Powerboat Courses

Powerboating as an activity has become more and more popular and at SailCork we pioneered structured courses to teach powerboat owners, instructors, club safety boat drivers, rescue services and commercial users- so call us today we have a course for you!! Our chief Powerboat Instructor Eddie English is the leading trainer of instructors in Ireland and is the person who brought the National Powerboat Scheme to Ireland over 15 yrs ago

"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. "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. International Sailing have developed a professional teaching programme to help powerboat users to advance quickly in total safety. The team of powerboat instructors is led by Eddie English who established Ireland's first powerboat training centre at SailCork in Cobh. Our aim is to provide safe, enjoyable tuition afloat and ashore - we have trained powerboaters since 1991 - the longest established and leading powerboat school in Ireland.

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 and the RYA.

We are available to run special 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.

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

The Day:
Two day powerboat courses usually run from 0930-1800 on Saturday and 1000 to 1730 on Sunday. This year we will also be running a number of evening courses over 3 evenings. These will run from 1800 to 2215.

The course begins with a briefing with the Duty Instructor which explains the course syllabus and the course layout. We then cover the shorebased element 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 go to a destination for lunch - employing our new skills and enjoying powerboating!!

Introduction to Powerboating and National Powerboat Cert. ( Level 2 ) : Course fee €385 Candidates will require a POWERBOAT LOGBOOK (€10) for certification and support publication - the POWERBOAT HANDBOOK (€25) (excellent publications)

Weekend courses run Sat 0930 -1800 and Sunday 1000- 1800 Evenings 1800-2215

All courses held at East Ferry Marina Cobh unless otherwise stated

• 2007 26 courses successfully run in 2007! (Over 250 satisfied customers!)
• 2008 - all courses at East Ferry, Cobh unless otherwise stated
• May 10+11 or 24+25
• June 7+8 or 14+15 (Baltimore) or 21+22
• July 5+6 or 19+20 or 26+27 (Crookhaven)
• August 9+10 or 23+24
• Other dates available soon - 2 courses per month

Special Junior (under 16) Powerboat Course Level 1-2: Course pr

ice €275

• 2008 June 11+12 (Crosshaven)

Intermediate courses

Recreational Powerboat course Course price €385

• May 31/June1
• Other dates available soon

Safety Boat Course - Course price €385

• June 28/29
• Other dates available soon

Advanced Powerboat Course: Course fee €450

• DATES For the Summer TBA

• See bottom of page for Instructor Courses

• Special courses in Crookhaven: 26/27 July 2008
• In conjunction with Crookhaven Harbour Sailing Club we wii run a series of courses in Crookhaven in late July.

• Special courses in Baltimore: 14/15 June 2008

• We have had a very special relationship with Baltimore for many years and we have been running powerboat courses there for 7 years. We will be running the National Powerboat Course in June and a full series of courses in August..

Special Junior (under 16) Powerboat Course : 2 Days 10:00 to 16:30

Provides a practical introduction to boat handling skills in open power driven craft. We offer three different levels for juniors - beginner, improver and advanced
Course contents: 1. Launch and recovery. 2. Preparation of boat and crew 3. Boat handling. 4. Leaving and coming alongside. 5. Being towed.

Introduction to Powerboating:(Level 1) (Included in all level 2 courses) 2 Days

Provides a practical introduction to boat handling skills in open power driven craft.

Course contents:

National Powerboat Certificate:(Level2) 2 Days 0930-1800(Sat) 1000-1800 (Sun)

Provides a thorough insight to boat handling and the associated background knowledge. (Mandatory for all sailing/windsurfing instructors) All our courses include the coastal endorsement.

Course contents:

Safety Boat Course: 2 Days
Provides a thorough insight into safety and rescue techniques and a practical introduction to the techniques needed by sailing/windsurfing club/school safety boat crews. (Level 2 a pre-requisite)

Course contents:

Recreational Powerboat Course (Intermediate Course): 2 Days

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. Covers the practical use of pilotage and passage planning by day on coastal waters, using both traditional and electronic navigational techniques

Contents: 1.Preparation - boat + crew. 2 Boat handling. 3. Basic Navigation 4. Safety at sea 5.Towing. 6.End of day procedures. 7. Adverse weather 8.Suitability of craft. 9. Local factors FeeÛ350

Advanced Powerboat Course:
The special course for the powerboat enthusiast. The aim is to teach boat handling, seamanship, pilotage and navigation required to drive a planing powerboat safely by day and by night in coastal waters. Candidates must be competent to at least level 2 and with a background in navigation and chartwork to Dayskipper standard.

Powerboat Instructor Course:

Provides the competent and experienced powerboat handler (Level 2 and 5 seasons experience a prerequisite) with the training to teach powerboating up to the standard of ISA Powerboat Level 2 under the supervision of the Principal of an ISA recognised teaching establishment.( 4 day course)

Safety Boat Instructor

Two day course to train safety boat instructors. Prerequisite - Safety boat certificate and Powerboat Instructor.

Advanced Powerboat Instructor

3 day course to train to the most advanced level. Prerequitsite - Powerboat Instructor, Advanced Power Boat cert., Navigation/pilotage to Day Skipper standard and VHF Cert.

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.

Powerboat Instructor: WATCH THIS SPACE FOR DATES Course fee €450

Safety Boat Instructor: WATCH THIS SPACE FOR DATES €350

Recreational Powerboat Instructor WATCH THIS SPACE FOR DATES €350

Advanced Instructor: WATCH THIS SPACE FOR DATES 2008 €400

What to bring: