the Azores or Europe
• Solent/UK to Cascais/Portugal,Algarve, Southern Spain or Gibraltar (assuming you follow the rum line or stay offshore when crossing Biscay)
• Trans Pacific Passage (excluding passages between Alaska and Russia, on or close to the Bering Sea)
• Atlantic Germany (Elbe) to Scotland, where the 200 mile run is impossible due to oil rigs)
• Gibraltar to Northern Lanzarote where the mileage falls slightly below 600
• RORC Fastnet Race which does not follow the shortest navigable route or have the 200 mile run
• Northern Spain to Majorca, although well over 600 miles, very little of the passage is over 50 miles from land

If you still are not sure about whether a passage qualifies, then check out the RYA’s definition of a qualifying passage .

Vessel used for Ocean Qualifying Passage

The yacht (or vessel) must be;

• Minimum size 7m, LWL
• Maximum size 500 tonnes (If the vessel is over 24m LOA then the candidate would need to hold an appropriate Certificate of Competence to act as Officer of the Watch on the passage).

Sights and Compass Check by Sextant at Sea

You are required to provide your Ocean Examiner with a minimum of’

• Sun Run Mer Pass (or sun run sun, sun run planet etc.)
• Compass check carried out using the bearing of the sun, moon, a star or planet

Sights are usually taken on the qualifying passage however in some circumstances (such as lots of cloud cover) this is not possible. If sights have been taken on another passage then the following requirement apply to this passage.

• The vessel must of been out of sight of land and charted objects when the sights are taken/used.
• The vessel must be on a passage by the shortest navigable route. You can not therefore simply head offshore take sights and return to departure port.

We always advise candidates to present the examiner with more than the minimum required sights. If you present the examiner with additional sights and your preferred set suffers from errors you still stand a chance of passing the exam.

Prior to the exam you will need to provide the examiner with;

• A narrative account of the planning and execution of the qualifying passage providing all relevant details.
• Navigational records, completed on board a yacht on passage, out of sight of land showing that the candidate has navigated the yacht without the use of electronic navigational aids. The records must include as a minimum, planning, reduction and plotting of a sun run meridian altitude sight and a compass check carried out using the bearing of the sun, moon, a star or planet.

During the oral exam you will be required to answer questions on all aspects of ocean passage making in a yacht, including passage planning, navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs.

If you already hold the RYA Ocean Shorebased Course Certificate , the exam typically takes 1.5 hours although examiners can continue questioning considerably longer. If you do not hold the Ocean Shorebased certificate then your exam will take considerably longer as you will also have to take a written test.

Does the Ocean Yachtmaster Qualifying Passage have to be on the same type of vessel as I took my Yachtmaster Offshore Exam on (i.e. power or sail)?

Most candidates will qualify in the same kind of vessel as they passed their Offshore exam, however it is possible to qualify as a Yachtmaster Offshore (power) and then compete the Yachtmaster Ocean requirements on a sail vessel (or vice versa).

I hold a OOW (Yacht 3000gt) CoC but not a Yachtmaster Offshore CoC

If you passed the Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence Exam instead of the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence Exam as your entry requirement into the OOW 3000 CoC then you will not be eligible to hold the Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence. On passing the oral exam you will receive a pass confirmation certificate.

How do I commercially endorse the Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence?

Those working under the MCA Codes of practice will require a commercial endorsement. Information can be found at RYA Commercial Endorsements . If you already hold a commercial endorsement on your Yachtmaster Offshore CoC then it is simply transferred across.

Do I require any other certificates to operate commercially as an Ocean Yachtmaster?

To operate a coded sailing yacht in Category 1 or 0 waters (i.e. Over 60 miles from a safe haven) you will additionally require a RYA Diesel Certificate .

To operate the mandatory GMDSS radio equipment on a commercial vessel in Sea Area A2 (more than about 35 miles offshore) you will require either a Long Range Certificate (LRC) or STCW General Operator Certificate (GOC) .

To skipper a coded vessel in Category 1 or 0 waters (i.e. Over 60 miles from a safe haven) you will additionally need to hold  STCW Proficiency in Medical First Aid and Proficiency in Medical Care, unless there is a current qualified nurse practitioner (or higher) on board.

If working aboard a vessel in Category 1 or 0 waters (i.e. Over 60 miles from a safe haven) you will need a ENG1 Medical certificate.  The alternatives which are suitable further inshore such as ML5 Medical Certificate  are not valid in category 1 and 0 waters.

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Neptune Maritime Training Sail & Power

Unravel the mysteries of astro navigation, using a sextant, ocean passage making, worldwide meteorology and electronic navigation aids.

This course is for those aspiring to blue water cruising and is ideal for holders of theYachtmaster Offshore certificate who are preparing for their first ocean passage.

Topics covered include:

• The earth and the celestial sphere
• Practical guide to use and care of sextant at sea
• Meridian altitudes
• Sun, star and other sights
• Ocean passage planning

Prior to the course your navigation skills should be at the standard of the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore shorebased course.

If you are working towards your Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence, completion of this shorebased course exempts you from the written exam.

The course is taught over 40 hours with one exam paper. It can be covered as a series of short sessions, as an intensive week-long course.

Ocean Yachtmaster Practical

We regularly organise practical experience in taking sights and plotting positions on board. We can also help you achive your quallifing passage.

We will work with you through the process and review your documentation before submitting for assessment.

you are welcome to borrow one of our sextants and almanacs to help you develop your skills before the practical passage.

A person holding a Yachtmaster Ocean qualification is experienced and competent to skipper a yacht on passages of any length in all parts of the world.

Details of Courses and Prices

The Yachtmaster Ocean exam is an oral and written test of your knowledge of ocean passage making including planning, navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management, yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs. You will also be questioned on your sights taken at sea during an ocean passage.

We hold regular Yachtmaster ocean theory courses . these cover the essencial knowledge as well as practice in taking sights and plotting positions while sailing.

Course costs

• RYA yachtmaster ocean course 790e
• practical trip for celestial sights 450e (2 days)
• RYA exam fees for ocean oral 250e (£200 direct to RYA)

What is include

• Course material
• use of a sextant during the course
• RYA course completion certificates
• teas, coffee soft drinks

What is not included

• flights and travel to course
• accomodation ashore
• meals and drinks ashore
• personal travel insurance
• any RYA examination fees for certification

The candidate must provide the examiner with:

• A narrative account of the planning and execution of the qualifying passage
• Navigational records, completed on board a yacht on passages, out of sight of land showing that the candidate has navigated the yacht without the use of electronic navigational aids.

The records must include as a minimum: planning, reduction and plotting of a sun run meridian altitude sight and a compass check carried out using the bearing of the sun, moon, a star or planet.

During the oral test the candidate may be required to answer questions on all aspects of ocean passage making in a yacht, including passage planning, astro navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs.

The written exam will include questions on star sight planning and reduction and worldwide meteorology. Candidates who hold the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased certificate, Royal Navy Ocean Navigation Certificate or a DoT Certificate of Competence as a Deck Officer will be exempt from the written examination.

Before you book your exam please check that you:

• have completed the required mileage and experience as skipper
• hold a VHF Radio Operators License or Short Range Certificate
• hold a valid first aid certificate
• have read the syllabus in RYA publications: G15 (sail) or G18 (power)
• have read and comply with the pre-requisites above.

If you need a Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence in order to work on board a commercial craft subject to the MCA’s codes of practice, you will need to get it commercially endorsed – see left. You can then work worldwide as a Master of commercial vessels of up to 200gt.

The Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence can be used commercially in its own right. It is also a pre-requisite for the MCA’s Chief Mate, Master 500 and Master 3000 qualifications.

Contact details

Register today to get £50 off

Enter voucher code HOME STUDY in the booking form

Online Theory Course

An outstanding course - I can highly recommend this. The details, feedback and support is excellent - makes celestial navigation understandable!

Unravel the mysteries of astro navigation, the sextant, global meteorology and ocean passage making

The online RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean theory course teaches advanced techniques to those aspiring to blue water cruising and is ideal for holders of the Yachtmaster Offshore certificate who are preparing for their first ocean passage, and for commercial Skippers or Mates planning on operating more than 150nm from a safe haven.

This course will introduce you to the principles of astro navigation, the practical use of the sextant, the measurement of time, position fixing by the sun and stars, compass checking and great circle sailing.  

You’ll also study the concepts of worldwide meteorology, including tropical revolving storms, and passage planning for ocean voyaging.

• Assumed knowledge Yachtmaster level.
• Minimum duration 40 hours study is specified by the RYA.
• Ability after course Theory knowledge to undertake an ocean passage.

Simply click below to try a free lesson.

Introduction to Astro Navigation

• Introduction & Basic Astro Navigation Theory
• Using a Sextant
• Meridian Passage
• Plotting Your Position
• Planet Sights
• Moon Sights
• Star Sights
• Latitude by Polaris (The Pole Star)
• Compass Check by Sun’s Amplitude
• Ocean Weather & Tropical Storms
• Passage Planning
• Satellite, HF communications and obtaining weather data

Unlimited support from our dedicated RYA Instructors - 365 days a year via email, phone or Skype/Zoom.

14-day unconditional money-back guarantee.

13 fully-narrated online lessons including animations, videos and realistic 3D graphics.

Embedded quizzes with instant feedback in each lesson.

Self-assessment exercises with fully worked answers.

Final exam with detailed instructor feedback and free repeat attempts if requried.

RYA Ocean Yachtmaster Shorebased Theory Course Completion Certificate.

12 months access to study with instructor support and exams - you can extend this if you want.

Lifetime access to training materials once you’ve completed the course.

This course is accessed online with no additional software required.

Lessons are accompanied by optional professional narration, and notes. 

They are intuitive and easy to follow, whilst more complex subjects are accompanied by interactive animations and graphics to help you gain a full knowledge of each subject in the course syllabus.

Whilst the process of translating a sextant sight into a position line is straightforward it is quite challenging to get to grips with. Unlike classroom training, where time is limited and students progress at different rates, online learning allows you to participate in lessons as many times as you wish to fully get to grips with the concepts.

At the end of each lesson there are excercises containg similar questions to the exam, with detailed and illustrated answers sent to you immediately to confirm your progress and fully prepare you for your final exams.

You can repeat entire lessons and excercises as often as you wish until you are confident that you fully understand each subject.

When you have completed the course you can request the final exam.

This is assessed by our RYA Instructors and detailed feedback is provided in any areas that may require further study within the course.

If you pass the final exam you will be awarded the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Course Certificate , which will be posted to you.

Ad ditional free resits, with suitable Instructor guidance, are available if required.

If you  are working towards your Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence, successful completion of this course exempts you from the written exam.

For most students exam invigilation is not required - see here for examples of when invigilation is required.

Call us for advice on 0238 218 2604

Course reviews.

Nigel Andrews

Helped me master it

This was my third attempt at an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean online course from different companies, and by far the best. For an admittedly difficult subject matter to get one’s head around, the instructor presents a very organized and understandable series of lessons that combine learning with wisdom and humour. Its still a tough subject, but this course helped me master it. Thanks!

Mathew Myatt

Ability to repeat when in doubt

Logical and clear. What was really good was the ability to go back and repeat or all or part of a lesson to ensure you truly understand a concept / principle, something which is more difficult to do when in a real classroom situation

David McIntyre

An excellent course

I found this course to be very comprehensive and informative. The format was very well presented and clear. The main advantage for me was the convenience of doing this in your own time. They are very generous with this. All my correspondence was very promptly replied. They are certainly very on the ball. The instructors gave clear and prompt feedback.

David Collins

Well worth the investment. Excellent!

A challenging course which stretches you but backed up with excellent coaching and instructor support. Worth the investment in time and money. Highly recommended.

Combined - RYA Day Skipper & Yachtmaster to fast track your theory learning

• Yachtmaster Ocean
• Recreational

Yachtmaster Ocean Qualifications

This certificate is a qualification that indicates that the holder has sufficient knowledge of celestial navigation to navigate a 24-metre vessel globally using a sextant and to plan, undertake and manage an ocean passage together with a comprehensive understanding of the factors involved with regards to routing and meteorology. The minimum age to obtain this certification is 18.

What are the entry level requirements?

To gain the IYT Yachtmaster Ocean certificate, candidates must first hold the IYT Yachtmaster Offshore certificate.

What does the Yachtmaster ocean theory course consist of?

The course consists of six days of astronavigation and worldwide meteorology. A thorough knowledge of all subjects covered in the IYT Yachtmaster Offshore course is assumed. There will be a final written examination on the last day of the course.

It has come to our attention that it has not been made perfectly clear to all IYT Worldwide yachtmaster candidates that this certification is for recreational use only and may never be upgraded to a professional certificate. Therefore, we require all candidates taking a recreational IYT Worldwide Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore or Ocean course to complete an acknowledgement prior to taking the course.

Course Outline

• The Earth and the celestial sphere
• The PZX triangle
• The sextant
• Measurement of time
• Meridian altitudes
• Planet sights
• Starsight planning
• The pole star
• Moon sights
• Compass checking
• Satellite navigation systems
• Great circle sailing
• Meteorology
• Passage planning

The IYT Yachtmaster Ocean certificate is a qualification that indicates that the holder has sufficient knowledge of celestial navigation to navigate globally using a sextant and to plan, undertake and manage an ocean passage together with a comprehensive understanding of the factors involved with regards to routing and meteorology.

Certificate Limitations:

• Command of a vessel up to 24 meters in length
• all oceans / anywhere in the world
• not for commercial use

Note: Yachtmaster Ocean is a recreational course that can be taught in any language BUT cannot be upgraded to the professional Master of Yachts certificate.

How Do I Apply for Enrollment?

Candidates may apply to any of the participating IYT Partner Schools worldwide who offer this course.

As you advance and become more proficient as crew or skipper you take on bigger challenges that require proper training to ensure the safety of your family and friends. The bigger the boat or length of adventure the more training you require.

Most of us prefer to spend our time on the water and not in a classroom. To facilitate this, IYT has a series of E-learning courses available for the theoretical part of sail and powerboat training.

• Take one of our online (Elearning) courses for your next level of training.
• Plan your practical training at one of our many schools worldwide to earn your final qualification.
• Book in advance with your school as class sizes and availability may be limited.
• Review the IYT course progression details to learn about professional level courses.
• Spend time on the water and properly log your seatime.

The Boating Lifestyle is one of the most rewarding pursuits available. There is something physically and emotionally invigorating when you are offshore. To enjoy the experience fully you need the proper training & skills to be safe, prepared and command a vessel.

Recreational Student Information

Benefits of an iyt certification.

IYT is the largest provider of crew and skipper certificates for the recreational yachting industry in the world. Learn more about the benefits of an IYT Certificate.

Certificate Renewal

For many IYT certificates, there is the need to re-qualify for your certificate every 3 to 5 years. This ensures that our certifications are meeting international standards.

IYT Yachting Passport

The IYT Passport is recognized in over 40 countries around the world and offers you an opportunity to study and train worldwide.

• Course Progression

A beginner at sailing or operating a powerboat should be familiar with the training path that is available from IYT. Many recreational boaters progress to become crew on superyachts.

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RYA Certificates of Competence, Part 5 - Yachtmaster Ocean

Sailing qualification recognised around the world as a clear mark of your sailing ability.

By Marcin Wojtyczka

In this article in series about RYA certifications we reveal how to pass the RYA Yachtmaster® Ocean Certificate of Competence.

The RYA Yachtmaster® Ocean Certificate of Competence is proof that you have the knowledge and experience needed to skipper a yacht on passages of any length in all parts of the world. The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean is the highest certification level at RYA.

The holder of a Yachtmaster Ocean qualification should be competent to skipper a yacht of up to 24 metres LOA (up to 200gt) anywhere in the World (Category 0 waters - unlimited).

The assessment is done by oral interrogation (~1.5 hours). You also need to pass the written (~1.5 hours) exam if you did not complete the Ocean Theory course, complete a qualifying passage, and prepare narrative account and navigational records. You have to stand to attention before seasoned most likely old RYA-appointed salt and convince him that you sailed as skipper or first mate and that you know the job. To be honest, there is probably no better way of doing it.

Don’t treat the examination just as an exam. This is a great opportunity to get feedback on your skills and become a better sailor.

Requirements

You can find the official requirements here .

• Hold an RYA Yachtmaster® Offshore Certificate of Competence
• Have completed a qualifying passage which meets the following criteria: You were fully involved with the planning of the passage, including a selection of the route, the navigational plan, checking the material condition of the yacht and her equipment, spare gear, victuals and organising the watch-keeping routine. Throughout the passage you must have acted in a responsible capacity either in sole charge of a watch or as a skipper. Qualifying passage should be non-stop by the shortest navigable route with no change of skipper. During the qualifying passage a minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles must have been run by the log, the yacht must have been at sea continuously for at least 96 hours and the yacht must have been more than 50 miles from land or any charted navigational object while sailing a distance of 200 miles. You can find the exact requirements of the qualifying passage here . If you have any doubts about whether your chosen route qualifies, you can always contact RYA at [email protected] During the qualifying passage you should take some sights to prove that you are actually capable of navigating out of sight of land by astro navigation. If circumstances prevent astro sights from being taken on the ocean-qualifying passage you can also take them on another shorter passage. You just have to make sure to be enough far from shore so that the sights are taken out of sight of land.

Preparation

Before taking the oral exam, it is recommended to take Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course . If you complete the course, you will be exempted from the written examination.

Please also take a look at our routes . On all our offshore passages we are navigating using celestial navigation. Some of our passages qualify for the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean certification where you can be a watch leader to meet the qualifying passage requirements. Many of our participants passed the prestigious RYA Yachtmaster Ocean exam and keep returning year after year to us in order to become yet more confident and experienced. Our practical on-the-water training builds confidence, teaching you everything from basic terminology and safety tips to how to skipper a yacht and manage its crew.

Exam Syllabus

During the oral exam, the questions should generally be related to your qualifying passage but may also refer to longer passages if needed to find out if you are capable of an ocean crossing. You may be required to answer questions on all aspects of ocean passage-making in a yacht, including passage planning, navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs.

After booking the exam and at least 1 week before the exam date you must provide the examiner with:

• A narrative account of the planning and execution of the qualifying passage.
• Navigational records, completed on board a yacht on passage, out of sight of land, showing that you navigated the yacht without the use of electronic navigational aids. As a minimum, this should include the planning, reduction, and plotting of a sun-run-meridian altitude or sun-run-sun sight and a compass check carried out using the bearing of the sun, moon, star or planet.

The examiner will not be hard on you if you provide a good narrative account and lots of navigational records. You should show him or her that you thought about many aspects of voyage planning and execution, and that you care about the safety of the yacht and the crew. You will definitely fail if you show a cavalier altitude.

The narrative should include the following:

• Brief description of the chosen vessel and suitability for the voyage
• Crew selection
• Pre-checks on the condition of the yacht, including hull, rigging, engine, electrics and fittings checks
• Navigational passage planning: route selection, sources of information to decide on a strategy, expected and possible durations of the passage if no wind/rig failure/divert to the port of refuge etc.
• Navigational equipment: electronic and manuals
• Weather: source of information pre-departure, weather forecasting sources on passage, actual weather experienced
• Harbours planned: pilotage, reporting, berthing, customs and immigrations procedures
• Ports of refuge
• Watchkeeping rota
• Consumables provisioning: victualling (water and food) and fueling/bunkering - estimating daily usage, the amount carried, allowance for delays, calms and emergencies, preparation for what-if scenarios (e.g. contamination of water, fridge failure etc.)
• Consumables monitoring en route: fuel, gas, food, water, battery
• Methods of charging batteries, battery capacity and electrical consumption calculations
• Medical kit carried and preparation for medical emergencies (e.g. availability of suitable courses)
• Standing orders
• Safety briefing conducted
• Routine equipment checks and maintenance, precautionary replacements
• Drills practices before departure and during the passage
• Fire precautions
• VHF / HF / MF channels monitored
• Communications equipment carried
• Position reporting to shore stations
• Navigational hazards including shipping lanes and shallows
• Expected shipping traffic and other vessels encountered (e.g. fishing fleets)
• Use of courtesy ensigns and Q flag
• Emergency (contingency) plans: MOB, rig failure, hull breach, steering failure, port/hatch failure, engine failure, abandon ship, divert to the port of refuge, heavy weather preparation and tactics, emergency repairs (e.g. jury-rigging, repairing damage to the hull, jury-steering)
• Spare gear and tools required, carried and used
• Deck safety: clipping on and numbers of the crew on deck
• Charts and publications used
• Copy of ship’s log and charts
• Navigation by sextant: all written sight reduction, compass check and plotting sheets completed at sea (not tidied up ashore)
• Procedure for cleaning and securing the yacht at the end of the passage

Here you can find an example of RYA Yachtmaster Ocean narrative and navigational records for passage from Gibraltar to Tenerife prepared for my exam.

The written exam will include questions on celestial navigation (sights and sight reduction) and worldwide meteorology.

If you hold the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased course completion certificate you will be exempted from the written examination.

Learning materials

• Celestial Navigation in practice - Astro navigation primer.
• Celestial Navigation - With the Sight Reduction Tables with Pub. No 249 - This book gives the clearest explanation of how celestial navigation works and how to use it without bogging down in theory.
• How to use sextant (PDF) , Video
• RYA Certificates of Competence
• Certificates

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RYA Yachtmaster Ocean

• 6th November 2023
• by Pete Green

Part 1 Theory

Is it still relevant for today?

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean is the RYA’s highest shore-based theory qualification. With multiple sources of GPS on a boat, why is it still relevant to learn an instrument based on 800-year-old technology and look up data from volumes of paper tables?

For centuries sailors have navigated oceans by fixing a position with a sextant observing the sun, moon, stars, and planets. Today, it is not only a fascinating art, but an essential alternative to GPS and electronic plotters when redundancy and reliability are essential for crossing oceans.

Electronics and the power to supply them can and do fail.  Salt water is an enemy and there is plenty of it in the middle of an ocean.  You may have redundancy with multiple GPS devices but that doesn’t help if none of them are receiving because of jamming, interference, or atmospheric conditions.

If you know the sun rises in the East and the North star is in the North, you already have some astronavigation knowledge.  With the reliability of just paper & pencil and a simple mechanical instrument, you can find out where you are on the planet to within a few nautical miles.

