The highest UK certificates of competence for pleasure craft
A Yachtmaster Offshore can skipper a cruising yacht or motor yacht on any passage up to 150 nautical miles from a harbour, by day and night and in a wide range of weather. It is the best known UK qualification and, with a commercial endorsement, also allows work as a skipper on small commercial vessels.
The examiner spends the day and usually part of the night on board. You plan and skipper short passages, carry out boat handling tasks (berthing, mooring, anchoring, man overboard under sail and power), navigate and pilot by day and night and answer questions on the whole syllabus: collision regulations, lights and signals, meteorology, safety, stability, engines and emergencies. There is no formal course, but a preparation week at a training centre is strongly recommended. At most two candidates are examined in 24 hours.
The Ocean certificate is for skippers who plan and carry out ocean passages and navigate by the sun and stars.
A written exam on sights, sight reduction and world weather (not needed if you have passed the Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased course), and an oral exam of about one and a half to two hours. Two days before the exam you hand in a written account of your ocean passage, copies of the log and your astro navigation workings. The examiner asks about passage planning, navigation, worldwide weather, crew management and the preparation, maintenance and repair of the yacht.