Shorebased To Succeed: A Drill-Based Revision Companion for RYA Sailing Theory
Reading about chartwork and tides is one thing; producing a correct course to steer or a secondary-port height on a graded paper is another. Shorebased To Succeed is built for that gap: a drill and revision companion for anyone working through the RYA Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper or Yachtmaster shorebased theory syllabus, rather than another book that explains sailing theory once and moves on.
What's Inside
- Chartwork drills — bearings, position fixing, three-point fixes and course-to-steer vector problems, each worked step by step.
- Tidal calculations — the Rule of Twelfths, secondary-port height and time corrections, tidal stream vectors and clearance under keel.
- COLREGs and buoyage practice — multiple-choice questions plus a numerically marked 100-point COLREGs paper.
- Passage-planning exercises — structured scenarios covering weather, tides, hazards and pilotage.
- Practice papers and mixed review — full-length chartwork and general-knowledge papers modelled on the real Day Skipper exam format.
- Safety and communications recall — VHF/DSC, EPIRB, radar/ARPA, anchoring theory and Traffic Separation Schemes.
- Beyond the syllabus — a short, honest primer on Yachtmaster Ocean celestial navigation and the International Certificate of Competence (ICC).
Why Worked Methods Matter
Chartwork and tidal papers are assessed on written, worked answers rather than a simple multiple-choice test, so every answer in the book shows its full method. The aim is to make the working fast, accurate and automatic before you sit down for the real thing.
What It Is, and What It Isn't
This is independent study material. It is not a copy of any real exam paper, it is not an official RYA mock exam, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Royal Yachting Association. RYA and YACHTMASTER are registered trademarks of the RYA, and only the RYA can assess candidates and issue RYA qualifications. Think of it as the practice you do between lessons and the exam, alongside a recognised course.
Where It Fits in the Sailing Shelf
If you are still learning the underlying concepts, Sailing to Succeed and Sail Further cover the skills from dinghy to cruising crew, and Sailing Greece and Sailing the Eastern Aegean are the chartering companions for the holiday afterwards. Shorebased To Succeed is the drill book for the theory exam itself, at 117 pages.