8 Boat Handling courses

This one day course is an introduction to powerboating includes boating techniques for launching and recovering a boat from a road trailer, everyday boat handling and the use of safety equipment. By the end of the course you will be able to drive a powerboat under supervision. Power Courses Our powerboat training is currently delivered on an MCA coded 7.8m Ribcraft with a 200hp Suzuki four stroke outboard engine and an E-series Raymarine chart plotter. We maintain a 3:1 student to instructor ratio which allows our experienced RYA instructors to tailor courses to the various levels and needs on board and deliver at a manageable pace. All course costs include tea and coffee, waterproofs are available on request.

RYA Competent Crew or Day Skipper - £770 A five day practical course which can accommodate both Day Skipper and Competent Crew candidates, depending on ability and course requirements. We familiarise you with the yacht and spend the week port hopping whilst you gain experience and work towards your qualification. Competent Crew - An ideal way to develop your skills and to start to become an active crew member capable of contributing to the running of a boat. Course content includes learning how to steer the boat, what the sails do, knot-tying, basic seamanship principles and safety procedures. Day Skipper - Putting Day Skipper level theory into practice and taking command of both the boat and crew, you will also learn learn basic engine checks. This includes building on previous experience and developing new skills for close quarter manouevring, handling under power and sail, day navigation, with some night hours.   RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster™ Preparation - £770 A five day practical course for Coastal Skipper or preperation Yachtmaster™ candidates, this course will build and refine your skills and knowledge, including your planning and skippering for passages with pilotage at day and night, boat handling and safety and emergency procedures. If you are looking to gain the Yachtmaster™ Offshore or Coastal Certificate, please let us know and we will arrange an examiner for you. We cannot over emphasise the need for personal preparation for this exam; your theory knowledge should be instinctive and you should exercise safe practices and judgment without being too overcautious. Primarily you will be examined on your ability to be a good skipper. Our emphasis during this course is consolidate all that you have already learned and fine tune any areas that need improvement. You will be expected to be fully skilled in the following areas: communication with crew members, confident and competent boat handling, high standard chart work and navigation, safety briefings and procedures, radio communication, meteorology skills. Our current school boat is the modern 2017 Dufour 382, a fantastic boat to learn and develop your knowledge on; with her spacious deck layout,dual helm and on-deck plotter, she is easy to handle in close and open quarters. We pride ourselves on providing a comfortable, enjoyable sailing experience and guarantee all students their own cabin.   Facilities on-board include: • Dual helm • Heating • Fridge • Two toilets each with hot water and showers • Three cabins • Television and radio • Charging points for mobiles • On-deck chart plotter and radar   We carry out a deep clean before every course and provide fresh linen and towels. Operating along the picturesque South Devon coast, we venture to prime local cruising locations such as Torbay, Dartmouth, Salcombe and Plymouth. Marinas feature as a daily stop, providing time to reflect and partake in shore-side activities. Our aim is to provide safe fun on the water, allowing you to develop your skills and knowledge in a safe and friendly environment. We use a 3:1 students to instructor raitio, which allows our experienced RYA instructors to tailor courses to the various levels and needs on board, and deliver at a managable pace. Navigation is taught using traditional charting techniques along with electronic methods using E-Series Raymarine chart plotters and Radar. All course prices include accommodation on board, meals for the duration of the course, fuel and mooring fees, and the provision of fresh linen and towels.Waterproofs are available upon request.

The Powerboat Instructor course aims to provide candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge required to instruct the RYA National Powerboat Scheme in a safe and effective way. The course duration is 3 days and comprises both practical and theoretical training scenarios where candidates are expected to deliver short training sessions. These sessions aim to develop the candidates personal skills and teaching ability in the safety of the training environment. The course does focus on teaching you how to instruct. You will learn effective methods of instructing and coaching, how to debrief, and how to structure the courses. We do revise the skills you will need to teach, but you will need to be proficient on a power boat to do this course. All potential Powerboat Instructors are required to complete a 1 day pre-assessment course to assess your personal boat handling skills. This assessment must be completed within the 3 months prior to the commencement of your Powerboat Instructor course. Course Pre-Requisites To do this course you will need to have completed Pre-Assessment. You will also need the following certificates: Valid First Aid Certificate, RYA Powerboat Level 2, RYA VHF Short Range Certificate. You will need to have 5 years powerboating experiencing (or one season full time). The minimum age of this course is 16 years old. Ideally you will have a familiarity with a range of craft giving you a wide range of knowledge of powerboats. Your theory knowledge should be at RYA Day Skipper Theory level, and we would recommend holding the certificate. RYA Instructor Training At Torbay Sea School we have trained many RYA Instructors who have gone on to instruct with us, other RYA training centres or as freelance instructors. During the course of your general RYA training you will have gained all the skills necessary to sail, motor or power boat with confidence to a high standard. The following courses consolidate all those skills and give you the tools required to instruct others to gain their RYA qualifications. You will be able to utilise our Instructors experience and our boats/equipment to feel at ease with instructing others.

Arguably one of the most important skills for any skipper is berthing the vessel and leaving the berth in any conditions and lowered visibility. Join us on unique course focused on pontoon and mooring practices led by one of our most experienced senior instructors. All your questions will be answered during the course and you will get the opportunity of extremely extensive training and practise of handling the vessel in any conditions. Take stress away from those approaches in harsh conditions or night time. During the weekend we will focus on: Weather conditions and forecast; Correct use of lines and fenders; Coming alongside; Crew management; Setting the appropriate lines; Turning in tight spaces. This course starts on Friday evening at 6.30 and finishes around 3pm on Sunday afternoon.

Yachtmaster preps course for those wanting to practice and perfect their skills for the Yachtmaster Coastal exam or Offshore exam. Book online, join us in Largs, west coast of Scotland.

This 2 day course builds upon the basic knowledge and skills covered in the Level 2 course and is aimed at those who want to drive larger and more powerful powerboats and is a good step to progressing onto the Advanced course. This course covers the practical use of pilotage and passage planning by day on coastal waters using both traditional and electronic navigational techniques, boat preperation, cruising at planing speed, advanced boat handlingand man overboard drills. By the end of the course you will be able to plan and execute short coastal passages by day. It is strongly recommended that candidates hold a first aid certificate and a VHF/SRC operator's certificate. Power Courses Our powerboat training is currently delivered on an MCA coded 7.8m Ribcraft with a 200hp Suzuki four stroke outboard engine and an E-series Raymarine chart plotter. We maintain a 3:1 student to instructor ratio which allows our experienced RYA instructors to tailor courses to the various levels and needs on board and deliver at a manageable pace. All course costs include tea and coffee, waterproofs are available on request.

If you are a Day Skipper or above and want to expand your breadth of knowledge, then this is the course for you. Join our bespoke advanced skippering course led by our brilliant Yachtmaster Instructor and Examiner, Rob. Over 5 days, Rob will cover a wealth of great content that simply can't be covered in a standard RYA course. This course is perfect for those around Day Skipper level and above, offering the chance to significantly enhance your sailing skills and knowledge. During the week we will focus on: Setting up for heavy weather; Close quarters manoeuvres; Spinnaker; Advanced sail trimming; Advanced anchoring; MOB inc search patterns for PIW; Splicing.

The RYA Powerboat Level Two course, it is over two days, which gives lots of time for both practical instruction and theory. If you’re new to powerboating, or want achieve the RYA Certificate, this practical hands-on course will prepare you with the safe helming and handling skills you need to complete daylight trips in your powerboat.