While most of us are conscious that the RYA Level 1 and 2 Powerboat certificate is an ideal entry-level introduction to the regular everyday knowledge we need in order to enjoy our boats, the sheer scope of courses on offer is less well understood. From servicing diesel engines to surviving at sea, communicating by VHF, learning first aid and getting to grips with radar, our learning process as a skipper is limited only by our own imagination. For the more creative among us, there are even courses on more specific disciplines like multihulls, dinghies and racing. To help kickstart the next stage of your development as a skipper, what follows is a brief look at some of the more interesting courses you might want to consider.

RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman’s Course

A one-day course designed for those wanting to cruise the UK’s and Europe’s network of canals and rivers for both narrowboat and cruiser owners.

RYA Helmsman’s Course

A two-day introduction course, ideal for new boat owners, covering boat handling, helmsmanship, basic engine maintenance and safety.

RYA Start Yachting

A two-day introduction course to sail cruising for beginners, covering steering, sail handling, ropework and safety. You never know. You might even like it . . .

RYA Day Skipper Practical Course

This four-day course (tidal or non-tidal) gives you the chance to take charge on short passages under instruction. You concentrate on pilotage, boat handling, seamanship and navigation, giving you the ability to skipper in familiar waters by day.

RYA Skipper Practical Course
This is a five-day course for motor cruiser skippers looking to take both day and night coastal passages. You will skipper a passage in a variety of situations and learn more about safety, passage planning, pilotage by day and night, boat handling and emergency situations.
RYA Day Skipper Shore-based Course
A comprehensive introduction to chartwork, navigation, meteorology and the basics of seamanship. You will find this course invaluable if you want to learn how to start making decisions on board, and if you are considering taking the Day Skipper practical course. A minimum of 40 hours and two assessment papers.
RYA Yachtmaster
This represents the holy grail for a great many skippers but you need plenty of experience and sea time.
RYA Level 1 Powerboat Course
This one-day course covers basic boat handling, safety and theory, including launching and recovering a boat from a road trailer, everyday boat handling and the use of basic boat safety equipment.
RYA Level 2 Powerboat Course
This two-day course (inland or coastal) provides the skills and background knowledge needed to helm a powerboat and also acts as the basis for the International Certificate of Competence. It includes close quarters handling, high-speed manoeuvres, man overboard recovery and collision regulations.
RYA Intermediate Powerboat Course
This two-day course covers practical use of navigation and passage planning by day on coastal waters, using both traditional and electronic navigational techniques.
RYA Advanced Powerboat Course
This two-day course provides the skills and background knowledge needed to drive a powerboat by day or night in known or unfamiliar waters. It also covers the skipper’s role and boat handling in more demanding conditions.
RYA Competent Crew Course
This five-day course is for sail boat beginners and for those who would like to become active crewmembers. Among other things, it teaches you how to steer, handle sails, keep a lookout and row a dinghy.
Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased Course
This is ideal training for candidates of the Coastal Skipper practical course and the Yachtmaster Offshore exam. Some revision of the Day Skipper course is included, plus more advanced skills in offshore and coastal navigation by day and night, pilotage and meteorology.
RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Sailing Course
This is a five-day advanced skippering course that expects you to have at least 15 days sail cruising experience, with two days as a skipper, 300 miles under your belt and eight night hours. At the end of the training you could expect to skipper a yacht on coastal passages in daylight and at night.
Marine Radio Short Range Certificate
The Short Range Certificate (SRC) is the radio operator qualification that authorises the holder to operate a VHF Radio telephone fitted with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) on board any British vessel that is voluntarily fitted with radio equipment. If you own a marine radio (handheld or fixed), you are required by law to hold an operator’s licence. This one-day examined course helps you learn the procedures for operation and gain that vital qualification.
RYA First Aid Course
A one-day course designed to provide a working knowledge of first aid for people using small craft and to support skippers.
The Diesel Engine Course
This one-day course provides an awareness of the main systems of a marine diesel engine. It gives you the ability to take simple measures to prevent mechanical breakdown at sea and to rectify defects that do not require workshop support.
The Basic Sea Survival Course
Yachting is one of the safest leisure sporting activities and 99.9 per cent of yachtsmen will never use their liferaft. However, it is a well-proven fact that in the event of an emergency at sea, people who have received training are more likely to survive. This one-day course covers preparation for survival, lifejackets, medical issues and search and rescue techniques. It is  a must for any serious cruiser.
The Radar Course
The International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea state that if you have a radar on board, you must know how to use it. The aim of this one-day course is to teach students of both sail and motorboats to use small boat radar to assist decision-making in navigation, pilotage and collision avoidance.

For more information about the full range of RYA courses and about qualified instructors near you, visit the RYA website - www.rya.org.uk.