Many sailors will embark on learning celestial navigation for their own satisfaction, knowledge and dare I say pleasure.  For others, it is a required vocational qualification and revered standard.  Halcyon Yachts employs yacht delivery skippers with a minimum Yachtmaster Ocean qualification so to become a delivery skipper it is a qualification you rightly need to gain.

RYA Syllabus and Pre-Requisites

To get the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence you need to be a Yachtmaster Offshore, do a qualifying passage, take astro navigation sights and pass an exam.

The qualifying passage must be over 600 nm (and over 96 hours) where 200 nm are more than 50 nm from land or charted objects and completed within the last 10 years. You must evidence taking a full part in the planning and preparation and had a solo watch. The astro navigation requirements are a sun or noon sight transfer position fix and a celestial compass check, not necessarily on the qualifying passage.

The exam is an oral and written test.  The oral test covers all aspects of ocean passage making in a yacht, including planning, navigation, meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation, maintenance, and repairs. Candidates must send the examiner an account of the qualifying passage and evidence of taking sights 48 hours in advance.

The good news is if you pass the Yachtmaster Ocean Theory you don’t need to take the written part of the exam and that is the subject of this blog.

Ocean Theory Courses

The two main routes to learning RYA Ocean theory are classroom and online.  Courses are typically a weeklong or online with 40 hours estimated study and cost from under £300.

There are many providers of online theory courses, I used www.skipperson line.net which has a modern interactive interface, worked on all my devices, and allowed learning at my own pace. The exam can be done at home if just for personal development but if commercial endorsement is required then the exam must be invigilated by any RYA Instructor using only the student tables and sight proforma templates provided.

What is Astronavigation?

I won’t pretend to explain astronavigation in a blog but can give a flavour of the content and principles. It was only on the last course module covering the North Star (Polaris) that I had the eureka moment and things clicked into place, so I’ll start there to give a layman’s guide to the theory.

The North Star is always in the North so it’s bearing (or Azimuth) is always north.  It is almost directly above the North Pole (89° 16’ N) so is in the same place every day!  If you were stood at the North Pole, it would be right above you, on your Zenith (an imaginary point directly above a location). If you were close to the equator, it would be very low in the sky, almost on the horizon (90° from your Zenith).  Some basic trigonometry then proves your latitude (in the Northern hemisphere) is always equal to the height of the North Star above the horizon.

Let’s say you measure Polaris as having an altitude of 50°, then your latitude is also 50°.  This doesn’t tell you where you are, but it does confirm your latitude as one position line.  At 50° latitude you could be anywhere west of the Isles of Scilly, East of New Foundland or in the North Pacific but hopefully you’ll be able to narrow that down!

The principal is then the same as Day Skipper, getting position lines from more than one source (or the same one transferred over time) then plotting where they cross to get a fix. If you get stuck an excellent additional resource is “The Practical Guide to Celestial Navigation” by Phil Somerville.  A copy of which is now on the bookshelf of my boat along with some generic proformas and plotting sheets.

Using a Sextant

The shore-based course teaches how to use a sextant but unless you construct an artificial horizon with a bowl of water you’ll have to wait until on passage to try it out.

It is called sextant because its arc is 1/6 th of a circle i.e., 60° but it can measure angles up to 120° using a principle of double reflection. The mechanics are to adjust the sextant arm whilst using telescope, mirrors, and shades to bring the celestial body being measured down (or up) to meet the horizon.  You should take a series of readings over a minute or two and average them on a chart ignoring outliers to select a reading you will use.

There are then some adjustments to make including “index error” of the instrument, “dip” from curvature of the earth based on your height of eye and various potential altitude corrections such as the semi-diameter of the celestial body, terrestrial refraction, and parallax.

The final corrected result is the True Altitude (Ho).  After looking up in tables what the Calculated Altitude (Hc) should be, the difference is then how far away you are on the earth’s surface from an assumed position giving a position line.

We have produced a series of videos that will also help you to learn and master the sextant:

What Sights Can You Take?

To take a sight both horizon and celestial body must be visible, and you need more than one sight for a fix.  One method is to take a sun sight, update your approximate position to be on the sun sight position line then apply dead reckoning and take another sun sight as a running fix.  This is known as a “sun run sun”, one of the position lines could be a simple latitude derived from a “noon sight”, the sun at local noon (Meridian Passage).

Other options may be available at twilight if the moon and planets are visible along with the horizon. Possibly easier are stars.  Of the 2 x 10 23 stars in the visible universe and the 4,500 visible by eye, the positions of 57 most useful stars are recorded in non-perpetual volumes valid for a few years (epoch). To simplify things, altitude and azimuth are given relative to a hypothetic point in the sky (Aries) and don’t require sight reduction calculations.

Meridians and Hour Angles

The Earth is mapped by an imaginary grid of latitude and longitude lines. Latitudes run from 0° at the equator to 90° North and South at the poles.  Latitudes are measured in degrees of declination, the angle north or south from the celestial equator. The declination of the sun changes seasonally from the tropic of Cancer 23.4°N (northern hemisphere summer) to the tropic of Capricorn 23.4°S (northern hemisphere winter) as the Earth orbits the sun.

Longitudes are vertical meridians like segments of a chocolate orange running East to West from a prime meridian. Greenwich meridian was voted by 22 countries as the global prime meridian in 1884, although France continued using the Paris meridian until 1911.

Each minute of longitude is a nautical mile at the surface, and hence a degree of longitude is 60nm. In Astro navigation, the longitude position of a heavenly body is measured by Greenwich Hour Angle (GHA) running west from 0° Greenwich Meridian.  A longitude of 90° East is thus GHA 270°. The earth rotates every 24 hours, hence 15° per hour or 1° every 4 minutes. As you sail west, noon becomes later.

A Local Hour Angle (LHA) is the angle from your position to the heavenly body and is GHA minus your longitude if west or GHA plus longitude if East. For stars we use a Siderial Hour Angle (SHA) which is the angle between GHA and “Aries”, a hypothetical point in where the sun crosses the celestial equator on the northern spring equinox.

Because the earth spins, to measure any hour angle from celestial bodies you need to know the exact time to the second. The British Parliament passed the Longitude Act in 1714 with a reward of £20,000 (£3.35m in 2023) for solving longitude at sea to within half a degree, eventually won by John Harrison, carpenter and clockmaker who invented the marine chronometer.

Today a cheap digital watch set to GMT will work but may still need correcting as can vary 15-30 seconds per month.  In preparation for taking sights, I set three cheap digital watches to the exact time using www.time.is and plan to measure their variation before leaving.

5 Top Tips for Tables

The theory course is full of opportunities to make errors and it can be hugely frustrating having to trace your steps back to the start to try and find the error.  Here are some things that tripped me up when referring to the student tables provided:

Read the headings for columns and rows very carefully.  Column headings can change down the page for blocks of rows (e.g., data for stars) so may it not be the heading at the very top.

Check carefully whether data is positive or negative. In some cases, refer to prior rows where this is given.

The typeface is old and sometimes tricky to read.  Look at the trend for the previous and subsequent periods as a check.

Note how data trends to check if you should add or subtract.  Is declination for example increasing or decreasing and apply that when using data for corrections.

Get used to mental arithmetic in base 60.  A simple technique for subtraction is to re-write degrees and minutes with one less degree (e.g., convert 90° 00’ to 89° 60’) to make base 60 subtraction easier.

Proformas and Spreadsheets

For each type of sight (sun, planets, moon, and stars) there is a separate proforma to use in calculations.  I made my own spreadsheet versions as calculators for backup and for notes to remind me of the process.  Other versions can be found online with various formats, but these worked for me.  They are free to download and whilst I believe they are stress tested they come with no warranty and are no substitute for paper and pen!

Example Sun Sight from Excel Templates – Free Download: Astro Nav Templates

More than just Astro

The theory course is not just astronavigation but includes ocean passage planning, communications, global meteorology and how to check your compass.  You may find some parts of passage planning common sense and communications is a rapidly changing subject with advances in satellite internet access.  You will however need to dust off your Yachtmaster Offshore meteorology and learn about great circle passages, tropical cyclones, trade winds and ocean currents.

Taking the Exam

The exam is two hours long and you will have some sight reductions, plotting and non-astro navigation questions to answer.  For an online course, you’ll need a computer, internet connection and venue with any RYA instructor to invigilate.

Take your time to get settled with coloured pens, 2b pencils, plotter, dividers, student tables and some plain A4 paper. Unlike previous theory courses, plotting is not done on charts but on self-made plotting sheets.  You can buy generic plotting sheets, but the course will teach you to make your own based on your approximate latitude to get the relative scale right.  The student tables are all based on 50° latitude so I made a plotting sheet for that and (with permission) printed half a dozen off to take into the exam which I was very glad of.

You start the exam in your own time, then move forwards or backwards through the questions to complete as you wish. When the time is up, you’ll be asked to upload scans or photos of your work, a camera phone is useful for this.

Getting the Result

Once uploaded, a system message said results would come through in 2 or 3 working days’ time, however I had an email that evening confirming I had passed along with detailed feedback and model answers. Shortly after, an electronic copy of the certification was emailed with a hard copy in the post.

If you are a member of Halcyon Yachts, then please update us with any new RYA qualifications by email to [email protected] . To become a yacht delivery skipper with Halcyon Yachts you will need RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Commercially Endorsed, at least 10,000 NM experience as skipper, a trial sail, good references, and skippers’ third-party liability insurance.

Our continued outstanding reputation is based on the skills and dedication of our skippers. We have the highest standards in the industry, as such our Skippers are qualified to RYA Yachtmaster Ocean as a minimum.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the course and have learned a new skill that will be used.  For nearly a decade I carried a Mark 25 Davis sextant on my 32ft yacht with an equally unopened astronavigation book. Not much use without the sight reduction tables, proformas, plotting sheets and knowledge to use it. Our next long passage I’m going to enjoy impressing the crew by plotting a few sights to update our dead reckoning with a fix.  We will of course still use GPS, but the Mark 25 will no longer be hidden at the bottom of a locker.

Author: Richard Payne, Sales and Operations Manager – Halcyon Yachts. 

With highly qualified and experienced crew, Halcyon Yachts Ltd offers a dedicated international yacht delivery service. For more information or to see details of their recent deliveries please visit: https://halcyonyachts.com/

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TRAININING AND CHARTER  COURSES

Yachtmaster Ocean

Ocean Passages 

If you are wanting to experience ocean passages as crew, to build miles or to qualify for the rya ocean passage using the sextant (ideally you will have completed your rya ocean theory before hand and have your rya offshore yachmaster), these passages will be of at least 600 miles from gibraltar to the cannaries or sardegna., depending on the weather these ocean passages can take up to 3 weeks., the cost will be 2600€ for individual bookings and from 6650€ for whole boat bookings., the price includes returning the boat to its home port of which you can participate if you wish., the boat will be fully equipped for ocean passages (e.p.i.r.b, sea anchor, drogues, storm sails, spray hood, bimini and autopilot etc..), yachtmaster ocean exam pre-requisites.

Minimum seatime. All candidates must have completed a qualifying passage within the past 10 years as skipper or mate in sole charge of a watch on a suitable vessel, which meets the following criteria:

The candidate was fully involved in the planning of the passage, including selection of the route, the navigational plan, checking the material condition of the vessel and her equipment, storing with spare gear, water and victuals and organising the watch-keeping routine.

