Powerboating

The Sailing Centre is able to offer the power boating courses that are part of the RYA National Powerboat Training Scheme. We can tailor make a course for your specific needs, conduct the tuition on your own boat if required or perhaps you want an instructor onboard with you to get your confidence back if a bit rusty and offer some pilotage suggestions and advice on local places to go with your boat.

We cover the required syllabus for each of the RYA courses conducted but we place a lot of emphasis and additional content on seamanship skills and practical tips and local knowledge to make your time boating on Scilly easier for yourself.  While the primary objective of the course is to get you to the required standard for certification and to make sure you are safe and confident, we make the most of the stunning area we are in and make sure you get to see plenty of the islands whilst on the course. We have a strict ratio of no more than 3 persons on each course so that you get maximum tuition.

RYA Level One
This course is a one day introduction to basic boat handling techniques and is ideal for someone who has never driven a power boat but always wished to have a go. The course will include the following:
  • Preparation of boat and crew
  • Launching & recovery
  • Pre-start checks
  • Boat handling
  • Picking up moorings
  • Leaving and coming alongside a quay and other boats
  • Basic theory of collision regulations
  • Rope work
RYA Level Two
On successful completion of this 2 day course you will receive the RYA Powerboat Level 2 certificate this is now classed as the National certificate of competence. The objective of the course is to give you an introduction and good grounding in the basic knowledge and skills required to handle a powerboat safely and effectively. It is our aim that at the end of the course you will have the confidence to use a powerboat in suitable conditions safely. The stunning scenery and quiet un-crowded waters, combined with the opportunity to navigate between the different islands makes this a superb venue for the course. No previous experience  is required and it is not necessary to have completed level 1 prior to taking this course. The course will include:
  • Safety equipment
  • Boat Preparation
  • Passage planning and pilotage
  • Emergency action plans
  • Boat controls and hull design
  • Basic boat handling
  • High and low speed manoeuvres
  • Man over board
  • Collision regulation (IRPCS)
  • Charts work, weather and tides
  • Anchoring
  • Boat management

The RYA state that the minimum age for powerboat instruction is 8 years old and for the Level 2 course 12 years. From our experience we do not feel that these courses are suitable for students this young. The level 2 course particularly requires the students to have a firm grasp of the safety implications of the actions taken on the course, because of this we only teach this course to 15 years and over. We limit the level 1 course to 12years and over. 

RYA Safety Boat Course
This course is a two day course designed for those who are involved in waters ports and might be asked to provide support or safety cover for their sailing club, school or other water based activities. Persons on this course must hold a level 2 certificate, be over 16 and had a reasonable bit of boating experience on top of completion of the level 2 course. The course has a very varied content and can be tailored to the specific requirements of each person, but will include the following:
  • Emergency action plans
  • Crew communication
  • Towing of a variety of craft
  • Search and rescue techniques
  • Recovery of different types of capsized boats
  • Recovery of persons from water
  • Windsurf & kite surf rescue
  • Assistance and Race management
  • Better boat handling
  • Onboard use of VHF and first aid.