Chieftain Training

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

Powerboat Joining Instructions

Powerboat Courses

Thank you for choosing us for your training, we are looking forward to your course and we will do everything we can to make it memorable, interesting, fun and educational. Please take a few minutes to read the pre course information below. These Joining Instructions below cover all Powerboat Courses (excluding powerboat instructor courses).

WHERE

Courses are run from Mariners Wharf. Please meet at our classroom; Chieftain House, 11 Harcourt Rd, Bitterne Park Southampton, SO181GB and NOT at our other training centre/HQ, which is also in Southampton.

PRE REQUISITES

Some of our courses have pre requisites, these are not optional, they are requirements. If you are unsure what they are please check back against the relevant product page/course description (links are provide in the course details below).

CERTIFICATION

Certification for most courses is issued at the discretion of your Instructor and the Principal. The certificate is usually issued at the end of the course before you leave. There are a minority of powerboat courses (Advanced powerboat COC and Instructor courses) which are certified by RYA HQ, and therefore posted to you after your course/exam. All of our courses requite 100% attendance. For STCW and AEC courses we can not certify if you if you have not brought an accepted photo ID (Passport, Driving license, UK COC, Seaman’s Discharge Book or National ID).

MEALS

Tea and coffee is included. Meals are not included

Please bring a packed lunch for the first day, (there is a bakery, Co-op, Tesco Express and chip shop local to the training centre).

Your Instructor will then tell you the plan for subsequent days. On some courses we find ourselves in a cafe or pub (no alcohol) for lunch in Hamble.

For those courses involving a night exercise we suggest you also bring some money for an evening meal.

DETAILED INFORMATION

Now please click on the relevant course title below for course specific information;

COURSE DURATION TIMINGS
RYA Powerboat Level 1 1 day 0915-1645
RYA Powerboat Level 2 2 day 0915-1645
RYA Powerboat Intermediate 2 day 0915-1645
RYA Powerboat Tender Operator 2 day 0915-4 hrs after dusk (day 1)

0915- afternoon (day 2)
RYA Powerboat Advanced 2 day 0915-4 hrs after dusk (day 1)

0915- afternoon (day 2)
RYA Powerboat Advanced COC/Exam 3 day Day 1. 1200- late (winter), 1400- late if daylight saving time

Day 2. 2.5 hrs earlier than day 1

Day 3. TBC by Examiner but typically similar to day 1

SAFETY

All adults are provided with 150N life jackets. If you would prefer to wear your own life jacket then you may do so. It must be of a minimum 150 Newtons, be well fitting and have been looked after, as per the manufacturers recommendations. For courses involving a night exercise it must be fitted with a light and reflective material. Children are provide with an appropriately sized Lifejacket.

WHAT TO BRING

Level 1   Level 2  Intermediate Tender Operator Advanced Advanced COC ICC
Passport Photo of yourself ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Note pad & pen ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Warm clothing and a change of clothes ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Cap/hat, gloves, sunglasses, suncream ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Sailing wellies (or footwear that can get wet) ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Wet weather gear (or hire ours for £5/day) ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
RYA Powerboat Logbook (if you have one) ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Passport or proof of UK residency and 2nd passport photo ✅
2B pencils, eraser and sharpener ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Small torch ✅ ✅ ✅
Waterproof sleeve for your passage plan ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅
Small dry bag if you want to take extra kit afloat ✅ ✅ ✅
First Aid and SRC certificates ✅
Exam Fee ✅
Commercial endorsement paperwork (if it is ready) ✅
Sailing Knife ✅ ✅ ✅

PHOTOGRAPHY

You may wish to take some photographs during your course to take home and share with friends and family. Please feel free to snap away (as long as other students are happy to have their photographs taken). We’d love to see your photos, so please do post any images captured whilst on a course with us onto our Facebook page. We run a monthly competition to find the best, or most entertaining, course photo. This can include something amusing you’ve seen whilst on the water: as long as the picture was taken while you were on a course with us, it’s valid for entry! Every month one of our students wins a £50 voucher to redeem against their next course.

UNDER 18S

Parents or guardians of students aged under eighteen must fill in and sign a medical declaration / consent form for their child prior to the course starting. This is usually done in the morning. If you will not be there to drop off your child, please contact the office for a form in advance. While we encourage junior (8-11 years) and youth (12-15 years) boaters to join a powerboat course we must remind you that regardless of any certificate we believe that the holder should only operate powered craft under the supervision of a responsible adult. Some courses have a higher minimum age.