During the passage a minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles must have been run by the log, the yacht must have been at sea continuously for at least 96 hours and the yacht must have been more than 50 miles from land or charted objects capable of being used for navigation/position fixing while sailing a distance of at least 200 miles.

To be eligible as an ocean qualifying passage the distance between departure and arrival points by the shortest navigable route must be more than 600 mile.

Form of exam Oral and written assessment of sights take at sea.

Certification required

RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence, or

Officer of the Watch (Yachts 3000gt) issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Minimum exam duration

Approximately 1.5 hours

The exam consists of an oral and written test.

The written exam will include questions on sights and sight reduction and worldwide meteorology.

Candidates who hold the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Course Completion Certificate (final exam must have been invigilated at an RYA RTC), or a MCA issued full STCW Certificate of Competence as a Deck Officer (Unlimited) will be exempt from the written examination.

Before you book your exam please check that you:

have completed the required mileage and experience as skipper

have read the syllabus in RYA Logbook (G158)

have read and comply with the pre-requisites above.

If you need your Certificate of Competence in order to work on board a commercial craft subject the MCA's codes of practice, you will need to get it commercially endorsed - see 'Related articles'.

Please note: Only those who hold the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence are eligible to receive the Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence on passing the oral exam. Those holding OOW (Yacht 3000gt) will receive a pass confirmation certificate.

The candidate must provide the examiner with the following information 48 hours prior to the exam: 

 A narrative account of the planning and execution of the qualifying passage providing all relevant details.

Navigational records, completed on board a yacht on passage, out of sight of land showing that the candidate has navigated the yacht without the use of electronic navigational aids. The records must include as a minimum, planning, reduction and plotting of a sun run meridian altitude sight and a compass check carried out using the bearing of the sun, moon, a star or planet. 

During the oral test the candidate will be required to answer questions on all aspects of ocean passage making in a yacht, including passage planning, navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs.

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Ocean Passage For RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence

There are three steps to attaining your RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence:

• Complete the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean theory course.
• Undertake an ocean passage (non-stop over 600 nm) and take sights.
• Attend an RYA Yachtmaster Ocean examination at Grenada Bluewater Sailing.

A person holding a Yachtmaster Ocean qualification is experienced and competent to skipper a yacht on passages of any length in all parts of the world – RYA

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory & Exams

We offer the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean theory course and final exams right here in Grenada. If you take the challenge and set sail on one of our qualifying ocean passages then we will schedule your Yachtmaster Ocean theory course prior to your departure and your final exam for when you return.

Read more about the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean theory course and final exams on our blog which takes an in-depth look at the prerequisites and course content.

Qualifying Ocean Passages

Chao Lay is our RYA inspected and accredited training vessel. An extremely well-kept Beneteau Oceanis 461, she is the perfect boat for ocean passages. Chao Lay is Thai for “Sea Gypsy” – she lives up to her name as a solid blue water cruiser with spacious, modern amenities ideal for offshore sailing.

Upcoming RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Training/Exams:

03/06/18-07/06/18: RYA Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Theory Course – 5 days shore based – USD 650.00

08/06/18: RYA First Aid Course – 1 day shore based – USD 150.00

09/06/18: RYA VHF SRC Online Theory Course (pre study) & 2 hour final exam – USD 200.00

10/06/18-15/06/18: Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Preparation Course & Final RYA Examination – 4 days preparation course and 2 days of exams – USD 1100.00

RYA Exam Fee – USD 295.00

Share of Examiner’s Expenses – USD 100.00

16/06/18-20/06/18: RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory Course – USD 650.00

21/06/18-27/06/18: Yachtmaster Ocean 600 mile qualifying passage 7 days/6 nights – USD 1500.00

28/06/18: RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Final Examinations – USD 320.00

Take your sailing to the next level on an ocean passage – Contact us TODAY!

Sailing the Bay of Biscay – An Ocean Yachtmaster Qualifying Passage (Almost)

Well dear Reader, are you ready for an adventure? You know the drill, grab yourself a cuppa or a tipple of your choice, and join me on an action-packed sail across the infamous Bay of Biscay for our Ocean Yachtmaster qualifying passage.

In lockdown 1 all the way back in March 2020, when Hodge and I first started living together, we decided we’d spend our evenings learning celestial nav and studying for our Ocean Yachtmaster theory. We spent many of our lockdown evenings with our heads in a book, whilst devouring a bottle of wine. And after a couple of months of study, we nailed it, and were both rewarded with a pass in our 8-hour ocean theory exam in the May of 2020. Since then, we’ve been conjuring up a plan to do our Ocean Yachtmaster qualifying passage. Despite both having done thousands of miles, and for me, an ocean passage, we hadn’t yet been able to meet the requirements of a qualifier, which are quite specific.

The basic requirements are a continuous passage of 600nm+, of which 200nm must be 50nm from any chartered object, with the ocean yachtmaster candidate in either the skipper or 1 st mate role. We looked at our options, and the two that stood out were Bergen, Norway, or A Coruna, Spain. We decided on Spain , as it would tick off our bucket list dream of a Biscay crossing, and we’d heard that the Galician coast is beautiful, plus who can resist warm climes, and the draw of some tapas?! With a destination in mind, we set about building the plan and recruiting our crew.

The crew and prep

In terms of crew, I instantly thought of two of my former Clipper crew-mates, Nigel and Smithy. Both incredibly experienced, having sailed thousands of miles. They would know what is required on an ocean passage. They would also work well in the watch system, and would bring experience and knowledge. Hodge added one of his colleagues, a former marine, and artic-warfare specialist, Malcs to the crew list. Bringing some youth, strength and resilience, as well as some sailing experience (fastnet and various sailing adventures with Hodge previously). I’d not met Malcs, but he sounded perfect. Last, but not least I thought of my eldest brother, former RAF, he would be the perfect balance for our emerging crew. Again, bringing youth, strength, resilience. We had dreamt up the perfect crew. All with lots to give, all fearless and ‘up for anything’, they’re a fun bunch, with bundles of stories to share, and importantly they’re all up for banter (and some). We messaged them all in turn, my phone instantly came to life. Ping, ping, ping. Yes, yes, yes. We had our crew.

We decided to split into two watches, with Hodge leading one watch, and I the other. We also decided it would be wise to split Nigel and Smithy up, and Malcs and Charlie up. So that we had balance of age, experience, strength, etc between the watches. I drew Charlie and Smithy, and Hodge drew Nigel and Malcs, to form our respective watches.

We spent months preparing the good ship, Ruby May. From adding safety equipment, bringing the mast down to fit a tri-light, and fitting a deck level VHF, through to replacing the battery charger, investing in a ships grade first aid kit (to include Morphine, epi-pens etc), and replacing the jack stays. We worked our way through every inch of the boat, to make sure she was the best she could possibly be for the passage.

Crew intros and a weekend sail to France

In February we arranged a crew meet up for a few beers and intros at the aptly named Anchor pub in Southbank, London. Everyone hit it off instantly, and the excitement started to build. We decided upon a weekend familiarisation sail to Dieppe, so that everyone could get to know each other and the boat a bit better. Hodge and I sail to Dieppe a lot, and it’s a town that we both love. We’ve got some fantastic ‘local’ bars and restaurants there, and so it was the perfect place to take the team.

In May, we had our weekend passage to Dieppe, getting into a 2-hour-on, 2-hour-off watch system on the Friday evening, we sailed over night. A beautiful broad reach sail, under a starry sky, we absolutely flew across the channel. Any nerves from the crew, were quickly lost, and a fantastic and speedy sail, saw us arrive into Dieppe for 7am. We had an obligatory ‘morning-cap’ drink on deck, before a few hours’ sleep. Exploring the beautiful town in the afternoon and evening, we had an onboard disco to finish the day off. It was a fantastic weekend.  Albeit the lack of wind, and hot weather on Sunday’s sail home, didn’t do much for the sore heads!

The countdown to Biscay was now on.

In the final weeks before our passage, Hodge and I continued to prep the boat, deciding on 100 litres of fresh drinking water (stored in bags), along with 220 litres of diesel, and an additional 2 x jerry cans, in case of contamination. We also made batches of food, which were duly vacuum sealed and frozen. We would eat like kings. Curry, chili, chicken pie… we had it all. Along with some sweet treats of steamed stick toffee pudding and custard. The aim was to make cooking simply and easy onboard, keeping the crew on deck as much as possible, whilst also eating well. Food being so important, from both a calorific and morale perspective when on a long passage.

We designed a ‘logo’ for the trip, and had t-shirts made for everyone, typed up and printed a meal plan, along with a pee chart (to remind people to stay hydrated!), and a daily jobs check list. Between us, we thought of every last detail. Keeping a constant eye on the weather, sea state, and orca attacks, so as to start to think about our passage routing. The days were flying by, and on our team whatsapp group the sweepstake for eta’s was gaining momentum.

It’s Saturday 25 th June. And we all meet at Sovereign Marina, Eastbourne. Everyone settles into their cabins, and we inform the crew that due to the weather conditions (upwind) we’ll be slipping lines this evening, instead of the planned morning departure. Everyone is happy with this. We can’t wait to get going.

We muster on deck for a full safety briefing, and run through the passage plan, so that everyone knows what to expect. Discussing routing, we’ve decided to hug the South Coast down to Portland Bill, then head South from there, taking an offshore route around the TSS, so as to be offshore for the continental shelf at approx. 7 degrees. The weather isn’t looking particularly favorable – in our face for at least the first 2-3 days, there’s also a series of fronts inbound across the Atlantic, albeit they’re due to head North before getting to us, they will definitely impact the sea state. Nonetheless, this looks like the best route.

We head for dinner and draw straws to decide who’s going to be standing the first watch. My watch won, and we’re first up. It’s time to have a final shower, make any last phone calls to loved one’s and then we slip. Locking out of Eastbourne Marina, it feels so crazy to think that the next time we’re on dry land we will be in Spain! We’re like an excited bunch of children, the banter is flying about who’s the best watch and who’s going to win the sweepstake. We’re off. It’s just us, the sea and the stars. My happy place.

We have settled on a 6-6-4-4-4 watch system. With watches doing 6 hours each during the day, and then rotating through 4-hour watches overnight. I’ve previously found this system works well in terms of balance of sleep, but also in terms of rotating through night watches day-on-day. So, while on one day you’ll have sunset (8pm – 12am), and also sunrise (4am – 8am), the next night you’ll have the ‘graveyard shift’ (12am – 4am). Other popular watch systems mean that you either always have the fantastic sunset/sunrise, OR you always have the dreaded graveyard, which I’m not keen on.

At midnight, we kicked off the watch system, with the off-watch heading below for their first 4 hours of sleep. Charlie, Smithy and I, found our groove under a star filled sky, with Charlie the first to spot a beautiful shooting star as it whizzed past us. Ruby May rose and fell with the ways, as we started our beat along the south coast. It was the perfect start to the passage. All those months of prep, and we’re finally on our way.

Before long, we’re heading down below, and Hodge’s watch is up. We’re particularly delighted at the fortuitous timing, as a squall hits us just minutes later – we hear the drumming of the rain on the deck from the comfort of warm, dry sleeping bags and are relieved that the weather had courteously held off until after the watch change.

