About me
I hold an MCA Master (Code vessels less than 500 GT) certificate, unlimited area, and an Officer of the Watch certificate for vessels of less than 3,000 GT, unlimited. Unlike most seafarers, I did not come through university. I earned the qualifications through sea time and the exams, working up from the smaller tickets.
That began with an MCA Boatmaster's Licence. With more time on deck I took the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and added the commercial endorsement, so the certificate could be used for paid work. Next was the MCA Master (Code vessels less than 200 GT). After that came the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean, and then the Master (Code vessels less than 500 GT), unlimited area, which I hold now.
Thirty years of seagoing service sit behind those exams. I started as a deckhand at 15. The vessels have been ferries and deep-sea salvage tugs, then offshore wind as master of a crew transfer vessel, and now a high-speed utility vessel.
The lessons come from that work. Every course includes unlimited free tutor support. If you get stuck, write to me at hello@seaskillsonline.com. There is no extra charge.
What we teach
Sea Skills Online publishes focused online maritime courses. The first is Learn the COLREGs, a collision regulations course that follows the Rules of the Road from the opening definitions to the annexes. Around it sit buoyage, lights and shapes, chartwork and marine meteorology.
The teaching is written for seafarers, yacht crew and aspiring officers. It is meant to be used: a rule you can apply on the next watch, a mark you can name as you enter harbour, a plot you can defend, a forecast you can turn into a decision.
How the courses work
Every course is self-paced and studied in a browser. You create an account when you enrol. The course then sits on your dashboard with a link to the lessons. Learn the COLREGs already has a full lesson player: narrated slides, interactives, an encounter simulator and quizzes. Further courses publish a complete syllabus first. Their players are added by dropping a course folder into the same library and pointing the catalog at it.
What the certificate means
Finish a course and you receive a certificate of completion from Sea Skills Online. It confirms that you completed this course. It is not an STCW certificate, an MCA licence, or an RYA award. The courses support personal study toward Yachtmaster theory, OOW exam prep and STCW theory. Examining bodies and approved colleges award their own qualifications.
Who to write to
Questions about a lesson, enrolment or a certificate go to hello@seaskillsonline.com, or through the contact page. If you are stuck on the course, that is the same address.