Chieftain Training

RYA & STCW Courses – Sail, Power, Super-Yacht & Workboat

RYA Coastal Skipper Power

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RYA COASTAL SKIPPER POWER OVERVIEW & AIMS:

The RYA Coastal Skipper Power (Motor Cruising) Course is an advanced residential course for motor boat skippers learn how to skipper a motor cruiser on coastal passages by day and night.

RYA COASTAL SKIPPER POWER COURSE DURATION:

Five consecutive days living aboard, from 0915 on day 1 to 1600 on day 5.

RYA-Coastal-Skipper-Power

RYA COASTAL SKIPPER POWER PRE REQUISITES

COURSE CONTENT

This five-day course is for the more ambitious motorboat skipper wanting to undertake coastal or offshore passages by day and night. On the course each trainee will skipper passages in a variety of situations and learn more about safety, passage planning, day & night pilotage, boat handling and emergency situations. The course is taken in tidal waters and you will become equipped to operate in tidal and non tidal waters.

RYA COASTAL SKIPPER POWER COURSE RATIO & VESSEL

Small Groups. More Time on the Helm and Nav Station.

The RYA sets a maximum ratio of 5 students to 1 instructor (5:1) on Motor Cruising courses.

At Chieftain Training, we deliberately go much further.

  • Cherokee (8.5m, single engine): maximum 3:1
  • Sybarus (10.5m, twin engine): maximum 4:1
    (We allocate the most suitable vessel for each course)

For Coastal Skipper courses, we take this even further by limiting to just 2 Coastal Skipper candidates onboard. There may occasionally be 1–2 additional students completing skills consolidation, but the focus remains firmly on your progression.

What This Means for You

  • More time at the helm – you’ll actually drive, not just observe
  • More navigation practice – real passage planning and execution
  • More command time – you will skipper the boat, not wait your turn
  • Less sitting around – no long periods watching others
  • Better learning outcomes – faster progression, more confidence

Quite simply, you’ll get significantly more hands-on experience than on a typical 5:1 course.

A Better Onboard Experience

We also keep things comfortable:

  • RYA Coastal Skipper is the only course where you are expected to live (sleep) aboard.
  • Maximum of two students sleeping onboard
  • If additional students join during the day, they do not stay overnight

This creates a more focused, relaxed learning environment—closer to real-world cruising than a crowded training boat.

How Do We Achieve This?

We operate two sensibly sized vessels:

  • 8.5m single-engine motor cruiser
  • 10.5m twin-engine motor cruiser

Both can be safely and effectively operated by just two crew (skipper + one). This allows us to keep group sizes small without compromising safety or course quality.

Click here for information about our training vessel(s).

Coastal-Skipper-Power

WHAT’S INCLUDED

  • 5 days use of our motor cruiser
  • 5 days of instruction
  • 4 nights accommodation on board
  • Diesel and on board consumables
  • Lunch, tea/coffee and snacks on board
  • Two evening meals on board
  • All berthing fees
  • RYA Coastal Skipper Power Certificate
  • Loan of a life jacket
  • Free parking

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:

  • Wet weather gear (£5/day to hire from us)
  • Meals taken ashore (breakfast and some dinners)

RYA COASTAL SKIPPER POWER OPTIONAL EXTRAS

  • ICC (International Certificate of Competence) Power