By the time we’re back on deck at 8am, the sun is shining, and it is the start of a beautiful day. We’re down near the Isle of Wight. And there’s plenty of shipping buzzing around, heading in and out of Southampton, which keeps us on our toes. The wind is persistent at a F5/6, blowing from the South West (meaning we’re tacking) and it’s a bumpy ride. Among the crew, we just about manage to stave off the seasickness.

Hodge and I had decided that all meals will happen 30 mins before watch change overs, so that we eat together, and have all crew together at least 2-3 times a day. I make a lunch of sandwiches, which is always a challenge when on a significant heel. I just about manage to keep the ham and lettuce contained, and the crew are all very grateful for the effort!

I head to bed. Hodge and I are hot-bunking in the fore-peak, which is without a doubt the worst place to sleep on a boat, and especially so when going up-wind. With every wave, there’s an almighty crash, and at times it feels like you’re ‘getting air’ as the nose of the boat dives off the top of a wave into a trough below.

I lay in bed, full of adrenaline and excitement, trying to get to sleep. What day is it? I love this life. Time and the insignificant politics and monotony of land life melt away in their significance. I was made for this.

Dolphins and darkness

On night two, we’re on the sunset and sunrise watches. The two best watches by far. Is there much better than being at sea and witnessing the sun turn the sky orange and the stars pop out, equally witnessing the dawn of a new day, silently marvelling as the stars fade, as the sky turns pink, while the world sleeps. I think not.

The sun sets, and once again we’re in darkness, with just the stars for company. That is until we spot some shadowy figures off our beam. Dolphins! Every now and then I catch sight of them as they leap about playfully beside us. Fantastic company.

Unfortunately, we’ve not managed to keep sea sickness at bay, and some of the crew are now hugging the guard wire at the stern. The seas are building as 4 ominous fronts continue to march towards us across the Atlantic. Come on, turn North will you – turn North.

We’re now crossing Lyme Bay, a huge expanse of water, and one that brings fond memories for me. It reminds me of some great passages we’ve done before, like when we brought Ruby May home , or when we headed for Salcombe last Summer. It’s a fantastic bay to cross.

With the wind heading more westerly, we decide it’s time to peel away and start our journey SW. We throw in several tacks, carefully picking our way through the huge volume of shipping, including a warship and a support boat, which is always exciting to see.

After a dinner of lasagna, we head off watch. I relocate my bed to the saloon; I’m sleep deprived from the bouncy fore-peak and need some sleep, as conditions are set to worsen. The saloon is dreamy when on port tack, but horrific when on starboard. Is there really no rest for the wicked??

There’s a storm coming

At watch handover, Hodge’s watch has managed to make great progress. Hodge and I discuss the weather. This weather system is still yet to turn north. All the forecasts, including our own seem to be wrong. The system should have gone north nearly 24 hours ago. And yet here we are, deep offshore, outside of the TSS, and it is coming straight for us.

As Hodge’s watch head to bed, I look up and see the first front line ominously towering above us. I make a call to reef, we’re heading straight for it. Just moments after we reef the sails, it hits us. We take a lashing of rain, soaking us through. And the sea builds further. The wind and gusts pick up. We’re pelted with rain for an hour or so, and the wind howls through the rig, shaking it violently. The front passes, and rain abates a little.

We look up and can see another front line.

We’re getting tossed about in all directions, as if Ruby May is our bucking bronco, we cling on with our rain-soaked hands, doing all we can to maintain our course. We’re at the mercy of the wind and the waves, taking it in turns to helm. Surrounded by white foam and froth. Wave after wave is crashing over the deck. Every stint on the helm is like a full body workout. My legs and arms are aching, as I wedge myself against the backstay to avoid being thrown about so much.

I instruct the crew to ‘double tether’. The conditions are brutal, and we cannot risk anyone being ‘unclipped’ for a single second. The crew duly comply, as the reality of our situation starts to set in. I can see a mixture of fear and excitement in their eyes, as they put their trust into both Hodge and I, and of course, the good ship Ruby May.

The conditions are brutal, by far the worst seas that I’ve had the displeasure of sailing in. Huge, breaking waves, tower over us, and are hitting us from all directions. I am so impressed with how Smithy and Charlie are rising to this challenge, both taking stints on the helm, they are fearless in the face of such conditions.

I can only describe it as being on a roller coaster. As we look up and see a wave building in front of us, we turn in to it, and the boat starts to climb, we rise and rise, and rise and rise, and there’s heart stopping anticipation as to what will meet us. Reminiscent of the climb on a roller coaster, where you hear click, click, click, only we have howling winds instead of clicks and this ride hasn’t been safety tested! Occasionally it’s a gentle glide down the top of the wave, at which point we all silently breathe a sigh of relief, but more often than not it’s a huge trough, into which we drop with an almighty crash as we accelerate into what can only be described as a giant hole. Either way, as soon as one wave passes, the next wave is waiting, building with an almighty terror ahead of us. It’s relentless. It is exhausting. Neptune is having fun with us today!

I refresh the navtex, this is not what is forecast. This is far from ideal. Poor Ruby May is taking a hammering . We’re two fronts in, the sea state is a mixture of ‘very rough’ to ‘high’ on the technical scale. The waves are now at the height of our first spreader, towering metres above us, so whatever it ‘technically’ is on the official scale, I can tell you it is not pleasant onboard. The crew are growing weary, exhausted, and desperate for this to end.

At watch change over, Hodge and I discuss the plan and the forecast. We need to keep the boat and crew safe. I share some tips from our watch and pass on the order to double tether. Hodges watch head on deck, Hilariously Malcolm has applied factor 50 sun cream – he is in for a surprise!

The sea state and weather continue to build. We have been caught in a full-scale Atlantic storm. Down below, the conditions are equally relentless. I can hear every smash and crash. With every wave that hits, it feels like the boat could break up. The boat is creaking and screaming with every smash from the relentless waves. As I lay in the saloon, I run through emergency drills in my head. Grab bags, epirbs, spare VHF, it whizzes through my mind, as I remind myself of the important mantra of ‘don’t put your body where your mind hasn’t been’ i.e. have a plan. Always have a plan. Be prepared.

My mind starts to wander to life at home. I think of my kids. How I wish I’d held them tighter when I said goodbye. I close my eyes and can see their faces in a few moments of ‘quiet’ reflection.

I don’t feel scared. I firmly believe that there is no place for fear, nor for panic in a situation like this. You can not lead/co-lead a team and allow fear to exist. It’s in moments like these that you’re most needed, and a cool head is essential for everyone’s sake. Fear and panic have no place when you are a skipper.

After a moment of reflection it’s back to the situation in hand. We’re 50 or so miles offshore. In treacherous conditions. There’s no help here. With that, bam, the 3 rd front hits us.

We’re all battered and bruised. Our precious Ruby May has sustained a fair amount of damage. Below decks a door has been smashed clean off. On deck, a shackle with a 3.5-tonne breaking point, has effortlessly snapped under the strain of the wind, like butter peeling away under a knife. The small portion of our foresail we’d left out for stability is shredded, and several of our brand-new lines are heavily chafed. This is just to name some of the damage we’ve sustained. Ruby May was holding up well, but she was without a doubt being pushed to her limits. The crew? Exhausted.

We can’t go on. We just can’t. Hodge and I have a brief conversation at the next watch changeover. We need to get to a bolt hole, and fast. The reality of what this means for us both is that this won’t count as our much sought-after Ocean Yachtmaster qualifying passage, but we cannot go on. It would be foolish to do so. And a sailor cannot afford to be foolish.

The end of the road

I’m pleased to have spent an evening the week before we set off, studying potential boltholes for our passage. Having put this prep in in advance, it makes for a quick and easy decision in horrendous conditions. We decide on L’Aber Wr’ach, France.

Hodge and I are gutted, and emotional. We tell the crew, and individually they all agree that there’s no other option. There’s an instant sense of relief throughout the boat, as we turn towards France. Soaked through, battered and bruised, we limp slowly in the direction of land.

L’aber Wr’ach provides a tricky entry, with lots of unlit buoys (many of which aren’t charted) and a narrow, shallow channel. We tie up and thank Neptune for sparing us. It is 3am.

We agree to wake up at 8am to assess the damage and make a plan.

Hodge and I curl up in the forepeak. We chat through the previous 18 hours, the relentless battle that we’ve just endured. We’re both sad, disappointed beyond words, with months and months of planning and dreams in tatters. But equally, we’re relieved to be safe, and to have avoided any significant injury or damage. I’m pleased to be in the comfort of Hodge’s arms, and with that we close our eyes.

Our sleep is rudely interrupted by the ringing out of the 8am alarm. After just under 5 hours sleep, we’re feeling refreshed and raring to go. It’s amazing how little sleep you can survive on, and how good sleep can make you feel.

Right… what are our options? We can abandon our passage altogether and leave Ruby May in France. We can coast hop down to Spain. Or we can go for it. Hodge and I briefly discuss it. We assess the damage. And we decide on the last option, we are going to ‘do the bay’. We inform the crew one by one and give them the choice to stay or abandon. All of them are up for it. They are behind us, 100%. The boat comes alive again. Excitement spreads. Time to roll up our sleeves, we have jobs to do, and a boat to repair and get ready.

We’ve got 350nm to go. The tide is favourable from 6pm. But if we leave at 3pm, we will benefit from a ‘mega push’ down the Chanel du Four . Let’s do it. As the saying goes, ‘time and tide wait for no man’. 

There’s a fresh energy in the air. We shower. Launder our clothes (all of which are soaked through), we refuel, and refill our water (for best practice as opposed to necessity). We undertake some much needed sail repair. Assess the lines and strengthen where needed. We replace broken shackles and carry out various fixes down below. Ruby May is starting to look ship shape again. It is such a team effort with all hands-on deck.

After a lunch of Omelette, duly cooked by Smithy. We slip lines. Excited and thankful for our decision. The storm is now long gone, and the conditions couldn’t be better.

There’s excitement, and jokes on deck. And in the evening, we enjoy a curry for supper, followed by a surprise hot pudding with custard. Much to everyone’s delight. It’s a beautiful day, there’s an incredible rolling swell, pushing us along. A pod of dolphins joins us, and a spout of water shoots into the air off our stern, a whale? Everyone is happy. This is why we’re here. Spain, here we come.

After dinner, at 8pm, we recommence the familiar watch system. As I head off watch, we’re doing 9.5kts. This is better sailing than we could have dreamed of, and a far cry from the previous 48 hours.

At 12am return to deck, for the start of the most incredible watch of my life.

Shootings stars, and phosphorescence. Pinch me now!

At the start of the next watch, we’re heading towards a cardinal buoy. The plan is to stay North of that, round it and then get onto a heading for A Coruna. We’re all alone out here. The sea state is perfect. The sky is clear, with just a blanket of twinkling stars.

I spot two shooting stars, and a meteor with an incredible trail of glitter blazing across the sky behind it. Off our stern, our wake is alive, sparkling with magical phosphorescence. It’s absolutely mesmerising.

It’s my turn for a stint on the wheel. And from the corner of my eye, I spot a torpedo like object flying towards us, under the water. Incoming at high speed, it has a round nose, and is probably 1.5m -2m in length, hurtling through the dark sea, it’s lit up. A dolphin! My goodness, what a sight. It’s quickly joined by another from our port side, and another. They’re glowing, like they have a string of LED fairylights wrapped around their bodies. I have never in my life witnessed anything quite like it. They’re leaping off our bow. I need to go and see this.

