A structured offshore crewed passage to accumulate the sea miles required for RYA Yachtmaster Offshore and Ocean certificates. Not a taught course — real miles on real passages, logged and countersigned by a qualified skipper.
A milebuilding passage is not a certificate course. It is a crewed offshore voyage aboard a yacht skippered by a qualified person, designed to give sailors the documented sea miles they need to sit the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean practical examination.
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore requires candidates to have logged at least 2,500 miles, including 5 overnight passages, 2 of which must have been completed as skipper. RYA Yachtmaster Ocean adds the requirement for a qualifying offshore passage of at least 600 miles as skipper. Milebuilding voyages are the most direct way to accumulate those miles in a structured, safe environment.
Passages typically last between 5 and 11 days and may cross open water or follow ocean routes depending on the provider and time of year. Popular routes include the Atlantic Arc, Mediterranean passages, the Bay of Biscay, and offshore passages around the British Isles. Every mile sailed must be recorded in the sailor's personal logbook and countersigned by the skipper of the vessel.
Because you are sailing as a paying crew member rather than a student, you are expected to keep proper watches, stand your helm time, and contribute to the running of the vessel. Many sailors complete more than one milebuilding trip before sitting their Yachtmaster examination.
Milebuilding passages sit at the heart of the RYA Yachtmaster pathway. They bridge the gap between completing Day Skipper practical training and having the experience needed to sit the Yachtmaster Offshore examination. Without sufficient logged miles, candidates cannot be put forward for the exam regardless of their skill level.