Powerboat Training
Coastal Day Cruising Course

Key Course Details

• Duration: 8hrs
• Theory Course (Virtual Classroom) – 3hrs (6-9pm).
• Passage Planning Assignment (2hrs) – self-study (completion prior to practical).
• Practical Course (On Water) – 5hrs – either 7am-12pm or 1pm-6pm.
  • Practical Group Size: 3persons per boat
  • Min Age: from 16
  • Price:   Retail - $325pp    FBC Member - $780 / whole boat

Course Aim

To teach powerboating up to the standard required to complete a short coastal passage by day. In essence this course aims to introduce those boaters who have previously stayed ‘close to home’ to travel that bit further and undertake short coastal passages.

Course Duration

• One Day Session - 8 hrs - 1 days from 9am to 5pm.
• Split Session - 3hrs theory (virtual classroom), passage planning assignment and 5 hrs on-water practical (0800 – 1300)

Instructor to Student Ratio

The RYA teaching ratio is one Instructor to three students to one boat.

Prior Experience Required

Candidates should be holding State Based Recreational Boat Licence and a minimum 12 month practical experience. The course includes time on developing your boat handling we will not have time to develop basic techniques.

Course Dates

Refer to Website – generally.

• Winter Times - April and October we run this course on our boats at least every month.
• Summer Times – October to March – we will run this course only on a split session basis – and hold two practical sessions in one day 0700 – 1230 and 1300 – 1800.
• By Appointment - for groups of 3 other times can be scheduled to suit your diary.

If you are a commercial or governmental organisation or a group of people then we can organise a course to suit you.

The Course

Broadly speaking the course divides into

• Developing the core navigation skills to be able to undertake coastal passages
• Using these skills afloat to undertake a passage/entry to a port safely.

The course will cover the following topics and activities:

Theory Subjects	Practical Activities
Navigation basics – Charts and Plotters Bearing & distance Tides and Open Water Use of almanacs Use of marina locks Latitude & longitude Sources of Weather (forecast & updates) Buoyage Collision Regulations [IRPCS] Waypoints, Routes & Navigation Emergency situations	Boat preparation including kit Crew preparation Stowage Boat handling including effect of waves Rougher conditions Awareness of wind & tide Pilotage Passage Making Man overboard recovery techniques

 

• Theory Session – both a bit of a recap on the theory side and introducing the new / advanced knowledge we need to achieve during the course.
• Passage Planning Exercise – each candidate will look in detail at the areas of passage planning and pilotage so that you have the skills to put it into practice.
• On-Water Practical - time learning new skills such as the ways to use GPS to create effective and rapid position fixes in small open craft. Use the skills developed in theory and assignment to execute pilotage and passage simulation.
• Harbour Location -  one of the great benefit of our training locations in Port Jackson becomes apparent when you undertake a course such as the intermediate course. There are so many harbours, channels and entrances in the areas that we can use to practice the skills that the course develops that it makes using these skills so much easier.
• Coastal Location -  equally, once through the heads the true impact of Open Water / Coastal Passage making at immediate.

Instructors - all experienced and qualified, AMSA Qualified Skippers and Powerboat Instructors (RYA, IYT or Australian Sailing).  Our instructors know the areas where we run these courses very well but critically have real first-hand experience of making passages in small open craft so understand the practicalities and limitations of doing so.