Smithy takes the wheel and I excitedly make my way to the bow. What I’m met with is like nothing I’ve ever seen. I can see fish, lit up by phosphorescence darting away in front of our bow as we break through the still water. The dolphins spot them and in turn break away to feast on their catch, before returning to the bow where they’re leaping and frolicking. I cannot believe my eyes.

Excitedly I call both Smithy and Charlie to take a look. They too, cannot believe what they’re seeing. It is the most magical thing I have ever seen. I feel beyond privileged. I close my eyes, to try and capture the images in my brain. I will never ever forget what I’m seeing here.

The sparkles, the dolphins, the fish, it’s majestic. I never want it to end. I can’t wait for Hodge and the rest of the team to be on deck, and to see it too.

With full stomachs, the dolphins leave us. And we all marvel at what we have just witnessed. It’s nearing watch changeover, and we excitedly share our story with the oncoming watch. Alas, as we head off, cloud descends, the stars disappear, the phosphorescence vanishes, and I’m so sad that they didn’t get to witness what we did.

Hodge and I have taken to sleeping on the saloon floor, in the hole where the table would normally live. It’s in a central position, so fairly stable. It’s less noisy and bouncy than the bow, and it’s very secure and surprisingly cosy. I close my eyes and dream of the dolphins and magic that was the previous watch.

At 8am, I’m back on deck. It’s more sunshine, and another beautiful day in the Bay. The sky is blue, littered with just a handful of fluffy, white clouds, and there’s plenty of wind to keep us pushing on. We’re joined occasionally by a pod of dolphins, which always create excitement, and of course, a photo opportunity.

We are thrilled to break the 500nm mark. And head for the major milestone of the passage, the continental shelf. It’s at the shelf, which is effectively an underwater cliff, that the Atlantic Ocean piles up, often creating huge swells. As the seabed rises from some 5000 metres, to a mere 150 metres in just quarter of a mile.

Hodge stays on deck with my watch to witness the shelf. We’re a mile or so out and are joined by a pod of dolphins. I head to the bow with Hodge, and we watch them leap and race. It’s a fantastic sight. And an unforgettable moment. The dolphins escort us over the shelf and into the Abyssal Plain. We now have 5,000 metres of water below our keel. What an incredible feeling.

The swell at the shelf, was quite a non-event. I think that because of what had gone before, it felt relatively minor to us. Which was both a relief and a mild disappointment. Nonetheless, it felt like an achievement. We were finally offshore proper.

In L’ Aber Wr’ach we’d made a temporary repair on our tattered foresail. And thus far we haven’t dared to unfurl it. We’ve run a sweepstake as to how long we think the foresail will survive. Bets range from 1 hour 30 mins (not very optimistic), through to 35 hours (that’s more like it). We all muster on deck, gathering like excited children, and watch as our weary foresail unfurls in all its glory. I start the timer. But as we stare upwards, it becomes apparent that we are all way out with our guesses. The repair is already starting to tire. And it’s the source of some disappointment, but also hilarity that within just one minute we decide to furl the it away again.

Heading off watch, I curl up in my pit on the floor and reflect on the passage so far. I can’t sleep, and instead make a list of what’s worked well on the trip and what hasn’t, so that we can capture any learning’s for next time. Conscious that every minute I continue to muse, is another minute of lost sleep, I put my list away and close my eyes.

Malcs heats up our pre-made chilli con carne and we enjoy it on deck. It’s delicious. I’m back on watch for the 8-12 shift. We’re very quickly joined by a pod of dolphins, and Smithy and Charlie duly make their way to the bow, as we enjoy our first really decent sunset of the passage. It has been a perfect days sailing. Our following watch (4-8am) gives us our first sunrise, and it is spectacular. There’s a high moving in, which is giving way to a beautiful and much welcome sunshine, but unfortunately the wind is retreating. The sea state is flat.

I cook us some fresh pain au chocolat for breakfast and cut up some melon. What a treat.

Our watch is very much the ‘noisy watch’. We spend our hours on deck amusing each other with stories. Charlie in particular fascinates both Smithy and I with his incredible stories from his military career, which at time have us in stitches, or at other times in disbelief. When we’re not entertaining each other with stories, we play silly games like ‘would you rather’. This game sees us cover important topics, such as ‘would you rather be attacked by one horse sized chicken OR 100 chicken sized horses’. The watches pass quickly and are always a pleasure. I see Charlie rarely, as we both lead busy lives, and it’s great to have the opportunity to spend some quality time with him.

At watch changeover, we all catch up, and have an extended handover. We’re now sub 150nm until we reach A Coruna, you can feel the excitement in the air. I don’t want it to end. I pop below to look at the chart, and with that there’s a shout from deck. “Sam!! Come on deck, there’s some lazy dolphins” Lazy dophins?? What on earth. I clamber up the companionway steps, and to my surprise, next to the boat is a pod of Pilot Whales! We fall around laughing at Smithy’s ‘lazy dolphin’ comment. The whales are beautiful, majestic creatures. Swimming beside us, they surface slowly before dipping just below the surface again. Every now and then there’s a spurt from a blow hole. We’re soon joined by another group off our port quarter. How fantastic. Every box has now been ticked! We leave them in our wake, and slowly they disappear from sight.

I head to my pit. There’s a calm sea, with gentle swell. I lay down, and start to drift off. When there’s a shout of ‘Spouts! Spouts’. I dart up the steps and there’s a massive spray from a blow hole off our beam. And with that, a large black body surfaces and dives. I return to my bed on the floor with a smile on my face. My alarm angrily awakes me a few hours later, rousing me from a deep sleep. And I’m delighted to note that we are now sub 100 miles from our destination in Spain.

The sunshine is beaming, and there’s not a single cloud or even a plane in the beautiful blue sky. On the AIS there’s not a vessel to be seen. It’s just us out here, in our own little bubble. The sailing is incredible, and we’re doing a steady 6 knots. We see 4 more pods of whales on my next watch. Incredible.

I take a sextant reading, just for fun- our hopes of this being a qualifying passage for our Ocean Yachtmaster faded when we ran to the bolt hole of L’Aber Wr’ach. I’m on the wheel, and spot something floating in the water up ahead. It’s dark, and fairly big. What is it. We strain our eyes, and then realise it is a large plank of wood. We bear away to avoid it, when we spot another plank up ahead. We continue to see plank after plank throughout the watch. An impact with one could do some serious damage. They’re really quite substantial in size. We decide it is prudent to position someone as a look-out up on the bow.

I enjoy my time on the bow, I always do. It’s my happy place. Peaceful, and like a mini escape. I keep a sharp eye and enjoy the sound of the sea rushing past our hull. What a beautiful day. Taking turns we rotate through 30-minute stints on look-out duty. We spot several more planks, and at watch change, we brief the other watch accordingly.

The final watches come and go quickly. There’s a shout of land-ho. And we see the shadow of the Spanish coast. It really is beautiful. As we get closer, we can make out various buildings and towns dotted along the coast. As night falls, the Galician Coast comes alive, with twinkling lights scattered between the darker patches. We use the lighthouses signal lights to help us navigate. Over head the stars are shining. I will miss this.

As we head down for our final off-watch, we hand over. And know that when we next come up on deck we will be in our final few miles. I have mixed feelings of excitement and also sadness, sad that this wonderful adventure is coming to an end, but excitement to be so close to land fall in Spain.

Hodge comes to wake me from my sleep. We are indeed nearly at A Coruna, and we all head on deck for the final bit of pilotage and to see our arrival. Using buoys and navigational aids ashore, we meander our way in. We have made it to Spain!

We make our way into Club Real Nautico Marina, and are met by a friendly Spaniard. Hodge glides us on to our berth and we tie up alongside. We’re met by both Smithy and Nigel’s partners and celebrate with a few glasses of fizz. It’s 8am, but it’s the afternoon somewhere right.

What a fantastic trip. The trip of a lifetime. An incredible achievement, and adventure. Albeit it we’re unable to submit the passage our Ocean Yachtmaster qualifying passage. Nonetheless, we’ve taken away lots of learning’s and incredible memories. And it means we will get to do another passage sometime soon of course.

I’d like to say a special thanks to Malcs, Nigel, Smithy and Charlie for being such fantastic crew, and for making the trip so enjoyable. And of course, a massive thank you to Hodge for doing such a great job on the passage planning, boat prep and all of the other hard work and effort, and as always being such a great team mate. Here’s to our next Ocean Yachtmaster qualifying passage!

——- Fancy Sailing the Spanish Coast for yourself?——-

I can vouch first hand that sailing the Spanish coast, is simply incredible and an experience not to be missed. The Galician coast is beautiful, with countless, picturesque towns lining the cliff tops. The Galician region in particular is well known for ‘The Way’ (The Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, is an ancient pilgrimage trail. Made up of a vast network of roads and paths, pilgrims travel these to arrive at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.) But did you know that there’s now a sailing equivalent?! Called, Sail the Way , this incredible pilgrimage with a twist, will take you along the beautiful Spanish coast. An adventure not to be missed, you can find out more, and sign up for next years edition here .

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• Certificates of Competence

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Exam

Full details of the exam syllabus and requirements are shown in the RYA Yachtmaster Scheme Syllabus and Logbook (G158), which is available from the RYA webshop.

The exam consists of an oral and written test.

The candidate must provide the examiner with the following information 48 hours prior to the exam:

• A narrative account of the planning and execution of the qualifying passage providing all relevant details.
• Navigational records, completed on board a yacht on passage, out of sight of land showing that the candidate has navigated the yacht without the use of electronic navigational aids. The records must include as a minimum, planning, reduction and plotting of a sun run meridian altitude sight and a compass check carried out using the bearing of the sun, moon, a star or planet.

During the oral test the candidate will be required to answer questions on all aspects of ocean passage making in a yacht, including passage planning, navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs.

The written exam will include questions on sights and sight reduction and worldwide meteorology.

Candidates who hold the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased Course Completion Certificate (final exam must have been invigilated at an RYA RTC), or a MCA issued full STCW Certificate of Competence as a Deck Officer (Unlimited) will be exempt from the written examination.

Before you book your exam please check that you:

• have completed the required mileage and experience as skipper
• have read the syllabus in RYA Logbook (G158)
• have read and comply with the pre-requisites above.

If you need your Certificate of Competence in order to work on board a commercial craft subject the MCA's codes of practice, you will need to get it commercially endorsed - see 'Related articles'.

Please note: Only those who hold the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence are eligible to receive the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence on passing the oral exam. Those holding OOW (Yacht 3000gt) will receive a pass confirmation certificate.

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean exam pre-requisites

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+441983 280 641

• Yachtmaster Ocean

The Yachtmaster Ocean certificate is the highest qualification available in the RYA scheme.

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The Yachtmaster Ocean is the highest qualification awarded by the RYA. Recognised worldwide, the Yachtmaster Ocean certificate proves you have the knowledge, experience, and confidence to skipper a yacht across an ocean.

What does the Yachtmaster Ocean qualify me to do?

The Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate of Competence allows the holder to skipper a yacht on an Ocean passage of any length.

The RYA has a structured route from beginner to Yachtmaster Ocean. You can choose sail or Power .

Whether you sail or enjoy powerboats, there is a route to Yachtmaster Ocean. To do the Yachtmaster Ocean, it’s fair to say that most people will choose the sailing route. This is because very few motorboats under 60 meters can cross an ocean. Smaller motorboats have a limited fuel range.

