16 Courses

 A course for leisure and professional boaters wanting to undertake more adventurous trips by day and night, this 2 day course, with at least one night navigation exercise, will provide you with an RYA Advanced Powerboat Course Completion certificate. Anyone undertaking this course must have practical skills of the Intermediate level and theory knowledge of at least Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster level. The course is split between theory and practical, with an emphasis on the application of theory knowledge to practical situations including preperation for sea, passage and pilotage making, skippering (meteorology, rules ofg the road)), navigation at planing speed, night cruising, and emergency situations. The Advanced Powerboat Certificate of Competence can only be issued after an exam, usually taken immediately after the course. If you are looking to take this exam, please let us know and we will arrange an examiner for you. The cost of this exam is payable directly to the RYA. To take this exam your must meet the following pre-requisites: 2 years relevant experience including night pilotage As a guide; 30 days at sea, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles, 12 night hours in the past 10 years Hold a valid First Aid certificate Hold a GMDSS Short Range Certificate (SRC) or higher grade marine radio certificate Age 17 or over 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.

All our skippers and instructors are either fully qualified RYA Yachtmaster or Cruising Instructors with many years of experience sailing in Scotland and with years of offshore experience, sailing across the seas and oceans. They all have various other RYA qualifications and are keen to share their knowledge with you. If you would like to talk about your sailing plans and aspirations, or are interested in customised training at sea or ashore, please contact us at admin@gowestsailing.com

This is the course for sailors who would like to pass on their sailing skills and experience on the water. The title RYA Cruising Instructor will allow the successful candidate to teach up to Day Skipper level. The course is for experienced Yachtmaster Offshore candidates, with commercial endorsement, who on successful completion of the exam be able to instruct practical courses. The course is taken over 5 days with a moderator joining at the end of the week. It is a combination of assessing the candidate's knowledge, providing a structured framework to instruct, coach, observe and deliver constructive feedback, and ensure the structure and standards required of RYA courses are understood. Prior to the course the candidate is required to have their RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence commercially endorsed. Your Professional Practices and Responsibilities certificate (PPR this can be done online) Your original, completed ML5 or ENG1 (for cat 1 or 0 waters) medical fitness form A copy of your RYA Basic Sea Survival certificate or STCW Personal Survival Techniques A copy of your RYA Marine Radio SRC Certificate or other acceptable GMDSS Marine Radio Operator's Certificate. The course is for the experienced skipper with theoretical and practical knowledge well in excess of the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence. Candidates are required to pass an online Pre-Course Knowledge Check prior to attending the Cruising Instructor course. Access to the online check will be issued with the course Joining Instructions, which will be sent out 6 weeks before the course starts. As with all our courses, onboard food, fuel and marina fees are included in the cost. The course starts on a Monday morning (0900 hrs) and departs from Largs Yacht Haven, Scotland. Candidates are invited to arrive on Sunday evening and familiarize themselves with the yacht.

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.

Enjoy this RYA Day Skipper theory course. A comprehensive introduction to chart work, navigation, meteorology, and the basics of seamanship. This RYA online course is delivered in video and text format, to give you flexibility and control over your learning. Made up of 15 modules with interactive activities and knowledge checks to get the most out of your distance learning experience.