RYA Powerboat Advanced

This advanced powerboat course follows on from the intermediate course and is for leisure and professional boaters wanting to undertake more adventurous trips by day and night. It introduces more advanced navigation, seamanship and manoeuvring.

The course itinerary requires you to start at 1200h on the first day and finish later to ensure it is dark enough to do the night work. The second day is a standard 0930 – 1700h as most our other courses.

Candidates should be competent to the standard of the Intermediate Powerboat Certificate with a thorough knowledge of the navigation and chartwork to the level of RYA Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Shorebased certificate. It is strongly recommended that candidates hold a first aid certificate and a VHF operator’s certificate.

If you are taking this course to use commercially, you will need to take an exam conducted by an independent MCA/RYA examiner. Once successful you can get the Certificate of Competence commercially endorsed. The exam fee is £185 payable directly to the RYA. For more information on Certificates of Competence click here.

****Dates available: 25/26 Sept, 29/30 Oct, 9/10 Nov - please call the office to book a space****

Commercial endorsement

If you require your certificate to be commercially endorsed you will need the following:

• Professional Practices and Responsibilities (PPR) course
• ML5 or ENG1 medical
• RYA Sea Survival
• VHF GMDSS Marine Radio Operator’s licence
• Fee to the RYA

Minimum age: 17

What's included?

• You will be coached over the full RYA course syllabus on one of the school owned powerboats.
• Parking – available at Suffolk Yacht Harbour
• All mooring fees, safety equipment, fuel and tuition from one of our experienced RYA instructors.

Maximum teaching ratio - 3:1 

Course language - English

Our boat – one weekend commencing at 0930 hours on Saturday and again on Sunday afternoon.

Your own boat - There is also the option to take this course on your own powerboat, benefiting from practicing and learning how to handle your own vessel.

RYA Powerboat Advanced Certificate.

Holders of this certificate will be able to obtain the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) - this is a certificate which is intended to provide evidence of competence when requested by officials in foreign countries. You will often be required to show this when chartering vessels abroad.

If the weather is not looking great or is forecast to be a bit chilly or windy you can hire wet weather gear from us.

Musto Waterproofs available in S, M, L, XL and XXL. £22.00 for the weekend.

Syllabus

Preparation for sea

Can:

• Prepare the powerboat
• Carry out fuel and engine checks
• Stow and secure gear

Boat Handling

Knowledge of:

• Differences for a twin-engine vessel

Understands:

• Characteristics of various hull forms and propeller configurations
• Action to be taken in rough weather

Can:

• Demonstrate a practical understanding and correct use of power trim and trim tabs
• Demonstrate an awareness of the effects of wind and tide when manoeuvring, including: Steering to transits and in buoyed channels, Turning in a confined space, berthing in various conditions of wind and tide, Picking up and leaving a mooring buoy.
• Demonstrate the use of an appropriate length kill cord at all times.

Passage making and responsibility as skipper

Understands:

• The importance of pre-trip planning
• Planning and making coastal passages, taking into account the relevant navigational hazards, the type of boat and the strengths of the crew
• Chart plotters and radar, their advantages and limitations

Can:

• Organise the navigation, safety and welfare of the crew during a powerboat passage
• Navigate at higher speed using time/distance
• Use electronic navigational equipment for planning and undertaking a passage, including the use of waypoints, routes and XTE, SOG, COG, BTW, DTW*

Pilotage

Can:

• Carry out pilotage plans and pilotage for entry into or departure from harbour
• Use leading and clearing lines, transits, back bearings and surroundings as aids to pilotage
• Use GPS and understand its limitations in pilotage
• Navigate using surroundings

Meteorology

Knowledge of:

• Terms used in shipping forecasts, including the Beaufort scale, and their significance to small craft

Understands:

• Sources of forecast information and interpretation of forecasts including synoptic charts
• The significance of meteorology trends 
• Can interpret a Synoptic chart

Rules of the road

Can:

• Apply the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

Use of engines

Knowledge of:

• How to change a propeller
• Propeller diameter and pitch
• Propeller ventilation and cavitation

Understands:

• Checks to be made before starting, during running, and after stopping for diesel and petrol engines
• Periodic checks on engines and electrical system including spark plugs, water filters and pump impellers
• How to bleed the fuel system (diesel), change filters and pump impellers
• Transmission belts
• Spares to be carried

Emergency situations

Understands:

• Correct actions to take in emergency situations
• Fire prevention and fighting
• Hull damage/watertight integrity
• What to do in a medical emergency
• Towing and being towed
• Helicopter rescue procedures
• Use of flares
• Search patterns

Can:

• Pick up a man overboard in all available conditions