Become a professional skipper.

After passing the Yachtmaster Ocean exam, you have the opportunity to become a professional skipper. You can achieve this by applying for commercial endorsement.

It it worth pointing out at this stage, if you are considering working as a professional skipper then you will need to complete a medical, either the ENG1 or ML5 . The medical confirms you are fit to work at sea.

To apply for Commercial Endorsement you would have completed additional safety training courses, including STCW Basic Safety Training , plus an online Professional Practices and Responsibilities (PPR) course, and passed a medical.

Once you have completed these additional safety qualifications, you can apply for commercial endorsement and start a career as a professional skipper.

Superyacht crew

To become a Chief Mate on a Superyacht, Deckhands, Bosuns, and Officers must first obtain their Yachtmaster Ocean Certificate.

Requirements for RYA Yachtmaster Ocean

To sit the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Oral exam, candidates will be experienced sailors with a good depth of knowledge of sailing offshore, and on extended passages.

The requirements for the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean exam are as follows:

1. Hold the Yachtmaster Offshore certificate of competence.

2. Complete a 600-mile offshore passage acting in a position of responsibility (skipper or watch leader).

3. Have completed a series of celestial sights fixing your position at sea, including a sun run meridian altitude sight and a compass check carried out using a bearing of the sun, moon, or stars.

4. Be a competent offshore/Ocean skipper with good offshore experience.

5. Have extensive knowledge of Ocean weather patterns and conditions that can affect a trip across an ocean.

Once you have met these prerequisites, you can sit for the Yachtmaster Ocean Oral exam. You can sit the  Yachtmaster Ocean Oral exam

The difference between Yachtmaster Offshore and Ocean

Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean differ in Astro navigation, using the sun and stars to determine position. If you were sailing across an ocean and all electronic equipment were to fail, then having the knowledge to fix your position using a sextant would prove invaluable.

The Yachtmaster Offshore allows you to take a yacht on a journey no more than 150 miles from harbour. On the other hand, the Yachtmaster Ocean has no restrictions or limitations.

How do I become a Yachtmaster Ocean?

There are two options; the first is if you have your own boat. By having your own yacht, you can learn skills at your own pace with friends and family. You may want some basic training to get you going in the right direction, then build miles and experience. This option is cheaper if you don’t count the yacht’s cost, and you can learn at your own speed.

The drawback is that achieving Yachtmaster Ocean is finding the balance between training, work, friends, and family can be tricky. Furthermore, convincing friends to go sailing in the depths of winter means achieving your goal can take years.

The second option is joining a structured training programme. You can complete all the training at once and not have the hassle of owning your own yacht. A lot of people combine the Yachtmaster Ocean with travel, completing their training somewhere warm and sunny.

Our Yachtmaster Ocean course takes you from a novice sailor to Yachtmaster Ocean in 16 weeks. The training programme includes all the skills, qualifications, and experience you need to become an Ocean Master.

The course is for everyone, regardless of age or experience. It is suitable for beginners and experienced sailors who don’t have any formal qualifications. Whatever your sailing experience.

All you need in one course

Yachtmaster ocean course.

We take you from beginner to Yachtmaster Ocean in one 16-week training course.

Already have Yachtmaster Offshore

Yachtmaster ocean theory and passage.

If you hold the Yachtmaster Offshore qualification and want Ocean, then choose this option.

Yachtmaster Ocean Qualifying Passage

Ocean sailing is an exhilarating experience like no other!

Price £2,499 (inc VAT)

14 day course

Maximum 4 students per course

Accommodation onboard provided

All meals eaten onboard provided

Free parking at Port Solent Marina

How to book a course

If you would like to book a course with Portsmouth Marine Training you can use the online booking system at the bottom of the page, or feel free to give us a call on 02392 838885 or 07597 311612 and we can take your booking over the phone.

Unfortunately we will not be offering any Qualifying passages for 2024.

Course aims:

The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Passage is for those looking to qualify as a Yachtmaster Ocean sailor, or for those that would like to experience offshore sailing across an ocean.  Our aim is to make two qualifying passages of over 600 miles, from Port Solent to Vigo, Spain and back.  This will ensure that all 4 crew on board will experience having responsibility for the vessel and be watch leader.  A return journey also has the advantage of having two attempts of obtaining sight readings.  The passages will be done on a 15m ocean going yacht, with 8 berths and 3 cabins (2 berths in the main saloon).  We will only ever have a maximum of 4 clients on board.

Course content:

The syllabus for this course will cover:

• Celestial Navigation, using a sextant for sun sights and other planetary bodies
• Ocean Passage planning
• Victualling and on board living
• Watch schemes
• Satellite Navigation
• Meteorology and weather systems
• Heavy weather
• Ocean communications
• Medical issues at sea
• Managing power on the boat
• Customs and information when entering a foreign country

Course pre-requisites:

In order to do the ocean qualifying passage you must already hold the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate.

The first stage is to complete the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean Theory course .  This can be done in our classroom in Chichester Marina.  Click the link for details.

The next stage is to complete the qualifying passage which must be a minimum of 600 miles, within a continuous passage of at least 96 hours.

Once completed you will be ready to take the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean exam.

Related course materials…

Buy rya astro navigation handbook here.

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Yachtmaster Ocean Qualifying Passage

• Thread starter Vicarage
• Start date 7 Aug 2018

I've just returned from a "happy" week on passage from Norway to Holland, and as it was to windward all the way we realised the log had run over 700nm instead of the 400 or so we had planned in a straight line, so I was wondering if that might have accidentally qualified me for a Yachtmaster Ocean! The RYA book (G158) says that for the passage to qualify "a minimum distance of 600nm must be run by the log, the yacht must have been at sea continously for a minimum of 96 hours and the yacht must have been at least 50nm from land or charted objects capable of being used for navigation/position fixing for at 200nm". Getting an Ocean ticket would be a great achievement for me, as I've no hope of having the money to pay for a commercial milebuilder (or having the time), but I wonder if anyone could confirm if the passage is suitable. I'm not planning on going off to skipper ocean yachts or anything, but it'd be a nice present for an otherwise fairly miserable and boring week at sea. I know that YM Offshore passages have to be 60nm on the rhumb line, but the syllabus here seems to suggest it's more about the time at sea than the direct distance per se. We had 40 knots over the deck for 36 hours and then no wind for another 36 so it certainly felt like an Atlantic crossing in miniature! I'm also aware of the need to do a second short passage using sextant only but I understand that that only need be a channel crossing or similar which is good. Any advice gratefully recieved.  

Praxinoscope

Well-known member.

The last paragraph is interesting, a few years ago I had hoped to gain my ‘Ocean’ and managed the passage kinsale to Spain then Spain to Milford Haven (650nm over 10 days), but really messed up my sextant work so never applied to RYA. If it is possible to do a short passage using sextant would West Wales to Ireland and sextant nav’ be acceptable? It has always been my dream to obtain the Ocean but the voyage to Spain was I thought my last chance. I have completed the shore-based course.  

To judge by a friend who did pay, her trip, with a very well regarded sailing school, was "Harwich, round the Dogger Bank and back", so it certainly doesn't seem that any sort of a straight line is needed.  

capnsensible

'To be eligible as an ocean qualifying passage the distance between the departure and arrival points by the shortest navigable route must be more than 600 miles'. Thats from the RYA website. So sorry, nah.  

https://www.rya.org.uk/courses-training/exams/Pages/yachtmaster-ocean.aspx  

Minn said: To judge by a friend who did pay, her trip, with a very well regarded sailing school, was "Harwich, round the Dogger Bank and back", so it certainly doesn't seem that any sort of a straight line is needed. Click to expand...

There's a dozen or more GGR'rs now down in the South Atlantic and hammering on. I reckon their passages would probably 'qualify', doanchathink?  

zoidberg said: There's a dozen or more GGR'rs now down in the South Atlantic and hammering on. I reckon their passages would probably 'qualify', doanchathink? Click to expand...

bedouin said: Aren't they doing a circumnavigation starting and ending at the same port? In that case technically it doesn't qualify Click to expand...

The messages and weekly radio calls are here: https://goldengloberace.com/socialhub/ Problem I suppose is trying to mix the 50 years ago ethos with modern demand for information 24/7. Balancing that pole is a lulu.  

mjcoon said: Well, quite; they are taking the longest route! No sense in that... Mike. Click to expand...

Where can you stop for a beer?  

Tomahawk said: Where can you stop for a beer? Click to expand...

The examiner is really going to asses you for your abilities and understanding of what is involved in longer offshore passages. The distances are important as it's a different mind set when faced with open ocean as opposed to a safe harbor within a day or two as an option when things break or people get injured or sick. But I'd talk to an examiner and ask his or her opinion. I think it's quite easy to see if you've got the right experience in a one to one interview/viva. The use of sun for position, weather observation, typical weather patterns, on going maintenance and checking of parts that wear, are all part of daily life on a long passage and should be second nature.  

Praxinoscope said: The last paragraph is interesting, a few years ago I had hoped to gain my ‘Ocean’ and managed the passage kinsale to Spain then Spain to Milford Haven (650nm over 10 days), but really messed up my sextant work so never applied to RYA. If it is possible to do a short passage using sextant would West Wales to Ireland and sextant nav’ be acceptable? It has always been my dream to obtain the Ocean but the voyage to Spain was I thought my last chance. I have completed the shore-based course. Click to expand...

Quiddle said: "Out of sight of land" is the criterion for the sextant stuff. You also need to take the exam within 10 years of the QP. Click to expand...

Passage: A passage is a non-stop voyage from a departure port / safe haven to a destination port / safe haven. Where a passage must be of a minimum distance to meet exam pre-requisites, the distance should be taken as the shortest navigable route established when planning a safe and efficient passage. Passages which artificially lengthen the distance will not be accepted.  

capnsensible said: htmaster Ocean exam pre-requisites Minimum seatime All candidates must have completed a qualifying passage within the past 10 years as skipper or mate in sole charge of a watch on a suitable vessel, which meets the following criteria: The candidate was fully involved in the planning of the passage, including selection of the route, the navigational plan, checking the material condition of the vessel and her equipment, storing with spare gear, water and victuals and organising the watch-keeping routine. During the passage a minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles must have been run by the log, the yacht must have been at sea continuously for at least 96 hours and the yacht must have been more than 50 miles from land or charted objects capable of being used for navigation/position fixing while sailing a distance of at least 200 miles. To be eligible as an ocean qualifying passage the distance between departure and arrival points by the shortest navigable route must be more than 600 mile. See: Information on Qualifying passages. Best read the RYA pages, really. :encouragement: Click to expand...

Active member

capnsensible said: htmaster Ocean exam pre-requisites Minimum seatime All candidates must have completed a qualifying passage within the past 10 years as skipper or mate in sole charge of a watch on a suitable vessel, which meets the following criteria....... Click to expand...

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Ocean Passages

Rya ocean yachtmaster qualifying passage, regrettably we will not be running any ocean passages during 2023. .

We offer a comprehensive range of long distance experience cruises, many of which may be used by those wishing to take the RYA / MCA Yachtmaster Ocean exam. The RYA / MCA Yachtmaster Ocean qualification is available to those who hold the RYA / MCAYachtmaster Offshore certificate of competency. Candidates should attend the five day  RYA Ocean Yachtmaster  shore based course and have taken an active part in the planning and preparation of an Ocean qualifying passage as well as being fully involved in the navigation of the vessel.

