Duration: 1 Day / Age: 8+  / Click for bookings or open course dates
A basic introduction to handling a planing powerboat in coastal waters. This one-day, mainly practical course will show you how to prepare a boat, launch it and introduce you to some simple, safe, seamanship skills. Successful students under 16 will receive an endorsed certificate.

Duration: 2 Day / Age: 12+ / Click for bookings or open course dates
This two-day course will, through sessions mainly afloat, equip you with the background knowledge and basic skills to operate a planing powerboat in a safe seamanlike manner. A favourable teaching ratio of 1:3 will ensure you have maximum hands-on practice driving slow, fast, turning, stopping and also close manoeuvring in a marina. Anchoring, recovering lost ‘crew’ from the water, and practical understanding of buoyage, ‘rule of the road’ and the use and limitations of GPS are all included.
Experienced powerboat handlers may achieve this award by a short, essentially practical, direct assessment. Please contact the centre. Successful students under 16 will receive an endorsed certificate.

Duration: 2 Day / Age: 16+ / Click for bookings or open course dates
This course will introduce and give practice in the shills and techniques required to safely complete a short coastal passage by day in a planing powerboat. Traditional and electronic navigation and pilotage techniques will be introduced ashore and practised extensively afloat. It is strongly recommended that participants hold a current First Aid certificate and VHF Operators licence.
Pre-requisites – Competent to the standard of Powerboat Level 2 with coastal endorsement.

Duration: 2 Day / Age: 17+ / Click for bookings or open course dates
This course will equip you with the boat handling, seamanship, pilotage and navigation skills to the standard required to drive a planing powerboat safely by day or night in coastal waters. A journey in the upper Clyde Estuary will be planned and then executed in darkness by course members.
Pre-requisites – Competent to the standard of the Intermediate Powerboat certificate with a thorough knowledge of chartwork and navigation to the standard of the RYA Day Skipper shorebased course.  Considerable boat handling experience in a variety of conditions is recommended. Participants must hold the VHF Short Range Certificate and a current First Aid certificate.

Duration: 2 Day / Age: 16+ / Click for bookings or open course dates
This two-day course introduces the techniques required to support race management in sailing clubs and escort/provide safety cover to groups of windsurfers, dinghies and canoes. Realistically it is the minimum level of training for those responsible for supervising other people/craft afloat. Afloat and ashore, techniques will be introduced and practised in how to deal with capsizes, stranding on difficult shores, towing, rescuing other water users, communications, search techniques and mark laying.
Pre-requisites – Powerboat Level 2 plus considerable boat handling experience..

Duration: 3 Day / Age: 16+ / Click for bookings or open course dates
This three-day course will introduce you to essential coaching skills, consolidate your background knowledge of powerboating and enable you to instruct Levels 1 & 2 of the National Powerboat Scheme. If you already hold the Safety Boat Award yourself you may be endorsed to teach that as well. Presentation skills ashore, technical knowledge of the subject and safe management of on the water exercises will feature.
Pre-requisites – Minimum age 16, valid First Aid certificate, Powerboat Level 2 with considerable boat handling experience in a variety of conditions.

Duration: 1 Day / Age: 16+  / Click for bookings or open course dates
It is a statutory requirement that a VHF marine transmitter is under the control of a qualified operator.
Recent radical changes in technology and the introduction of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) have meant that a VHF equipped with DSC (Digital Selective Calling) can make very rapid distress calls. When integrated with a GPS, accurate positional information can also be transmitted along with details of the nature of distress, all in a fraction of a second! This ‘hands-on’ course on our computer simulators covers both the operation of DSC equipment and the continuing VHF operation procedures/requirements. The training course will be immediately followed by an exam for the certificate of competence.
Please ensure you bring a passport size photograph of yourself to the course, together with any existing, previous certificate.

Duration: 0.5 Day / Age: 16+  / Click for bookings or open course dates
If you intend to drive a powerboat or sail in certain countries outwith the UK, even if only for a holiday, that country may require you to hold a certificate of competence. The RYA issues to UK citizens the International Certificate of Competence upon receipt of that competence. A Powerboat Level 2 may suffice or, alternatively, a short practical/theory assessment can be under- taken at the centre. Similarly if intending to use inland waterways abroad then knowledge of the CEVNI rules will need to be  demonstrated. A short test can be arranged, either separately or in conjunction with the ICC.
Application form from the RYA or Blairvadach.