Yachtmaster Offshore Exam

The Yachtmaster Offshore Skipper is competent to skipper a cruising yacht on any passage during which the yacht is no more than 150 miles from harbour.

The exam will include an assessment of your skippering skills, boat handling, general seamanship, navigation, safety awareness and knowledge of the IRPCS, meteorology and signals. Candidates will be set tasks to demonstrate their ability and may also be asked questions on any part of the syllabus for all practical and shorebased courses up to Yachtmaster Coastal level.

Yachtmaster Offshore exam prerequisites: 50 days seatime, 5 days experience as skipper, 2,500nm including at least 5 passages over 60 miles along the rhumb line from the port of departure to the destination, acting as skipper for at least 2 of these passages and including two which must have involved overnight passages . Half of the qualifying mileage must have been conducted in tidal waters. All of the qualifying seatime must have been within 10 years of the exam.

You must also hold a restricted VHF Radio Operators Licence and a valid First Aid Certificate.

• Minimum Exam Duration 8-12 hours for one candidate, 10-18 for two candidates. No more than 2 candidates can be examined in 24 hours and no more than 4 in one 2 day session.
• Minimum Age 18 years
• Exam Fee 2025 £256