The RYA Powerboat Advanced course includes GPS navigation, improved boat handling skills, high-speed navigation, night navigation, rough weather handling and sector searches, as well as a refresher on all other aspects of powerboating learnt on previous RYA powerboat qualification courses.
On completion of this course you can sit the RYA MCA Advanced Powerboat exam (certificate of competence). If you wish to gain work within the marine industry, like skippering commercial vessels, your RYA Advanced Powerboat Certificate of Competence can be commercially endorsed #.
What you will learn
Frequent questions
Course details
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Our fully equipped classroom and on the water training helps ensure you get an RYA approved training qualification.
The RYA Powerboat Advanced course covers a broad range of subjects aimed at developing your skills and confidence as a skipper. This includes techniques for planning, day and night navigation and pilotage into various harbours. You will revise different man over board recovery techniques and review hypothermia and cold water shock. You will learn how to create and carry out a variety of search patterns and there will be advanced powerboat handling practice in a range of wind and tide conditions, plus we will endeavour to find suitable waves to learn how to handle the boat safely in rougher seas. You will also revise collision regulations and meteorology at sea.
RYA Powerboat Advanced course £349 per person:
- Maximum per course: 3 people
- Course duration: 2 days
- Minimum age: 16 years old (accompanied by an adult)
- Course location: Unit 9 Sparkes Marina, Wittering Road, Hayling Island, Hampshire PO11 9SR
Experienced required:
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- RYA Powerboat Intermediate
- Coastal Skipper / RYA Yachtmaster theory
- RYA First Aid Certificate
- VHF Radio Certificate – RYA SRC
What the course Includes:
- Vessel fuel costs
- Use of waterproofs and lifejacket
- RYA certificate
- Expert tuition
- Free parking
RYA Powerboat Advanced course content:
During this course you will have the opportunity to develop your safety and boat handling to a standard required where you are able to deal with long passages in rougher weather by day and night and, where certified, have the skills to handle commercial vessels (# see below):
- Safety briefing and preparation of vessel
- Boat handling in rough conditions
- Stowing and securing gear for coastal passages
- Engine operations and routine checks
- Fuel system bleeding and changing filters
- Impellors and propeller configurations
- Hull forms and their handling characteristics
- Knowledge of action to take in rough weather
- Significance of tidal stream on sea conditions
- Steering and power control through waves
- Understanding and correct use of power trim and tabs
- Towing under open sea conditions and in confined areas
- Strategy upwind and downwind and in heavy weather
- Awareness of the effects of wind and tide when manoeuvring
- Steering to transits and in buoyed channels
- Turning in a confined space
- Berthing and unberthing techniques
- Picking up and leaving a mooring buoy
- Anchoring and recovery of man over board
- Awareness of ground speed and ability to hold a boat on station
- Skippering a vessel and effective crew communication
- Preparation for sea and for adverse weather
- Tactics for heavy weather and restricted visibility
- Emergency and distress situations
- Customs procedures
- Courtesy to other water users
- Pilotage and passage making
- Charts, navigational publications and navigational information
- Chart work, position fixing and shaping course to allow for tide
- Tidal heights and depths
- Buoyage and visual aids to navigation Instruments
- Compass, logs, echo sounders, radio nav aids, chartwork instruments
- Passage planning and navigational tactics
- Importance of route preplanning
- High speed navigation, preplanning and execution
- Use of electronic navigation (GPS and radar)
- Pilotage techniques and plans for entry or departure from harbour
- Leading and clearing lines, transits and soundings as aids to pilotage
- Limits of navigational accuracy and margins of safety
- Keeping navigational records
- Lee shore dangers
- Advanced meteorology
- Application of IRPCS
- Safety on board
- Skipper responsibilities
Buy the RYA Powerboat Advanced handbook at the RYA shop click here
# RYA commercially endorsed qualifications open the door to a marine career. For information about holding a commercial endorsement on your RYA certification, including medical fitness and the commercial endorsement application form, visit the RYA website.
Advanced powerboat exam candidates wishing to gain this MCA RYA qualification should be experienced power boaters and this would include:
- 2 years and 30 days at sea
- 2 days as a skipper
- 800 miles and 12 night hours
If students already hold an RYA Advanced Powerboat Course Completion Certificate then sea time is reduced to:
- 20 days at sea
- 2 days as a skipper
- 400 miles and 12 night hours
Your theory knowledge should be to a Coastal Skipper level or above. All exam candidates will also require:
- A passport photo
- A copy of your VHF / SRC operator’s license
- A copy of your valid first aid certificate
Students wishing to commercial endorse their certificate will also require:
- A copy of your Sea Survival certificate
- A completed ML5 medical report
- Adding the commercial endorsement will cost an extra £32 payable to the RYA