Issue date
We're not all experienced skippers with sea water running through our veins which is why the Coastguard offer own boat tuition courses.
Spring is the perfect time to upskill, especially with the new season kicking off or if you've upgraded during the offseason.
The Coastguard's own boat tuition scheme is where they place an experienced instructor on the owner’s boat and take them through whatever aspects are needed to ensure they can enjoy their vessel and our cruising grounds with confidence.
It could be a good time to practice what you have been learning in classroom courses or simply problem solve the safer operation of your vessel. This is particularly relevant for those who may have upgraded during the off season.
So what would an instructor look like? If you’re thinking of an old school teacher with lots of theory and little practical 'real world' experience or an ex-army drill sergeant barking orders, you couldn’t be further from the truth.
Take Chad Thompson, one of their most active instructors. He qualified as an RYA motor cruising instructor in 2005 and yacht offshore instructor the following year. Those professional teaching skills coupled with a lifetime of sailing and launching up and down the north east coast of the North Island has equipped him perfectly for the role.
Coastguard also offer a brief presentation for yacht club members at a club meeting where they can explain this or any other Coastguard topics that might be of interest.
Practical tuition on your own boat
Aim: To equip skippers and any friends or family with practical skills to operate their own vessel with confidence.
Pre-requisites: None. Those with little or no boating experience are especially welcome.
What sort of boats are suitable?: Virtually any power vessel. Coastguard have worked with owners of 60+' ocean-going motor vessels though to 3m inflatables. They've even assisted yacht owners with their manouvering under power and sail.
Course Content: Totally tailored to suit your individual requirements.
They can cover virtually any aspect of interest. Some of the more popular topics include things like:
- Learning how to launch and retrieve or get in and out of your marina berth with confidence like the pros.
- Manoeuvring in a confined space and coming alongside jetties and other vessels.
- Getting the most of your investment in your electronics.
- Learning how to anchor with that sense of security.
- Helming and trimming the vessel for the most comfortable and economical ride possible.
- Ensuring you understand the "rules of the road".
- Making sure safety gear and emergency procedures are up to scratch.
Their friendly and experienced tutors not only know their stuff but they also know how to teach it. Because of this and the fact that the teaching takes place aboard your own vessel in your own environment, these sessions are incredibly effective. You will come away having had a fun and stress-free time gaining practical skills that you will use for a lifetime.
To find out how it works, download our own boat tuition brochure here.
