Pass Your Yachtmaster

Now in its sixth edition, this must-have guide for aspiring Yachtmasters covers the essentials of the RYA syllabus and provides new tips on exam tactics. Since the first edition was published, Pass Your Yachtmaster has helped thousands of students through their shore-based and practical Yachtmaster course. Concise and comprehensive, this crammer covers all the essentials of the RYA syllabus, arranged in bite-size chunks to make revision easier and brought fully up to date in this sixth edition. Throughout, the theory is set in a practical seagoing perspective, and helpful hints on exam tactics are provided too. And to relieve the tension of all that swotting, each section is enlivened with Mike Peyton's best-loved cartoons. "A wealth of information, simply laid out."--Cruising

David Fairhall has enjoyed sailing for more than half a century in everything from Dragons to Thames barges. He has raced offshore, including skippering a boat in the Fastnet Race, and made transatlantic ocean deliveries. He sails from Maldon on the East Coast, where he lives. Mike Peyton was the world's best known nautical cartoonist. He wrote several books, illustrated many more, and produced thousands of cartoons for yachting magazines. Peter Rodgers has sailed his own cruising boats for many years, and has done three Fastnet Races, two as navigator. He passed his Yachtmaster Offshore before electronics took over the chart table, but has a keen interest in the benefits and limitations of the latest navigation technology.

Introduction Navigation Charts The IALA buoyage system The compass The log Depth sounding GNSS Radar Tides Chartwork GNSS positions Passage planning Electronic charts Learning to use electronic charts Types of electronic chart AIS and radar on electronic charts Other software for chartplotters 'Not to be used for navigation' Low risks, big impact Weather Basic weather system Clouds Depressions Anticyclones Local weather Fog The Beaufort wind scale Sources of weather information Safety and seagoing practice The Rule of the Road International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 Anchoring Communications Distress signals Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Life saving signals Safety equipment Stability and buoyancy of yachts Coping with bad weather Environmental awareness Index