Ocean Navigation

Service Description

The Little Ship Club Ocean Navigation course is designed specifically for: • Navigational Enthusiasts: Anyone who wishes to master the timeless art of celestial and astro-navigation, ocean meteorology, and long-distance passage-making. • Ocean Passage-Makers: Sailors preparing to execute blue-water passages who want practical, real-world navigational confidence rather than just exam-focused theory. • Professional Mariners: Sailors intending to pursue official Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) qualifications in due course. Being able to fix your position out of sight of land using a sextant, an almanac, and the time-honoured techniques of astro-navigation is enormously satisfying, generates rich new maritime interests, and puts everyday coastal navigation into a fresh perspective. Beyond sight reduction, the curriculum delivers comprehensive coverage of ocean meteorology, long-distance communications, emergency positioning, and ocean passage planning. To ensure subjects are taught to a significantly higher standard than standard RYA offerings, distinguished subject matter experts from the Royal Navy, the Royal Meteorological Society, and short-wave radio specialists lead guest lectures and passage debriefs. Indicative guest lecturers include Barry Denyer-Green and Captain Chris O’Flaherty. Course Inclusions & Equipment: Tuition fees include a working sextant and an almanac for each student to use and keep, alongside an exclusive North Atlantic gnomonic chart kit for practical passage planning—a specialised resource available only through the Club. Please note, while taught to an advanced standard, this course does not award an RYA course completion certificate or an automatic exemption from the RYA/MCA written examination required for commercial endorsements. Schedule & Location: • Dates: Mondays (19:00–21:00), 5 October 2026 – 19 April 2027. • Location: Little Ship Club Clubhouse, Bell Wharf Lane, London. Pricing & Membership Terms: • Member Price: £250 • Non-Member Price: £350