SKIPPERIUMSINCE 2012
For everyone at the helm

Take the skipper course. Refresh your knowledge.

Skipperium is a course, a reference and a helper on board — for those preparing for a skipper or VHF exam, and for skippers who have sailed for years and want to keep their knowledge sharp. Safety at sea starts with knowledge.

Start the course

Download the app and use it offline

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In short

Course, reference and help on board

Skipperium is not just an exam trainer. It stays useful after the exam — in the marina, at anchor and at sea.

The course456 practice questions on sailing, seamanship, the rules of the road, buoyage, safety and VHF radio — every answer explained, with the rule it comes from. Three levels, from study mode to a timed exam.
A refresher before the seasonTest yourself against the clock, find your weak topics and go over them again — before a charter, a passage or the new season.
The skipper's encyclopedia63 illustrated articles: the yacht and the engine, berthing and anchoring, points of sail, safety, the rules, buoyage and radio.
Lights, signs and buoysA night-lights simulator, day shapes, sound signals, flags, who gives way, and every buoyage mark with its light rhythm.
Help on boardMan overboard with GPS position and bearing, a Mayday and PAN PAN helper with your position, anchor watch and a fog signal timer.
Calculators and checklistsSpeed, time and distance, course with current, tide, depth under the keel, anchor chain and fuel; checklists, a miles log and a logbook.
VHF radioMayday, PAN PAN and Sécurité step by step, channels and DSC, the phonetic alphabet and spelling drills with audio.
Nautical glossary365 sailing terms explained in plain words, each with its equivalents in other languages.

For everyone at the helm

Safety at sea starts with knowledge — and knowledge needs refreshing.

The way to the helm in five steps

  1. Sail as crew.
    Learn the boat, the lines and the orders, and find out whether you love it.
  2. Learn the theory.
    Rules of the road, buoyage, navigation, tides, weather, safety and the engine — this is where Skipperium helps most.
  3. Get a VHF radio certificate.
    Usually the Short Range Certificate (SRC) or its national equivalent. VHF radio guide.
  4. Take a practical skipper course and exam.
    Boat handling, berthing, man overboard, a passage as skipper. Which certificate to choose.
  5. Build experience.
    Sea miles, night sailing, tides and stronger winds — then the coastal and offshore levels.

The full guide: how to become a yacht skipper →

Guides

How to become a yacht skipperThe steps from crew to skipper, what to learn and which certificate you need.Sailing licences and certificates comparedThe main training systems and national licences side by side, and where each is recognised.Skipper exam practice questions with answersSample questions with answers and explanations, and what the theory exam covers.VHF radio licence (SRC): procedures, channels and exam practiceThe SRC licence, Mayday, PAN PAN and Sécurité word for word, DSC, channels and the phonetic alphabet.COLREGs for sailors: rules of the road, lights, shapes and a testRight of way, lights at night, day shapes and sound signals — with drawings and a test.The IALA buoyage system explained: buoys, beacons and their lightsLateral, cardinal and other marks with their colours, topmarks and lights; regions A and B; a test.Sailing terms: the nautical glossary with translations365 nautical terms with definitions and equivalents in seven languages.

Frequently asked questions

What qualifications do I need to skipper a boat?

For your own boat, whatever the flag state and the local waters require — a national licence, an ICC or, in some countries, nothing at all. To charter a yacht, usually a skipper's certificate of at least day-skipper level and a VHF operator's certificate. To work as a paid skipper, a professional qualification recognised by the flag state. Licences and certificates compared.

How long does it take to become a yacht skipper?

A first skipper certificate usually takes a theory course of some 40 hours plus five to seven days of practical training on a yacht. The higher levels add logged experience — weeks at sea, hundreds or thousands of miles, night passages. The steps in detail.

Is Skipperium only for exams?

No. Many skippers use it to refresh their knowledge before the season or a charter. The encyclopedia, the lights, signs and buoys and the on-board tools — man overboard, the Mayday helper, anchor watch, calculators and checklists — are useful to anyone at the helm.

Which exams does Skipperium help with?

The theory of a skipper's certificate at the inshore / day-skipper level and the VHF radio operator's certificate (SRC). The questions follow the international rules — the COLREGs, the IALA buoyage system and the ITU radio procedures — which are the same in every syllabus; national exams add their own details, so check the syllabus of your exam.

Where can I practise skipper exam questions?

Sample questions with answers and explanations are on the skipper exam page; the trainer has 456 questions, a timed mock exam and written questions with model answers.

Does it work without internet?

Yes. Install the app from the browser — App Store and Google Play versions are coming — and open it once with a connection; after that the course, the encyclopedia and the tools work offline. It takes under 2 MB, and no account is needed: your progress stays on your device.

Can it replace a sailing course?

No. It prepares you for the theory and helps you revise; skippering is learned on the water, with an instructor.

Download the app — and use it offline

The course, the encyclopedia, the lights and buoyage reference and the on-board tools — man overboard, the Mayday helper, anchor watch, passage planning — keep working without a connection. Install the app from the browser today; the App Store and Google Play versions are coming.

Coming soonApp StoreComing soonGoogle Play
Start the course

Under 2 MB on your phone · no ads · no account · your progress stays on your device