6 of the best Boating Courses To Better Your Experience

When it comes to boating courses in the UK, choosing a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) sailing course is the perfect way to gain the knowledge and skills you need to become a sailing master.

There are plenty of courses available for both beginners and advanced sailors. Discover the 6 best boating courses you can take now to advance your skills.

RYA Day Skipper Practical sailing course

A skipper is an incredibly important part of any boating crew. Not only do they navigate your vessel, but a skipper’s responsibility is also to see to the safety and wellbeing of all aboard. That includes ensuring there is optimal weather for sailing, looking after engine maintenance, passage planning and pilotage.

The RYA Day Skipper practical course ensures you’re brought up to speed on all requirements as a skipper and challenges you to put this into practice with an experienced instructor by your side.

All who take part in this course will live aboard the training vessel for a 3 or 5 day duration and will undertake mooring under various situations. This includes 4 night hours of sailing to ensure the skipper in training is confident and competent during the night.

Fast track Yachtmaster professional sail training course

The Hamble School of Yachting is well known for its sailing courses. In particular, the Fast track Yachtmaster professional training course helps to expedite an inexperienced sailor to a fully qualified professional.

This is a great option for a beginner looking to join the boating community, or someone looking to take leisure sailing to the next level. The course is 98 days long and 72 of those days will be spent sailing your own vessel, as Hamble believes there is no better training than hands-on experience.

This boating course has been specially designed to produce high-quality sailors and is fully recognised by the Royal Yachting Association. 

RYA advanced powerboat course

The RYA Advanced Powerboat course is a 2 day course that extends into the night, allowing several hours of night training, a perfect choice for those looking for powerboat courses in the UK.

Participants are advised to be somewhat competent aboard a powerboat for several seasons before opting to complete this course, allowing advanced sailors to supercharge their skills to the max.

Courses often run from September to April, ensuring you receive adequate night training alongside. Upon completion, you’ll receive your RYA advanced certification.

International Certificate of Competence (ICC)

ICC, also known as the International Certificate of Competence, is internationally recognised and ensures sailors have the required qualifications for sailing to other countries.

The course combines theory and practical examination to ensure you’re up to speed with the skills and knowledge needed when travelling to other countries aboard your vessel.

Before taking this course, it’s advisable to ensure you have previous skills in basic chart navigation and pilotage.

RYA Helmsman practical course

Beginners to boating will benefit from the RYA Helmsman practical course which runs for 2 days and aims to teach basic boat handling techniques.

Alongside this, you’ll also receive training in completing engine and safety checks when aboard your own vessel.

Dinghy Small Keelboat course

Any keen dinghy sailors out there will know one of the best courses available is the Royal Yachting Association’s Dinghy Small Keelboat course. 

There is a range of options available, from adult courses to youth, advanced, foiling and racing courses. Whatever your preference, there’s something for everyone to advance their dinghy sailing skills.

Beginners can find options for getting started with dinghy sailing in the UK, whilst seasoned sailors can access advanced courses immediately.

Do you have a favourite sailing course in the UK we haven’t mentioned? We’d love to hear from you - let us know over on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages!

Are you looking to save on running costs by performing boat maintenance yourself? Or are you looking for some tips and tricks? Discover our guide to Preparing Your Yacht For The Sailing Season here...

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