The fastrack course pack contains all the resources you need apart from a pencil, an eraser and a few sheets of working paper.

• Bretton Plotter
• Commercial Grade Dividers
• A Hard copy of the course notes.
• RYA Southern Hemisphere Practice Almanac
• RYA Southern Hemisphere Practice Chart 5
• RYA Southern Hemisphere Practice Chart 6

The plotter and dividers are high quality items and you will be able to use them for the rest of your navigation future.

• General Seamanship
• Parts of the boat
• Securing the boat on the dock
• Preparation for Sea
• Sailing Knots
• Anchoring Techniques
• Basic Sailing Theory

• Vessel Safety Requirements
• Safety Briefings
• Sea Survival Equipment
• Vessel Stability
• The impact of weather on safety
• Emergency Response
• Mayday, Rescue, and Abandon Ship
• Actions in Limited visibility

• Interpreting Marine focussed Weather Forecasts
• Pressure Systems and weather patterns
• Observation of Weather Systems,
• Understanding local weather effects.
• The impact of weather on safety
• Using onboard instruments to predict weather

Charts are the key tool used in navigation. All key jurisdicitons still require the use of paper charts due to management issues with GPS.

• Use of the Compass, variation and deviation compensation
• Position fixing with Latitude and Longitude
• Determining the currency of charts, manage updates and corrections.
• Working with charts.
• Understanding chart symbols and information

We will teach you how to use the plotter and dividers so you can be certain where you are every time. These tools are the link between the chart, a GPS and the real world.

The effects of tide will push you off course. An effective navigator can use the tools available to compensate for the tide in advance and allow you to steer a shorter, faster course. A GPS will only tell you to compensate after you have gone off course.

• Identification of Tidal Streams
• Determing the effect of leeway and tide and how to compensate.
• plotting ground track and water track on a chart.
• Adjusting for variaiton and deviaiton with Course to Steer adjustments.

Tidal rates change during the process of each tidal movement and throughout the lunar cycle. A Yachtmaster needs to be able to accurately work out the effects of tide when navigating, anchoring, and thorugh close quarters pilotage.

• Understanding the mechanism that causes tides to occur
• Understanding Tide Tables.
• Identification of Tidal Streams
• Working with Tidal Diamonds and the Tidal Stream Atlas
• The differences in tidal behavious for springs and neaps conditions.
• Adjusting for variaiton and deviaiton with Course to Steer adjustments.

Cumulatively you will be able to predict the impact of tidal movements throughout your journey, offset your course to account for the tidal stream, plan a course that safely accounts for the height of tide, and consideration for the height of tide for departure and arrival times.

• The use of leading lines and lights.
• Using dipping distances
• Recogniition of different navigation aids and purpose
• Stand on and and Give way
• Identification of Nav Aid Symbols on a chart.

Safe and planned navigation is one of the most fundamental principles of being a yachtmaster.

• Position Fixing using Landmarks, naviads and natural features.
• Compensation for variation and deviation on position fixing and Course to Steer
• Determing Estimated position and expected accuracy.
• Impact of Hazards and weather.

Nothing has changed navigation like the advent of GPS and affordable radar. But our overreliance on them mean we have lost awareness of the shortfalls and vulnerabilies of this technology

• The basics of a electronic chart plotter.
• Basic Radar Operation using the NAVatHOME radar simulator
• Safe practical use of a GPS
• GPS Validation
• AIS - Automatic Identification System
• Management of Electronic charts
• Paper Charts, electronic plotter and passage planning.
• Electronic Instruments.

As of 2002, SOLAS requirements changed internatioanlly to require the skippers of all leisure vessels to make a passage plan of an intended voyage before leaving the dock. It is recognised as a fundamental aspect of the vessels safety.

• Requirements of a passage plan
• Live management of a passage plan
• Crew Management
• Development of close quarters pilotage plan
• Understanding pilotage techniques
• Pilotate in close quarters with restricted visibility
• Transits, clearing lines
• Harbour Requirements
• Adjusting for variaiton and deviaiton with Course to Steer adjustments.

Ultimately you will be able to put together a complete passage plan and pilotage plan with consideration for ports of refuge, weather and emergency response plans.

• Understanding international rules of the road.
• Required action to avoid collisions.
• Definition of limited visibility and impact on coll regs
• Stand on and and Give way
• Traffic Separation Schemes
• Marine Clearance areas.
• Understanding Vessel Day Shapes
• Sound Signals - including those in restricted visibility
• Recognition of a vessel from its ship lights.
• What signals are you required to show.