RYA POWERBOAT LEVEL 1

Your Instructor will assume you have no previous experience or knowledge of power boating and will start from the basics showing you the best practice and techniques. If you intend to be in charge of a powerboat then we recommend the Level 2 course instead

FOR RYA POWERBOAT LEVEL 2

This course includes the content of the Level 1 course. The RYA Start Power Boating Book is included free of charge for you to take away from your course. The course will run as for the Level 1 course above. Day 2 is devoted to high speed handling and a navigation exercise; the destination is usually a pub for lunch (no alcohol – sorry), so bring some money for lunch on day 2. For optional extras to the Level 2 course please see below. Useful (but not essential) pre course reading would be the RYA Powerboat Handbook.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS FOR POWERBOAT LEVEL 2 COURSES

At the end of the course you will be awarded the RYA Powerboat Level 2 Certificate. We can also cover any of the following.

International Certificate of Competence (ICC)

By completing the RYA Powerboat Level 2 (or higher) course with us you are automatically eligible for an ICC (power up to 10m, coastal). This is an international pleasure-boat certificate recognised in many (but not all) countries. If you require an ICC we can take care of the paperwork while you are here however you will need;

  • An additional passport photograph
  • Passport, as proof of nationality
  • Proof of residence in the UK if you are from a UN country other than UK, USA, Canada or Holland.
  • RYA Membership (this then waives the RYA license fee)
RYA ICC CEVNI Endorsement

Anyone training for the ICC with us will automatically receive the coastal endorsement to their ICC. If you additionally require the inland endorsement (for the inland waterways of Europe) then you will also need to take the CEVNI test (not included). The RYA book of CEVNI rules is essential pre course reading if you intend to also take the CEVNI test. The test can be taken online or with us at the centre.

RYA/MCA Commercial Endorsement
If you require the Level 2 certificate for commercial purposes this is effectively a rubber stamping process for which the RYA charge a commercial endorsement fee. To commercially endorse your level 2 certificate you will also need

RYA POWERBOAT LEVEL 2 FAST TRACK DAY

This is one day of 1:1 coaching and direct assessment for RYA Powerboat Level 2. It is specifically for experienced drivers. You will need to bring the same kit as the normal 2-day RYA Level 2 Course (above) and you can add an ICC in the same way. Please therefore read the Level 2 notes above.

RYA INTERMEDIATE POWERBOAT COURSE

Your instructor will assume you have previously completed a Level 2 course and ideally have gained some further experience since then. The RYA Basic Navigation and Safety Course or the RYA Day Skipper Shorebased Course would be useful but not essential to have completed before hand. Lunch on one of the two days will be taken off site; a pub is often the destination for a navigation exercise (no alcohol). RYA Certification is included in the course fee. Useful Pre-Course Reading;

  • Day Skipper Shorebased Course Notes
  • RYA Powerboat Handbook

POWERBOAT TENDER OPERATOR COURSE

The night exercise will take place on the first evening, finish time varies depending upon season but we aim to get at least three hours of night pilotage covered. This course is specifically aimed at super yacht crew however it will be useful to anyone involved in short transfers between vessel, mother ship and shore or wind farms turbines.

RYA ADVANCED POWERBOAT

The night exercise will take place on the first evening, finish time varies depending upon season but we aim to get at least three hours of darkness (sometimes four). If you do not currently hold SRC and First Aid certificates we are happy to hold your Advanced certificate for up to three months to give you a chance to complete these two courses. Your Instructor will assume you have the practical skills of an Intermediate power boater and associated shorebased knowledge up to Coastal Skipper Shorebased standard already, along with some practical experience of navigating by day. Useful pre course reading includes;

  • RYA Advanced Powerboat Handbook
  • RYA Navigation Hanbook
  • RYA Weather Handbook
  • Seaman’s Guide to the Rules of the Road

RYA/MCA ADVANCED CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCE

This course starts later start than most of our courses (see table above) as you will be out late each night. Your Instructor will be coaching you for 2 afternoons and 2 evenings. There is an addition unsupervised classroom exercise on the second morning. Day 3 is devoted to the exam which will again take place over an afternoon and evening. Expect to demonstrate night pilotage skills, a high level of boat handling and a good theory knowledge. There is a separate RYA exam fee payable to the RYA on the day of the exam. If you require the commercial endorsement to this certificate then as well as the First Aid and Short Range Certificate (SRC) required for the exam you will also need;

Please ensure you have a thorough understanding of navigation, collision regulations and meteorology to Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased standard and some experience of using this knowledge practically before attending this preparation course. It is essential that you have a working knowledge of the collision regulations. To aid your revision we have listed some of the rules at;

Useful Pre-Course Reading ; As Advanced powerboat (above).

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