During the passage a distance of 600 nautical miles (nm) by the log must have been run, the yacht must have been at sea continuously for a period of at least 96 hours and the yacht must have been over 50nm from land continuously for a period of at least 48 hours or for a distance sailed of 200nm. Ocean Yachtmaster candidates are then required to submit the sights taken whist on passage. The Oral exam generally takes between two and three hours. 

Any of our Blue Water Cruises are suitable for those seeking an Ocean Qualifying passage.

  Qualifying Passage Criteria and Exam

The Yachtmaster Ocean is experienced and competent to skipper a yacht on passages of any length in all parts of the world.

Qualifications required before examination.

All candidates must:

1. Hold an  RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence

2. Have completed a qualifying passage as skipper or mate of a yacht, which meets the following criteria:

a) The candidate was fully involved in the planning of the passage, including selection of the route, the navigational plan, checking the material condition of the yacht and her equipment, storing with spare gear, water and victuals and organising the watch-keeping routine.

b) During the passage a minimum non-stop distance of 600 miles must have been run by the log, the yacht must have been at sea continuously for at least 96 hours and the yacht must have been more than 50 miles from land while sailing a distance of at least 200 miles.

3. Hold a  first aid qualification , as for Yachtmaster Offshore.

Form of Examination

The exam consists of an oral and written test.

The candidate must provide the examiner with:

a) A narrative account of the planning and execution of the qualifying passage.

b) Navigational records, completed on board a yacht on passage, out of sight of land showing that the candidate has navigated the yacht without the use of electronic navigational aids. The records must include as a minimum, planning, reduction and plotting of a sun run meridian altitude sight and a compass check carried out using the bearing of the sun, moon, a star or planet. During the oral test the candidate may be required to answer questions on all aspects of ocean passage making in a yacht, including passage planning, navigation, worldwide meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation, maintenance and repairs.

The written exam will include questions on sights and sight reduction and worldwide meteorology. Candidates who hold the Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of the  RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean Shore based Course , a Royal Navy Ocean Navigation Certificate or a MCA Certificate of Competence as a Deck Officer will be exempt from the written examination.

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A ride across passages of history - Moscow Metro rolls on

Click on the map to enlarge it

Lying at a depth of 5 (Pechatniki station) to 80 metres (Park Pobedy station), the history of the last eight decades unfold before your eyes, carved out of marble and granite and built in iron and glass – revealing the tastes, ideas, dreams, hopes and disappointments of the previous generations and contemporaries. The Moscow Metro dates back to 1931, when its construction first began, although engineers Pyotr Balinsky and Evgeny Knorre submitted their first designs to the Moscow City Duma as far back as 1902. “His speeches carried a strong temptation: like a true demon, he would promise to cast Moscow down to the bottom of the sea and raise it above the clouds”, a journalist for the Russkoye Slovo newspaper commented on Balinsky’s idea. Yet the Duma, made up of rich people, did not bite the bait: after all, they all lived in the centre of the city and never rode overcrowded trams.

After five failed proposals before the Duma, the Moscow Metro finally threw open its doors on May 15, 1935, 18 years after the revolution, and carried the first passengers on its moving staircases, escalators, and the padded seats of its new wagons (unlike the wooden seats in trams). The first metro line – from Sokolniki to Dvorets Sovetov (now known as Kropotkinskaya) -- was 11 km long and had 13 stations. Now, the Moscow Metro has a track of over 300 km with 12 lines and 182 stations. The city’s development outline for 2020 envisages that, by then, another 120 km will have been added to the existing routes.

For the first 20 years of its history, the Moscow Metro was named after Lazar Kaganovich, the “iron commissar” and Stalin’s right hand man, who was in-charge of construction of the first stage of the metro (incidentally, he personally blew up the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in December 1931 as a part of the Proletarian Capital project). In 1955, however, the Metro was renamed after Vladimir Lenin. Although Russia has long since changed its political track, you can still find the images of the former leader at over 10 stations, including, for instance, busts of Lenin at Belorusskaya and Komsomolskaya stations, impressive mosaics at Baumanskaya and Kievskaya stations, a tile panel in the passage between the Borovitskaya and Biblioteka Imeni Lenina stations. By a bitter irony of fate, Lenin’s full-face and side-face images decorate the Tsaritsyno (translated as the Tsarina’s Estate) station (dubbed Lenino up until 1990) – images of the very person who ordered the shooting of the royal family. You will not, however, find any images of Stalin in Moscow’s underground. A symbol of Russia's victory, he was omnipresent in the late 1940s. After his death in 1953 and the denunciation of Stalin’s personality cult, his images were gradually withdrawn from the Moscow Metro.

“Architecture developed along the same lines, both above and below the surface. Anything that emerged above ground had a reflection underground. It is equally true that vice versa never occurred: good architecture underground but bad architecture above the ground,” says Nikolay Shumakov, chief architect of the Moscow Metro. The first metro stations, up until the mid-1950s, were conceived and built as luxurious “palaces for the people”, great architecture for a great state. Art historians insist that the richly-decorated underground was a deliberate ideological move to eulogise the young Soviet country. Stations built between 1937 and 1955 are characteristic of the first architectural period. Everything completed at this time is worthy of special attention. For instance, look at the ceiling at Mayakovskaya and Novokuznetskaya stations to see mosaic panels based on designs by artist Alexander Deineka – 24-Hour Soviet Sky and Heroic Labour of the Soviet People on the Home Front. The mosaics were assembled by famous mosaic artist Vladimir Frolov, author of the mosaic icons in St. Petersburg’s Church of the Saviour on Blood. The Ploshchad Revolutsii station was decorated with 76 bronze sculptures of workers, soldiers, farmers, students and other Soviet people. You can even find a frontier guard with a dog and rub its nose for good luck. You may also note that all the figures (except pioneers) are either sitting or bent, which engendered the sad joke – “Any Soviet man is either in jail or on his knees.”

 Elements of decoration in Moscow's metro.   Photos by Alexandr Ganyushin

1955 heralded the end of the good times for Russian architecture – both underground and above ground – after the Communist Party issued a decree "On elimination of extravagance in design and construction.” Dull stations, without any stucco work, mosaics, original columns or other “unjustified” elements, were built under the slogan “Kilometres at the expense of architecture”. Things were the same above the ground, where entire cities were built of commonplace five-storey apartment blocks, all looking the same, nicknamed ‘Khrushchevkas’ after the then leader, Nikita Khrushchev. To get a sense of this period’s architecture, see the few stations built in the 1960s-1980s like Tverskaya, Kitay-Gorod and Kolomenskaya. In 2002, with the reconstruction of the Vorobyovy Gory station, the development of the Moscow Metro entered a third stage, which could be defined as ‘renaissance’. The platform of the station offers a splendid view of the Moskva River, the Luzhniki Olympic Complex and the Academy of Sciences building. Architectural canons of the 1930s-1940s were once again in use in the design of underground stations. By the same token, artists once again become involved in decorating the stations. As such, the Sretensky Bulvar station boasts silhouettes of Pushkin, Gogol, and Timiryazev and Moscow sights; the Dostoevskaya station is decorated with black-and-white panels featuring the main characters from Dostoyevsky’s novels The Idiot, Demons, Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and the Maryina Roshcha station flaunts its pastoral mosaic landscapes. In 2004, Russia's first monorail transport system was launched into service – an elevated track (running 6 to 12 metres above the ground) in the northern part of Moscow, linking the All-Russian Exhibition Centre and the Timiryazevskaya metro station. The evolution of the Moscow Metro goes on. It’s still a work in progress, with ambitious plans to move the Moscow Metro even closer to passengers over the next ten years, not just by adding an extra 120 km to its total track. “We want to strip the stations of everything we can,” says Nikolai Shumakov. “We are trying to show the passengers their very framework, what the metro is made of. Cast iron and concrete are beautiful.”

Joy ride: Read Gogol, Dante or savour art

The Aquarelle Train.   Source: Reuters/Vostock-Photo

With any luck, you can ride in a retro train, a moving art gallery or a library. The trains are actually a part of the general traffic (i.e., they do not run to any special schedule) and are used on certain lines. The Reading Moscow Train , an ordinary train on the face of it, features extracts from literary works for adults and children. Each wagon has its own selection, from children’s fairy tales to Gogol. Circle Line. The Poetry in Metro Train carries an exposition, updated this year, dedicated to Italian poets Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarch, Giacomo Leopardi, etc. All the poems are featured in two languages, Russian and Italian. Filevskaya Line. The Sokolniki Retro Train looks exactly like the first Moscow Metro train, both inside and out. Painted brown, it has padded seats, typical wall decorations and retro lamps. Sokolnicheskaya Line. The Aquarelle Train looks like a cabinet painted with flowers and fruit on the outside. Inside, it is an art gallery featuring art reproductions from the Vyatka Apollinary and Viktor Vasnetsov Art Museum. Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line.

Revolution Square station (built in 1938) is close to the Red Square area. There are 72 sculptures in the station, depicting the people of the Soviet Union, including soldiers, farmers, athletes, writers, industrial workers and school children.

All rights reserved by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

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• Mezger vs. Hasegawa Mezger vs. Hasegawa

Guy Mezger vs. Satoshi Hasegawa

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Fight Details

• Event: Pancrase 51: Alive 11
• Date: Saturday 12.20.1997
• Venue: Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium
• Enclosure: Ring
• Location: Yokohama, Japan
• Bout Billing: Main Card (fight 4 of 8)
• Pro/Am: Professional
• Weight: 120 kg (264.6 lbs)
• Mezger Total Disclosed Pay: Mezger Disclosed Pay: None Disclosed
• Hasegawa Total Disclosed Pay: Hasegawa Disclosed Pay: None Disclosed

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Victor Mukhin

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Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

However, up to now, the main carriers of catalytic additives have been mineral sorbents: silica gels, alumogels. This is obviously due to the fact that they consist of pure homogeneous components SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively. It is generally known that impurities, especially the ash elements, are catalytic poisons that reduce the effectiveness of the catalyst. Therefore, carbon sorbents with 5-15% by weight of ash elements in their composition are not used in the above mentioned technologies. However, in such an important field as a gas-mask technique, carbon sorbents (active carbons) are carriers of catalytic additives, providing effective protection of a person against any types of potent poisonous substances (PPS). In ESPE “JSC "Neorganika" there has been developed the technology of unique ashless spherical carbon carrier-catalysts by the method of liquid forming of furfural copolymers with subsequent gas-vapor activation, brand PAC. Active carbons PAC have 100% qualitative characteristics of the three main properties of carbon sorbents: strength - 100%, the proportion of sorbing pores in the pore space – 100%, purity - 100% (ash content is close to zero). A particularly outstanding feature of active PAC carbons is their uniquely high mechanical compressive strength of 740 ± 40 MPa, which is 3-7 times larger than that of  such materials as granite, quartzite, electric coal, and is comparable to the value for cast iron - 400-1000 MPa. This allows the PAC to operate under severe conditions in moving and fluidized beds.  Obviously, it is time to actively develop catalysts based on PAC sorbents for oil refining, petrochemicals, gas processing and various technologies of organic synthesis.

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.   

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