Offshore Motor Yacht Training — Real Passages. Real Skills.
Learn by doing, aboard a world-class motor yacht
There is no better classroom than the open ocean. Charts, simulators, and theory have their place — but genuine passage-making confidence is only built at sea, making real decisions, in real conditions, aboard a real vessel.
In partnership with OnboardExperience.org, we offer a practical offshore training programme aboard the LRC58 — an 18-metre aluminium motor yacht, commercially certified and crewed by qualified, experienced offshore professionals.
You join as a trainee. You participate. You learn by doing.
What this Is — and what It Is not
This is not a classroom course with a boat ride attached. It is a genuine offshore passage in which you are an active participant — not a passenger.
You will stand watches. You will navigate. You will manage the vessel’s systems alongside the crew. Everything you experience has real consequences, which is precisely what makes it unforgettable and effective.
This programme is the motor yacht equivalent of what the offshore sailing world has long embraced: immersive passage-making as the highest form of practical training.
The vessel: an LRC58
The LRC58 is a purpose-designed long-range motor yacht built for extended offshore passage-making. Key characteristics:
- 18 metres LOA — capable, seaworthy, and highly capable in open ocean conditions
- Parallel hybrid propulsion — advanced systems management with real environmental relevance
- Full passage-making equipment — radar, AIS, GMDSS, satellite communications, comprehensive navigation suite, vector fin stabilizers
- Malta-flagged and commercially certified ( Small Commercial Yacht Code (sCYC 2024) — operated to full professional maritime standards
This is the vessel you want to learn on: sophisticated enough to be genuinely educational, approachable enough to be genuinely enjoyable.
Topics covered
The onboard programme covers the full spectrum of practical offshore motor yacht seamanship, structured around the competencies of the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean syllabus:
| Domain | What You Learn |
|---|---|
| Passage planning | Route selection, waypoint planning, port entry briefings, contingency routing |
| Navigation | Electronic and traditional navigation, position fixing, AIS and chart plotter operation |
| Radar | Collision avoidance, interpretation, ARPA, use in restricted visibility |
| Weather routing | GRIB analysis, pilot charts, Predictwind/Windy interpretation, passage timing |
| Anchoring | Scope, holding ground assessment, swinging room, anchor watch procedures |
| Technical systems management | Hybrid propulsion, generator management, battery banks, fuel monitoring, engine room routines |
| Communications | VHF/DSC procedures, GMDSS awareness, Iridium/SSB satellite comms |
| Shallow water navigation | Tidal calculations, depth sounder interpretation, pilotage in confined waters |
| Environmental compliance | No-discharge zones, sewage and grey water management, antifouling regulations |
All topics are introduced online before you step aboard — so your onboard time is spent applying knowledge, not absorbing it.
Building your sea time
For those working toward formal qualifications, time aboard the LRC58 counts as documented offshore sea time — the currency of every serious maritime certification pathway, including the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean.
Every passage is logged. Every trainee receives a completion record documenting the voyage, their duties, and the competencies practised.
How It works
1. Enroll online
Register with OnboardExperience.org, who manage all enrolments, scheduling, and the pre-departure online curriculum.
2. Complete the online component
Before joining the vessel, you complete structured online learning covering the core theoretical elements of each domain. You arrive prepared.
3. Join the vessel
You board the LRC58 as a trainee for a multi-day offshore passage. Itineraries vary by season and region — the Pacific, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, and European waters have all featured in recent programmes.
4. Sail — and learn
Under the guidance of the qualified crew, you participate fully in all aspects of passage-making from departure to arrival.
Who this Is for
- Experienced recreational boaters seeking structured offshore development
- Aspiring professional mariners building documented sea time
- Powerboat owners planning long-range passages who want genuine preparation
- Prospective buyers of long-range motor yachts evaluating the lifestyle firsthand
Minimum age: 16 years (18 in some jurisdictions of our itinerary).
Enrollment & further information
This program is managed exclusively by our training partner:
Contact them directly for current schedules, available places, curriculum details, and fees. Places are limited by the nature of the vessel and the quality of the experience we are committed to delivering.
The LRC58 programme is operated under Maltese flag by a commercially certified crew. All onboard training is conducted to professional maritime standards.