RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman Course

Who is this course for?

This course is ideal if you are either new to boating and want to learn and gain confidence (perhaps a new boat owner or before a holiday hire), or if you’re more experienced and want to brush-up on your skills.  As an RYA recognised training centre, this course follows the RYA syllabus and participants are awarded the RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman’s Certificate upon successful completion.

What does the course involve?

Inland waterways are a relaxing place to go boating and the course has the same feel. There is no exam. You’ll gain a huge amount of hands-on experience with your instructor, who will assess and help your progress throughout the two days of the course.

This is a highly practical course spent entirely on our training boat, with the majority of the time out on the water.  We have an incredible ‘training area’ on our doorstep that includes, wide locks, tunnels, bridges, a small aqueduct, a foot swing bridge, and a road swing bridge. If time allows, we can even include the incredible Foxton Locks.

The course will cover:

• Boating Safety
• Pre-start checks
• Getting underway
• Boat control, speed and steering techniques
• Stopping in a hurry!
• Mooring up and leaving a mooring
• Navigating bridges and tunnels
• Locks and using them safely
• Operating swing-bridges
• Ropework and knots
• Crew communication
• Boating etiquette

All these aspects will be discussed in theory and carried out practically during your two days out on the water.

About our training boat

Ordinarily, your course will be on our dedicated training boat, ‘Gwendoline May’. (Note: We can arrange training on your own boat, please see here for more information). As well as being a lovely boat to handle, Gwendoline May is fully fitted out as a ‘floating classroom’. Onboard she has everything you’ll need by way of teaching aids, training props, and equipment to help you get an understanding and hands-on experience with all aspects of the course. She also doesn’t mind the occasional bump!

What’s provided (& included)

• RYA Inland Waterways course book
• RYA Certificate (on completion)
• Endless teas, coffees and biscuits
• Small ‘class size’. A maximum of three students
• The same fully qualified RYA instructor throughout your course
• Free parking

What you need to provide

• Your lunch
• Warm comfortable clothing & footwear
• Waterproof clothing (ideally including trousers)
• Enthusiasm!

When do the courses run?

We schedule a number of courses throughout the lighter months of the year.  You can view the full list of pre-set dates on our booking calendar. However, if none of the dates suit you we can normally arrange any alternate date. Please just get in touch. The only pre-requisite is that we need a minimum of two students to run a course.

Here’s a few common questions:

• Will I be with other students? We need a minimum of 2 students to run the course and a maximum of 3 to comply with the RYA’s student/instructor ratio. So ordinarily, you will enjoy your days with other likeminded students.
• Can I book a private course? Yes, we can arrange a ‘bespoke booking’ so long as there are at least 2 of you for the course. Please read more details here.
• Can I do the course on my own boat? There are a few considerations, but normally yes. Please read the full details here.