RYA DAY SKIPPER Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield RYA DAY SKIPPER facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A North Cardinal mark should be passed to the: → North of the mark
2. What is the minimum lighting requirement for a vessel under 7m making no more than 7 knots? → An all-round white light, with sidelights if practicable
3. What does Rule 5 of the COLREGs require every vessel to maintain at all times? → A proper look-out by sight and hearing, and by all available means
4. What day shape does a vessel constrained by her draught display? → A black cylinder
5. What does 'Buys Ballot's Law' help a sailor determine? → The approximate direction to the centre of a low-pressure system from the wind direction
6. What lights must a vessel of less than 7 metres in length, capable of no more than 7 knots, show at night? → An all-round white light, plus sidelights if practicable
7. What does a DSC Urgency call transmit automatically? → MMSI of the transmitting vessel, position (if GPS-linked), and the nature of urgency
8. When the length of the tow exceeds 200m, how many masthead lights does the towing vessel display? → Three masthead lights in a vertical line
9. At what minimum range must the masthead light of a vessel of 50m or more be visible? → 6 miles
10. What additional all-round light does an air-cushion vessel (hovercraft) in non-displacement mode show? → A flashing yellow all-round light
11. At a secondary port, the time difference on HW is listed as −0h 15min. Standard port HW is 1200. What is the secondary port HW time? → 1145
12. Which of the following distress signals is NOT listed under COLREGs Annex IV? → Waving a blue flag continuously
13. What day shape must a vessel at anchor display? → A black ball
14. A skipper wishes to call a marina on VHF. They should first call on: → Channel 16, then agree a working channel and switch
15. What does the acronym 'EPIRB' stand for? → Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon
16. What does 'set' mean in the context of tidal stream? → The direction toward which the tidal stream flows, expressed as a true bearing
17. The RYA Day Skipper course requires competence in VHF radio use. Which licence is required to operate a marine VHF radio legally? → Short Range Certificate (SRC) — a OFCOM/MCA authorised qualification
18. The phonetic alphabet word for the letter 'M' in the NATO alphabet used on marine VHF is: → Mike
19. What does the abbreviation 'Fl(3) 15s' on a chart mean for a light? → A light showing a group of 3 flashes with a total period of 15 seconds
20. What is the purpose of a 'clearing bearing' in pilotage? → A compass bearing that, when maintained, keeps the vessel clear of a specified hazard
21. A depth contour line labelled '10' on an Admiralty chart means: → All points on this line have a depth of 10 metres at chart datum
22. Under COLREGs Rule 13, an overtaking vessel must: → Keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken until finally past and clear
23. A vessel draws 2.0 m. She needs 0.5 m clearance. The charted depth at the approach is 1.0 m. What minimum height of tide does she need? → 1.5 m
24. What weather feature is characterised by closely spaced isobars on a weather chart? → Strong winds due to a steep pressure gradient
25. On a chart, a wreck is shown with a dashed outline. This indicates: → A dangerous wreck, the depth over which is unknown or less than 20 metres
26. What does 'leeway' mean for a sailing yacht? → The sideways drift of a sailing vessel caused by wind pushing the hull to leeward
27. What is the 'Rule of Twelfths' used for? → Estimating the rise or fall of tide during each hour of a roughly six-hour tidal cycle
28. In which direction does wind flow around a low-pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere? → Anticlockwise
29. According to best practice, what are the four stages of passage planning? → Appraisal, planning, execution, and monitoring
30. On an Admiralty chart, what do the letters 'M' and 'S' indicate when describing the seabed? → Mud and Sand