RYA Personal Logbook: A UK Sailor's Complete Guide (2026)

Quick answer: A RYA personal logbook records sea miles, qualifying passages, and skipper hours for recreational sailors working toward RYA certificates (Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster Offshore, Yachtmaster Ocean) and MCA commercial endorsements. For the Yachtmaster Offshore prep, you need 50 days at sea, 2,500 miles, 5 passages of 60+ miles (2 overnight, 2 as skipper). Logbook entries should be contemporaneous, signed by the skipper, and supported by tide and weather evidence. An incomplete logbook is the single most common reason for a failed pre-exam eligibility check.

The RYA personal logbook is a professional document. Examiners and MCA assessors read it carefully — not just to count miles but to check that you've sailed in varied conditions, taken responsibility for passages, and demonstrated the judgement needed for the qualification you're claiming. A logbook with suspiciously clean pages or a single handwriting style raises flags.

Who should keep one

Anyone working toward any RYA practical certificate — Start Yachting, Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster Offshore, Yachtmaster Ocean — and anyone pursuing an MCA commercial endorsement. Even recreational sailors with no exam plans should keep one — a good logbook adds provenance when you come to sell the boat or insure for more challenging waters.

What counts as a sea mile

Nautical miles actually sailed or motored, log-measured or GPS-measured. Distance through the water is what examiners look for, not distance made good. Miles covered when the boat is moored, at anchor, or alongside don't count.

Qualifying passages

A qualifying passage under RYA terms is continuous passage-making of 60+ nautical miles, point-to-point, not hugging a coast. For Yachtmaster Offshore pre-exam eligibility: 5 passages over 60 miles, of which 2 must be overnight and 2 as the skipper. For Coastal Skipper: 15 days, 300 miles, 2 passages of 6+ hours.

Skipper versus crew hours

Skipper hours are those when you are the designated skipper — making the decisions, handling the emergency, signing off the passage plan. Crew hours are under another skipper. Both count for certain certificates, but Yachtmaster qualifications require specific minimums as skipper. Record both clearly.

Entries — what good looks like

Each passage entry should include: date(s), vessel name and type, home/departure port, destination port, crew composition, distance, duration, your role, weather and sea state, tidal conditions, notable events (watch handovers, boat handling exercises, weather deteriorations). Skipper signs every entry. For key passages, a log extract, chart trace, or plotter screenshot supports the written entry.

Electronic vs paper logbooks

Both are accepted. The RYA produces a structured paper logbook, widely used. Apps (Savvy Navvy, eLogbook, Plot Nav) are growing. Electronic logs have advantages (backup, auto-import of tracks) but must be printable for exam presentation. Many candidates use both — paper for narrative, electronic for passages.

For Yachtmaster Offshore: the numbers

• 50 days at sea
• 2,500 nautical miles logged
• 5 passages of 60+ miles (not counting short hops)
• 2 of those 5 passages overnight
• 2 of those 5 passages as skipper
• At least half the qualifying sea time in vessels under 24m LOA
• A current VHF/SRC certificate and first aid certificate within 3 years

For MCA commercial endorsement

On top of the RYA qualification, MCA commercial endorsement requires ENG1 or ML5 medical, STCW basic safety training, and commercial seafarer first aid. Logged hours become more important — the MCA audits claim more rigorously than the RYA.

Common mistakes

1. Including marina nights and at-anchor days in "sea time"
2. Short hops (less than 60 miles) marked as qualifying passages
3. Every entry signed by the same skipper with the same pen
4. Missing weather and tide context for challenging passages
5. No record of crew composition — examiners ask

Frequently asked questions

Do miles on a delivery trip count?

Yes, provided you have genuine decision-making responsibility. A delivery under your skipper responsibility counts as skipper hours; under another's, as crew.

What if the skipper won't sign?

Without a signature the entry has limited evidential value. Always get it signed at the end of the passage — retrospective signatures raise flags at pre-exam.

Can I use a flotilla or charter boat?

Yes, including RYA sailing schools, charter boats, and flotilla holidays. Keep the documentation — charter agreement, skipper's log extract — to support the entry.

Do inland waters count toward Yachtmaster?

No. Yachtmaster is a coastal and offshore qualification — only hours at sea (beyond the categorisation of inland waters) count.

Sources and further reading

• RYA: Courses and certificates
• MCA: Commercial endorsement guidance
• RYA Yachtmaster Scheme syllabus (current edition)

Last reviewed 2026-04-22 by Jamie Dawson, Editor. Corrections: corrections@logbook.co.uk