Powerboat
Courses

Shorebased
Courses

Specialist
Courses

RYA

Powerboat
Courses

Start your Powerboat training with a course appropriate to your experience – you don’t have to start at the beginning. Our recommended pathway through the courses is shown in the flow diagram below.

Afloat, Ashore & Online Course Pathways


S

Powerboat Courses
Afloat

S

Navigation Courses
Ashore/Online

Level 1


Essential Navigation & Seamanship


Level 2


Safety Boat


Tender Operator


Level 2


Day Skipper


Intermediate


Coastal Skipper or
Yachtmaster™ Offshore


Advanced

RYA
Advanced Powerboat

Key

Afloat
Ashore
Online
Practical exam
Afloat

Oral exam
Ashore

Necessary completion
of preceding course

Recommended
progression

Other Certificates of
Competence

RYA

Yachtmaster™ Coastal

RYA

Yachtmaster™ Offshore

RYA

Yachtmaster™ Ocean

Course Details

The RYA powerboat courses are primarily for those using open powered craft such as RIBs and sports boats, and also for the professional open boat skipper who is required to prove their competence or provide certification for work.

Course Assumed Knowledge Course Content Ability Post Course Min. Duration Min. Age
Level 1 None Boating safety, boat handling, basic theory. A basic understanding of powerboating. 1 day 8
Level 2 None Close quarters boat handling, planing speed manoeuvres, man overboard recovery, collision regulations. Able to handle a powerboat in familiar waters by day. 2 days 12
Intermediate Boat handling to Level 2 standard. Navigation to Day Skipper shorebased standard recommended. Daytime navigation skills, passage planning, use of plotting instruments, GPS and electronic navigation. Able to navigate a powerboat on coastal passages by day. 2 days 16
Advanced Boat handling to Intermediate standard. Navigation to Coastal Skipper/ Yachtmaster™ Offshore. Skippering techniques for coastal passages including night pilotage. Able to navigate a powerboat on coastal passages by day and night. 2 days 17
Safety Boat Powerboat Level 2 certificate required. Recovery techniques for various craft and fleet management. Able to provide safety cover in a racing or training environment. 2 days 16
Tender Operator Powerboat Level 2 certificate required with coastal endorsement. Passenger safety and comfort, basic day and night pilotage, emergency situations. Able to carry out short ship to shore transfers by day and night. 2 days 17

RYA

Shorebased
Courses


Start your Shorebased training with a course appropriate to your experience – you don’t have to start at the beginning. Our recommended pathway through the courses is shown in the flow diagram below.

Ashore & Online Course Pathways


S

Navigation Courses
Ashore/Online

Essential Navigation & Seamanship


Day Skipper


Coastal Skipper or
Yachtmaster™ Offshore


Yachtmaster™ Ocean

Key

Ashore
Online
Recommended
progression

Course Details

As well as improving knowledge, many of our courses meet regulatory requirements and are pre-requisites for higher qualifications such as the RYA Yachtmaster™ Certificates of Competence, commercial endorsements and RYA instructor training.

Course Assumed Knowledge Course Content Ability Post Course Min. Duration Min. Age
Essential Navigation & Seamanship None Charts and publications, safety, buoyage, tides, navigation, pilotage, rules of the road, anchoring, weather forecasts, passage planning. Basic knowledge of navigation and safety 16 hours None
Day Skipper Some practical experience is desirable. Seamanship, coastal navigation and pilotage, chartwork, electronic charts, position fixing, plotting a course to steer, weather forecasting and meteorology, tides, collision regulations. Background knowledge to skipper a small yacht in familiar waters by day. 40+ hours exam None
Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster™ Offshore Knowledge to Day Skipper shorebased standard. Position fixing, course shaping and plotting, tidal knowledge, use of Almanacs and Admiralty publications, electronic position finding equipment, taking and interpreting forecasts, plotting weather systems, weather predictions, using a barometer. Background knowledge to skipper a yacht on coastal passages by day and night. 40+ hours exam None
Yachtmaster™ Ocean Navigation to Co Skipper/YM Offshore shorebased standard. Coastal and offshore cruising experience. The earth and the celestial sphere, practical guide to use and care of sextant at sea, meridian altitudes, sun, star and other sights, ocean passage planning. Background knowledge to skipper a yacht on ocean passages. 40+ hours exam None

RYA

Specialist
Courses


Expand your knowledge and skills in specialist areas with one of our short courses. Usually one-day or a number of shorter sessions, they are perfect as a stand alone course or to complement your practical training on the water.

Ashore & Online Course Pathways


 

Specialist Courses
Ashore/Online

Basic Sea Survival

Diesel Engine

Marine Radio (SRC)

Offshore Safety

First Aid

Radar

Professional Practices & Responsibilities

CEVNI
Test

Safe
& Fun

Key

Ashore
Online

Course Details

Course Assumed Knowledge Course Content Ability Post Course Min. Duration Min. Age
Basic Sea Survival None Liferafts and the equipment they contain, survival techniques, lifejackets, medical aspects of sea survival, search and rescue techniques. A good knowledge of the safety equipment carried on small boats and the techniques needed to survive at sea in heavy weather. 1 day None
Diesel Engine None The four stroke cycle, fuel, cooling and air systems, engine electrical systems, spares and tool requirements, winterisation and servicing. Aware of the main systems of a marine diesel engine. Able to prevent breakdown at sea and rectify defects not requiring workshop support. 1 day None
Marine Radio Short Range Course (SRC) None Basics of radio operation, frequencies, distress, emergency and medical assistance procedures, making ship to shore telephone calls, Digital Selective Calling, Global Maritime Distress Safety System. Able to operate the radio and know the procedures required to use it. 10+ hours exam 16
Offshore Safety None The one day Sea Survival Course and one day of training in seamanship and emergencies including heavy weather seamanship, weather forecasting, fire fighting and man overboard recovery. A nunderstanding of techniques for dealing with heavy weather along with skills to deal with on board damage and emergencies. 2 days None
First Aid None The recovery position in a confined space, CPR, including the drowning protocol, cold shock and hypothermia from immersion and/or exposure, seasickness and dehydration, medical assistance or advice by VHF, helicopter rescue. A working knowledge of first aid for people using small craft. 1 day None
Radar None Radar wave propagation, radar set components, target definition and discrimination, radar reflectors, types of radar display, radar plotting, navigation, range and bearing. Understand the use of radar in small boats as an aid to navigation and for collision avoidance. 1 day None
Professional Practices & Responsibilities None The professional maritime world, importance of correct manning, keeping skills up to date, safe management of commercial vessels, the compulsory carriage and maintenance of safety equipment and how to create and implement risk control. Understand your duty of care and legal responsibilities to crew, passengers and other water users. Approx 8-10 hours None
CEVNI Test None Rules and regulations of the European inland waterways. Able to identify signs, buoyage, sound signals, lights and shapes used on inland waterways. N/A 16
Safe and Fun None An introduction to safeguarding and child protection. Understand good safeguarding practice, how to recognise potential signs of abuse, how to deal with it and who to refer any concerns to. Equivalent to approx 3 hours classroom training 16