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RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship

An essential introduction to navigation and seamanship. Tailored for those new to boating, anglers, divers, dinghy and keelboat sailors wishing to extend their horizons. Equally suitable for all types of craft, power and sail, from Albacore dinghies to Zapcat racers.

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RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship

The Essential Navigation and Seamanship course is the basic introduction for anyone looking to spend time on the water.

Solid foundation for navigation

It introduces the essential knowledge which will allow you to have fun whilst staying safe. This course provides a solid foundation in concepts which later RYA qualifications will expand upon. It teaches the basic essentials of navigation and chart-reading, how to recognize navigation buoys at sea, how tides and weather forecasts work and how to get started planning routes across the water.

Sailing experience

The Essential Navigation and Seamanship course does not assume any previous knowledge of chartwork or boat-handling, making this an ideal course for anyone who is new to the world of navigation or looking to learn the theory essentials to support their practical experience.

Instant access

As soon as you sign-up, you can log-in and begin your course. Supporting reading materials, charts and navigation tools are dispatched immediately and allow you to experience the concepts on practice-charts.

If you already have some basic understanding of some of these topics and are keen to progress to higher qualifications, we recommend this course as a good starting-point to ensure the foundations of your knowledge are solid before building in the complexities of the science of meteorology and more complex navigation.

Typical Essential Navigation candidates

The Splash course is tailored for those new to activities on water.

Whether Anglers, Divers, Surfers, Sailors or Power boaters, the course builds a firm foundation to broaden horizons on the water and to start developing skills to cope with the demands of crewing or skippering in the marine world. Equally suitable and applicable to all types of craft - power, sail, hovercraft, from Albacore dinghies to Zapcat racers. The Essential Navigation Course suits a wide range of students including:

  • Newcomers to navigation and the boating environment
  • Crew members wishing to understand boat handling skills
  • Sailors with some practical experience moving on to learning theory
  • Partners of experienced sailors wishing to participate more in boat handling
  • Beginners starting towards a career in professional yachting

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Contained in your RYA Essential Navigation course pack

Your Splash pack of charts and books will be courier shipped for normally next day delivery.

RYA Essential Navigation Theory Charts and Books Pack
RYA Electronic Chart Plotter (Download), RYA Essential Navigation and Theory Book, RYA Training Almanac and Splash bookmark, RYA ENS1 Exercises and course information, RYA Training Chart 3, RYA Training Chart 4, Chart Plotter RYA Handy Style, Dividers and Compasses combined, 2B chartwork pencil, Special eraser for chartwork, Splash rucksack with reflective strip.
I put my success down to the Splash fantastic tuition.  Every time I had a query you responded in a prompt and informative manner. You made the course a pleasure to do so thanks very much for all your support.

Philip D.

Some of the amazing things you’ll learn on your Splash course

Fast, easy, and affordable way to build your skills

Introduction to Charts

Navigation

Buoyage

Rule of the Road

Anchoring

Tides

Electronic Navigation

Safety at Sea

Weather Forecasts

Passage Planning

Pilotage

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Further reading at the RYA Book Shop

One way of building up your navigation and boating skill is to read as much as you can and learn from the experience of experts. Here is a great place to start your boating library collection.

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The benefits of Splash

Great depth of learning with fun on the way means you will achieve the status of expert navigator. Recognised worldwide, your qualification will be your passport to boating success or a professional career in the superyacht world.

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Try before you buy

Click here to have a quick peek inside a few of our modules to see how clearly it's laid-out and how easy to follow it is. In addition to the online and offline learning resources, students have full support throughout from experienced professional tutors.

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A superior eLearning experience

Wherever you are online, Splash will work with you – suitable for all modern devices. We even have our own secure messaging system – no need to email. Total support and great learning is the Splash experience.

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