Description
RYA Powerboat Instructor Skills Assessment: What You Need to Know
The RYA Powerboat Instructor Skills Assessment is a mandatory prerequisite for anyone planning to take the RYA Powerboat Instructor Course. This hands-on evaluation ensures you’re fully prepared to teach Powerboat Level 1 & 2 and Safety Boat courses at an RYA-recognised training centre.
What Skills Will You Be Assessed On?
You’ll need to demonstrate a range of practical boat handling and theoretical knowledge, including:
- Holding off a mark
- Picking up and securing to a buoy
- Mooring alongside (up-tide and down-tide)
- Turning using warps
- Turning in confined spaces
- Man overboard recovery (using a mannequin)
- Engine start/stop procedures
- Planing speed manoeuvres (figure 8s and ‘U’ turns)
- Theory: charts, tides, buoyage, COLREGs, and pilotage
Who Should Take This Assessment
This assessment is ideal for candidates who:
- Aspire to become RYA Powerboat Instructors
- Plan to teach Powerboat Level 1 & 2 and Safety Boat courses
- Are applying to work at an RYA-accredited training centre
Entry Requirements & Prerequisites
To be eligible, candidates must:
- Be competent to at least RYA Powerboat Level 2 standard (including coastal endorsement)
- Demonstrate skills and knowledge from the RYA Powerboat Level 2 syllabus
- Hold a valid RYA National Powerboat Certificate (Level 2)
- Possess a First Aid Certificate approved by the RYA – see here for more details
- Older than 18 years old.
- Have logged at least five seasons of powerboating experience across various boat types and sizes
(Reduced to one season for full-time professionals using powerboats in their occupation)
Additional criteria:
- Hold a Safety Boat Certificate if intending to teach the Safety Boat course
- It is recommended to hold a VHF/SRC operator’s certificate
