RYA Shorebased Courses
We run the full range of RYA shorebased courses from our base in Rhu Marina and take a great pride in ensuring that the courses use first rate equipment, with highly knowledgeable instructors, in professional well resourced classrooms.
We schedule dates throughout the year for courses, but if the dates don’t quite work for you then do contact us as we may be able to arrange something to suit. VHF, Essential Navigation & Seamanship, Day Skipper and Yacht Master Theory are all also available online through Ardent Training. For clubs and commercial organisation we can always schedule courses to suit you. We can also organise a private course for any of our shorebased courses in our classroom in Rhu
Read the RYA information sheets to help you work out which shorebased course is best for you. Please do not hesitate to contact us about the shorebased courses or to discuss which suit you best.
RYA Essential Navigation & Seamanship
General Information
This course can be a 2-day classroom course, or an online course.
A perfect introduction to navigation and safety awareness, this course is ideal for powerboat skippers, dinghy cruisers, sea anglers, divers, or anyone wanting an introduction to navigation before progressing on to one of the more advanced navigation courses.
We will provide you with the course pack, which includes a chart, plotter, dividers, course handbook, exercises and link to the Electronic Chart Plotter.
Pre-requisites: none
Course Details
What's Included: 2 days tuition with light refreshmenets throughout, use of plotters & dividers, RYA Training Almanac, RYA Essential Navigation & Seamanship shorebased pack & notes
What to bring with you: Cash for lunch (at Cafe Rhu or in Helensburgh); pencil & notepad
Please contact us if you wish to do this course as a 2 day classroom course
RYA Day Skipper Theory
6 days £400
General Information
This six day course is a comprehensive introduction to chart work, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship. You will find this course invaluable if you want to learn to start making decisions onboard in terms of safety, passage making, etc.
Pre-requisites
None, though you will find it helpful to have completed the Essential Navigation Course
This course can be arranged as an Offsite or a Private Course
RYA Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Theory
6 days £400
General Information
An advanced six day navigation course, this is aimed at those who have already successfully completed the Day Skipper theory course or are of equivalent standard. The course will give students the skills required to successfully navigate a vessel on coastal or offshore passages by day and night.
The syllabus is designed to take your theory knowledge to the standard required for sitting the Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore practical exams, concentrating on advanced navigation and meteorology skills. Included in the course fee is your RYA course pack, including charts, an exercise book and the course notes.
Pre-requisites
A very solid knowledge of Chartwork, IRPCS and Meteorology necessary (and ideally a couple of years of practical boating experience).
This course can be arranged as an Offsite or a Private Course
RYA VHF Radio
General Information
1 day classroom theory course £100pp + exam fee [including 3 hours home study before the course, plus additional exam time, 2 hours approx.] Study for this course can also be done online if you prefer
This radio operator qualification authorises the holder to operate a short range marine VHF radio, both with or without Digital Selective Calling (DSC) on board any British vessel that is voluntarily fitted with radio equipment. This qualification is a legal requirement for marine VHF users throughout the world. It is also useful to know what to do if you ever require assistance.
Once you have completed the course, there are 2 exam options available;
Be examined on the same day, 1700 hrs. to approx. 1900 hrs. This will be in a group no greater than 4, by an examiner other than your instructor.
Arrange another day with us to be examined, by an examiner other than your instructor.
Pre-requisites: minimum age 16
This course can be arranged as an Offsite or a Private Course
RYA Radar
1 day £120
General Information
This one-day course is now practised in our classroom using our real-life simulator. Cruising boats increasingly have radar on board. The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea state that if you have radar, you must know how to use it. Radar is probably the most versatile of all electronic navigation aids, but the best results are only obtained when you know how to use all the functions correctly. It is not an all-seeing eye, and can easily mislead those who do not understand its controls, allow for its limitations, or know how to interpret its picture.
Course topics include:
how the radar set works
how its adjustments and features affect the way it works
target definition
radar reflectors
types of radar display
radar plotting
the use of radar in navigation and collision avoidance
Pre-requisites: None, although a basic knowledge of navigation is helpful
This course can be arranged as an Offsite or a Private Course
RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance
1 day £100
General Information
This course teaches you how your diesel engine works, how to keep it healthy by using basic checks and maintenance procedures, and how to get it started again in the event of a breakdown.
Whether you sail a yacht with an auxiliary diesel engine or are a motor cruising enthusiast, this course could not just save you money but one day could save your life. The course is taught using a variety of powerpoints, videos, and hands -on time with a training engine in the classroom. During the course we look at the following;
4 stroke cycle
Fuel systems
Air systems
Oil Systems
Water systems
Preventative maintenance
How to change fuel filters
Diesel Bug
and more
Pre-requisites: none
This course can be arranged as an Offsite or a Private Course
Download RYA Course Outline
RYA Sea Survival
1 day £150
General Information
This one day RYA course is for offshore race crews, leisure sailors, cruising yachts, professional seafarers and commercial operators. It covers essential sea survival skills. If disaster happened at sea, would you know what to do?
Our RYA Sea Survival training course assumes the worst case scenario: that you have to abandon your boat or ship. The Sea Survival course equips students with a grounding in core safety and survival techniques with some practical, hands-on demonstrations.
Pre-requisites: none
This course can be arranged as an Offsite Course if there are suitable premises for training, and access to a suitable swimming pool. It is not suitable for Private 1:1 training
Download RYA Course Outline
RYA First Aid
1 day £100
This one-day course will provide you with a basic knowledge of First Aid and is aimed at people who will be using small craft at sea.
The course is equally suitable for leisure sailors and motor boaters and fulfils the requirements for professional skippers of small craft working up to 60 miles from a safe haven.
Pre-requisites: none
Download the RYA Course Outline
This course can be arranged as an Offsite or a Private Course