The RYA Motor Cruising Scheme

The RYA Motor Cruising scheme gives students the skills to skipper boats up to 24 meters. Here we look at the different courses within the scheme. There are courses to suit all levels of experience and abilities:

Beginner courses –

The RYA Start Motor cruising is a great introductory one day course and students as young as 8 can attend the course.  The course will teach young people or anyone just looking for a bit of knowledge and experience to be a useful crew member. The course will give students experience of being able to come along side, pick up a mooring bouy, basic boat handling as well as personal safety and seamanship.

For those students looking for a bit more knowledge and time on the water, the next step is the two day RYA Helmsman course. This course is for anybody over the age of 12 that would like to gain more in-depth knowledge and experience. At the end of the course students will be confident to handle a motor boat in sheltered waters.

Intermediate Courses – 

The RYA Day Skipper practical Motor Cruising course goes hand in hand with the RYA Day Skipper theory course. Over the years we have found that students gain so much more having attended a RYA Day Skipper theory course before the RYA Day Skipper practical course. The Aim of the RYA Day Skipper Motor cruising course is to give students the skills to be able to skipper a Motor Cruiser in familiar water by day time, during this particular course students will also get the chance to experience night time cruising. This four day practical course is also the gateway for students to gain their ICC up to 24 meters.

The RYA Advanced Pilotage course is a nice stepping stone between the RYA Day Skipper course and the RYA Coastal Skipper course. It’s aimed at students that have already gained their RYA Day Skipper certificate* but might not have enough experience to attend the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical course. This two day, one night course will give students the skills to undertake more challenging passages by day and night.

Advanced course – 

The RYA Coastal Skipper course is for ambitious skippers that would like to undertake some serious passages. Students wishing to attend this course will already have logged at least fifteen days at sea, 300 miles and acted as the skipper for at least 2 days as well as having logged 8 night hours. The aim of this course is teach skippers the skills to be able to skipper longer coastal passages by day and night.

The pinnacle of the RYA Motor Cruising scheme is the RYA Yachtmaster certificate of competency. Unlike other RYA Motor Cruising courses there is actually no formal training course. Ocean Sports Tuition offer preparation weeks to prepare students, that have the required experience, for these exams.

For all your RYA Powerboat and RYA Motor Cruising requirements please give us call on 02381 242159.

*Students also need to have their RYA VHF licence and First Aid certificate.