RYA First Aid at Sea
Booking details
Please select your preferred start date below.
Please select your preferred start date below.
Prepare for your course with these key details:
Essential for Skippers & Crew
The RYA First Aid at Sea Course isn’t just for beginners—it’s a vital requirement for commercial skippers, bareboat skippers, and regatta crews. The comprehensive syllabus is shaped by guidelines from internationally recognized agencies, ensuring you receive up-to-date and relevant training.
Real-World Skills You Can Use
Your instructor will guide you through both theory and hands-on components, always relating the material to real-life situations that can occur at sea. Emphasis is placed on practical procedures that can be performed in the unique and sometimes restrictive environment of a boat, giving you a realistic understanding of what’s possible when you’re far from professional medical help.
Whether you’re racing offshore or cruising the coast, this course prepares you to react quickly and effectively when it matters most.
This RYA-accredited, one-day course delivers essential first aid skills tailored for yachts and small craft, focusing on maritime emergencies. Perfect for sailors on inland waters, rivers, estuaries, or coastal passages, it covers critical scenarios from a boating perspective, ensuring you’re prepared to handle emergencies at sea with confidence.
Ensure your safety and preparedness on the water with our RYA First Aid at Sea Course, starting from just £99.
This comprehensive one-day course is designed for sailors at all levels, from casual day sailors to those embarking on longer passages, and is a mandatory requirement for racing programmes such as RORC and the RYA Yachtmaster certification. Held at our premier location in Gosport Marina, you’ll gain essential life-saving skills specifically tailored for maritime environments.
Whether you spend your time on inland waters, rivers, estuaries, or venture into open sea and channel passages, this course is aimed at anyone who goes afloat. In a medical emergency, a little first aid knowledge and the ability to quickly administer effective care can—and does—save lives. This is especially crucial when you may find yourself in a remote location, far from immediate help. The course is meticulously designed to provide a practical, working knowledge of first aid for those using small craft, as well as to support skippers responsible for the safety of their crew.
This course is specifically designed for professional skippers, Boatmasters, and other commercial workers who operate small craft within 60 nautical miles of a safe haven, in areas designated as Category 2 by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency under their Codes of Practice for Small Vessels Operated Commercially.
This one-day RYA First Aid at Sea Course provides essential first aid skills for small craft skippers and offshore racers, meeting World Sailing’s OSR 6.05.2 regulations. Gain practical knowledge to handle maritime emergencies, ensuring safety and compliance on the water.
This one-day RYA First Aid at Sea Course equips sailors with essential first aid skills, tailored specifically for yachts and small craft. Covering critical topics like CPR, hypothermia treatment, and summoning medical assistance via VHF radio, the course addresses emergencies from a boating perspective. It’s ideal for anyone navigating inland waters, rivers, estuaries, or coastal passages, ensuring you’re prepared to handle medical situations at sea with confidence.
The RYA-accredited course equips you with vital first aid skills tailored for maritime emergencies on yachts and small craft. You’ll master:
But it doesn’t stop at the basics. The course goes further, focusing on the unique challenges faced at sea—whether you’re navigating inland waters, rivers, estuaries, or tackling channel passages. All core first aid subjects are covered, but with a sharp focus on boating realities: treating injuries in remote locations, managing hot and cold related conditions, handling dehydration, and summoning help when you’re far from immediate assistance.
Practical scenarios, based on recommendations from both the Maritime & Coastguard agency (MCA) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE), ensure you gain a working knowledge relevant for anyone afloat—from leisure sailors to professional skippers. The course also includes guidance on helicopter rescue procedures and the use of first aid in confined spaces, which can make all the difference in tight quarters on board.
Perfect for sailors on inland waters, rivers, estuaries, or coastal passages, this course ensures you’re ready to handle emergencies at sea with confidence.
“This engaging one-day course is perfect for sailors operating near shorelines. Led by our expert instructors—practicing Ambulance Technicians, Paramedics, and Nurse Resus Officers—it’s both fun and vital for ensuring maritime safety.”
Gain life-saving skills from practicing medics—Ambulance Technicians, Paramedics, and Nurse Resus Officers—who bring real-world expertise to this RYA-accredited course. Designed for sailors, from novices to regulars, it’s engaging, hands-on, and packed with group activities. Learn critical emergency actions tailored for yachts and small craft, ensuring you’re ready for any maritime challenge. Far from dull, this fun, informative course equips you with practical first aid skills for safe sailing.
Who should take this course?
This course is specifically designed for professional skippers, Boatmasters, and other commercial workers who operate small craft within 60 nautical miles of a safe haven, in areas designated as Category 2 by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency under their Codes of Practice for Small Vessels Operated Commercially.
It’s also ideal for anyone who may find themselves in remote locations, where immediate medical assistance isn’t available and a quick, effective response can make a life-saving difference.
Certification and Recognition:
Upon completion, you’ll receive an RYA First Aid certificate, recognized by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). This qualification is suitable for professional skippers working within 60 miles of a safe haven (Category 2) and offshore racers complying with ISAF (now World Sailing) regulations.
RYA First Aid at Sea Certificate for Racers and Skippers
This one-day RYA First Aid at Sea Course provides essential first aid skills for small craft skippers and offshore racers, meeting World Sailing’s OSR 6.05.2 regulations. Gain practical knowledge to handle maritime emergencies, ensuring safety and compliance on the water.
Gain life-saving skills from practicing medics—Ambulance Technicians, Paramedics, and Nurse Resus Officers—who bring real-world expertise to this RYA-accredited course. Designed for sailors, from novices to regulars, it’s engaging, hands-on, and packed with group activities. Learn critical emergency actions tailored for yachts and small craft, ensuring you’re ready for any maritime challenge. Far from dull, this fun, informative course equips you with practical first aid skills for safe sailing.
Please select your preferred start date below.
The perfect sailing course for beginners all over the UK, the five day RYA Competent Crew practical RYA course will give you the best building blocks to start your sailing journey with.
Take a look at our live course calendar for dates for the RYA Competent Crew course at Gosport Marina!
Learn more
Exciting Channle islands exploration!! This will be my third time with Commodore, no regrets. 😁 Such a great trip exploring the Channle islands and northern France. We got to see lovely towns in Guernsey and Jersey as well as a fab market in Cherbourg. The sailing was so great! Over 350 miles covered and well over doubled my night hours. Big shoutout and thank you to our amazing skipper Ed who always had to the best recommendation and was so flexible to what we wanted to do as a group. He was an amazing support through out the trip, gave great MOB training and help in passage planning. Boat was great as always. Amazing experience and can’t wait to go on similar trips with the company.
Orla SimpsonWe did a mile builder channel crossing with Karen. She was absolutely brilliant, a great combination of confident and relaxed to help us build our feeling of confidence. Would highly recommend the mile builder with her. Overall a tiring but extremely rewarding experience. Thank you Karen!!
Ana Sofia Almagro