Yachtmaster Ocean
RYA Yachtmaster Ocean
RYA Yachtmaster Ocean is the highest RYA sailing qualification, certifying a skipper to plan and execute ocean passages of unlimited length, including transatlantic deliveries.
TL;DR, Yachtmaster Ocean is the certificate insurers expect for transatlantic delivery captains. It builds on Yachtmaster Offshore by adding ocean passage planning, celestial navigation, and proven offshore mileage outside coastal limits.
What Yachtmaster Ocean adds over Offshore
The Ocean qualification is awarded after an oral exam and a sight-reduction practical, on top of a completed Yachtmaster Offshore. Where Offshore is bounded to 150 nautical miles from a safe haven, Ocean has no distance limit, which is what makes it the relevant certificate for transatlantic, transpacific, or high-latitude work.
What you need to qualify
- A current RYA Yachtmaster Offshore with commercial endorsement
- A non-stop ocean passage of at least 600 nautical miles, more than 200 miles from any coast, with at least one section of 200 miles non-stop
- Celestial navigation theory course and practical sight reductions during the qualifying passage
- A completed passage plan for the qualifying voyage, submitted with the application
What it lets you do
Hold a Yachtmaster Ocean and you can be insured as skipper on transatlantic and round-the-world passages, take part in ocean rallies (ARC, World ARC, OCC), and command a vessel up to 24 metres anywhere on the planet that the boat is permitted to sail.
How insurers treat it
Hull insurance for Atlantic deliveries on cruising yachts typically requires either Yachtmaster Ocean or an MCA Master Yacht ≤500 GT. Some insurers accept Offshore plus 25,000 logged miles in lieu of Ocean, especially for repeat crew.
Related reading
Related terms
Yachtmaster Offshore
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore is the British sailing qualification that allows a skipper to command a vessel of up to 24 metres on passages up to 150 nautical miles from a safe haven.
Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers is the annual transatlantic yacht rally that departs Gran Canaria for Saint Lucia in late November, the largest organised crossing in cruising sailing.
Commercial Endorsement
A Commercial Endorsement is the add-on that turns an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean certificate from a recreational qualification into one valid for paid delivery work.
Read further
Crossing the Atlantic: best windows for delivery captains
The seasonal windows for transatlantic yacht deliveries: when to leave the Med, when to leave the Caribbean, and how the weather actually behaves.
Yacht delivery captain licences: a quick reference
Yachtmaster Ocean, USCG Master, RYA, MCA, STCW, which licence do you actually need to deliver yachts commercially? A region-by-region guide.
Skip the homework
A captain who actually sails your route will explain the licence angle better than any glossary entry. Post your delivery