Powerboating Adult

"A powerboat is any open craft driven by power" This includes anything from a small outboard tender through open displacement craft to high powered, high speed planing craft. Every day the number of people driving powerboats increases. Uses range from professional through various leisure uses to using powerboats for teaching purposes.

Powerboating as an activity has become much more popular and at SailCork we pioneered structured courses to teach powerboat owners, instructors, club safety boat drivers, rescue services and commercial users- whatever you do in powerboating we have a course for you!! The team of powerboat instructors is led by Eddie English who established Ireland's first powerboat training centre at SailCork where we have been training powerboaters of all levels and powerboat instructors since 1991. SailCork is the only year round, full time professionally run powerboat school in Cork Harbour.

"Expert training by full time professionals" Obviously powered craft can be dangerous because of the high power available and safety and seamanship are of utmost importance. SailCork has developed a professional teaching programme to help powerboat users to advance quickly in total safety. Our aim is to provide safe, enjoyable tuition afloat and ashore.

National Powerboat Scheme 

The National Powerboat  Scheme will allow you to learn and develop your skills from absolute beginner to expert, in the type of powered craft that you want to drive. The syllabus of the National Powerboat Scheme is followed but a programme can be built to suit any powerboat needs. All certified courses are recognised by the ISA.  

Introduction to Powerboating The aim of this course is to provide a brief taste of Powerboating for beginners.
National Powerboat Course  By the end of this two day course the successful participant will be capable of helming without supervision in good conditions and familiar waters. Both of the above courses are usually taken together as a two day course. 

Safety Boat Course By the end of this course, the successful candidate will have a wide range of boat handling techniques and experience in the provision of safety cover for sailing events.

Recreational Powerboat Course (Intermediate Course): This is an improver course for those who have Level 2 and who want to drive a boat better and safer as well as navigation by day.

Advanced Powerboat Course By the end of this course, the successful participant will have a sound introduction to using fast open boats at sea- by day and night

Click to see POWERBOAT INSTRUCTOR COURSES

2010 schedule- click here                                                              Full Details of Syllabus and times for each course- click here.

All courses at SailCork use a variety of powered craft - both planing and displacement. Courses take place at East Ferry Marina in Cobh. We also run courses at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven and Baltimore and Crookhaven in West Cork.

The Day:
Two day powerboat courses usually run from 1000-1800 on Saturday and 1000 to 1700 on Sunday. In the summer months we run evening courses over 3 evenings. (1800 to 2215.) Courses begins with a briefing with the Senior Instructor which explains the course syllabus and the course layout. We then cover the shorebased elements of the course - meteorology, tides and chartwork. After preparing the crew and the boat we spend most of the rest of the course afloat. On most of our courses the second day involves a daytrip when we employ our new skills and enjoy powerboating!!

SailCork Pro runs courses for watersports clubs, angling clubs, fishery boards, fire brigades, police forces, rescue units, government agencies etc using powered craft of any type at any location in Ireland or abroad using our own or other craft. We can design and build a syllabus to suit your needs using our tried and tested teaching methods. Details on request.

Professional Learning Environment:

Ashore: The shorebased sections of our courses take place in fully equipped, dedicated classrooms using the most up to date teaching methods and equipment.

Afloat: Our "outdoor classroom" is Cork Harbour. One of the worlds finest harbours it offers the wide variety of conditions and situations necessary to run our powerboat courses. We work in areas from busy shipping lanes and bustling yacht race courses to secluded wooded creeks and golden sandy beaches.

What to bring:
1. Plenty of warm clothes (including hat and gloves) + a change of clothes.
2. Booties or soft shoes and seaboots.
3. Waterproofs or oilskins.
4. Safety Boat courses and instructor courses you will be required to go in the water- so a wetsuit or drysuit is necessary.
5. Buoyancy aid or lifejacket- will be provided if necessary - please let us know
6. Pencil and paper to take notes - a powerboat logbook will be needed €10. It is necessary that you purchase "Start Powerboating" at €14 or the comprehensive book on powerboating the "Powerboat Handbooks" at `€ 20 . Charts of the area are also available at € 24 (Available from SailCork )

Have a look at this video of Interceptor Boats - we use this training ground too! Click here

Special Junior (under 16) Powerboat Course: Details please click here Courses are run monthly during the summer and at all school holidays including mid- term.

Special courses in Crookhaven 2010
o National Powerboat Course (Level 1+2) and Junior Powerboat Course (Beginners/Improvers) in July 
  

Special courses in Baltimore 2010
o We have had a very special relationship with Baltimore for many years and we have been running powerboat courses there since 2002. We will be running the National Powerboat Course in June and a full series of courses in August including National Powerboat Course, Junior Powerboat Course, Safety boat and Advanced Powerboating .

 

 

Eddie English Blog