Training does not always mean on-board tuition. Perfect for the colder months when boating becomes the realm of those with polar bear constitutions, your time could instead be well invested doing an RYA shore based course or support course. Adrian Porter reports.

Shorebased

RYA shore based courses are designed to decode the black arts of navigation, pilotage, passage planning and meteorology and are taught in a focused environment, away from the water.

The main courses are: Basic Navigation and Safety, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore and Yachtmaster Ocean.

Is it really possible to teach boaters the basics of powerboating and navigation in just two days? Boat Mart sent Adrian Porter to Powerboat Training UK in Poole to find out.

The problem with having an experienced crew of people on Boat Mart magazine’s writing staff is that it can be hard to assess a boating training course from a novice’s point of view. This is where I come in. My dirty secret (well, the one I am currently willing to share) is that my experience of powerboating only amounts to some spells as a young teen, carting my family in our tender to and from the family’s boat. To make things right with the world, and to stop the rest of the magazine’s journalists putting razor blades in my tea, it was time to ramp up my expertise in this area of boating.

Cobbs Quay

I travelled to the Powerboat Training Centre at Cobbs Quay Marina in Poole, where I was to attend the Powerboat Level Two course, otherwise known as the National Powerboat course. It requires no experience or prior knowledge and yet promises to impart all the skills necessary to pilot your own boat with confidence, in just two days.

It’s a steep claim and yet the only thing asked of you is that you practise four knots: the clove hitch, the round turn & two half hitches, the sheet bend and the bowline. Instructions on how to tie them are sent out to all course participants prior to the start date and, thanks to a bit of practice, I started the course with a smug inner glow and extraordinarily secure shoelaces.

My fellow powerboat trainee, Alistair Sutherland, had already arrived when I walked in, and was attending to a coffee. The course is limited to a maximum of three learners per instructor, so boating groups are always small. I was greeted by the smiling figure of Don Roper, our powerboat instructor for the next two days. Mug of much needed caffeine in hand, the Powerboat Level Two course officially began.

The best thing about learning to sail on holiday is that you return home refreshed and relaxed, but with a skill that can lead to new friendships and new horizons.

The colourful and vibrant seaside town of Brighton attracts sailors at all levels of competency and beginners are particularly welcome. At the Neilson Activity Holidays HQ, which is situated on the superb Brighton Marina, SailnetUK provide RYA courses for the complete novice as well as those with more experience. The qualified skippers train groups of up to five on 8m Sigma yachts, and a four-day RYA Learn to Sail course costs from £365. Comfortable accommodation can make your holiday, and SailnetUK have teamed up with the waterside Seattle Hotel to offer an all inclusive RYA accredited sailing course package.

If you are chasing the sun as well as a qualification then take a look at the Mark Warner Sailing Holidays and RYA courses in Greece, Corsica and Egypt. A two week holiday for a family of four at the Lakitiri Beach resort in Greece will cost from £2,740. You get lots for your money as the package includes flights, transfers to the resort, half board accommodation, sailing and windsurfing with tuition as well as tennis and a full activities programme that includes aerobics and childcare for the over twos.

Once you have a fully insured boat, kitted out with the necessary gizmos, you're pretty much ready to go. All you need now is some basic knowledge about emergency procedure to protect yourself and your crew if things go wrong.

Boating is fun, plain and simple. It's not often that we think about what can go wrong - and why would we? When we hop aboard for a trip around the bay or to our favourite cruising ground, the sun is shining and we are out to relax, danger is the last thing on our mind. Ask yourself, how many times have you been out on a boat without a lifejacket or first aid kit in sight? Be honest, because if you are similar to the bulk of the boating population, 'plenty of times' is probably the answer. One of the worst possible scenarios that can happen on board (other than a man overboard) is if you (the helm) are totally incapacitated by an accident or medical condition, leaving your inexperienced crew unexpectedly in charge. How are they going to cope? So, this information is both for you, the safety conscious boat owner and your crew - the ones who run around hanging fenders, chucking and catching ropes and keeping the helm refreshed. These are usually friends, family or partners, many of whom will have limited boating experience. Think of the guidelines below as basic self preservation. It's in your interest to know how to deal with the helm being out of action. If you find yourself in charge of the boat and having to deal with a casualty then the priorities are outlined below.

1. Control the boat

Bring the vessel gently to a slow speed. Make sure it's not too fast as this may cause further injuries. Then bring the throttle to neutral. Have a good look around. Are you safe where you are for a few moments? If you are near the shore and you know how to, consider dropping the anchor. If not and there is no immediate danger, quickly assess the situation.