What courses do you offer and what are the differences between them?
CSC Powerboat Duties Course
This course is designed to help club members gain familiarity with the commando powerboats used for duties. The course includes boat handling, recovery techniques and righting capsized boats correctly. This is an important course for members who wish to undertake club safety boat duties. The Chipstead Powerboat Duties course is free to members on the understanding that they will complete their duties as powerboat helms. No previous experience or qualifications are necessary.
The minimum age is limited to 18 years. The course does not attract any formal qualifications, but successful completion will allow members to be rostered for powerboat duties.
RYA Powerboat Level 2
This two-day entry level course provides the skills and background knowledge needed to drive a powerboat and is the basis of the International Certificate of Competence (ICC). It focuses on lowspeed and close quarters handling, man overboard recovery, an introduction to driving at planing speed, collision regulations and basic chartwork. Whilst taken on inland water, the course will cover content relevant to coastal waters and your certificate will be valid for both environments. The minimum age is 18 years (16 if taking Dinghy Instructor course at Chipstead). Successful candidates will be issued a qualification which the Training Centre will register online with the RYA.
RYA Safetyboat
This course provides the skills required when acting as an escort craft, safety boat or coach boat for a fleet of dinghies, windsurfers, or canoes, or for racing or training activities. It includes rescue techniques and elements of race management and mark laying. It is highly recommended for powerboat helms, particularly Dinghy Instructors, who have not had training in safety boat skills. The minimum age is 18 years (16 if a Dinghy Instructor). An RYA Powerboat Level 2 qualification is a pre-requisite for candidates and a copy will be requested by the Senior Instructor (if necessary).
Successful candidates will be awarded an RYA certificate.
When is the next course and how do I book on?
The dates for proposed training courses are in the Training Centre’s
course brochure. Both documents are available to download from this website. The usual times of year for powerboat courses are November and February but the Centre will occasionally arrange additional courses to meet demand. All courses are subject to change owing to availability of volunteer instructors and sufficient demand. To book, you will need to apply via Eventbrite. Booking links are sent to members via Webcollect around six weeks prior to courses. Prices are set out in the training brochure and members can access courses at a rate lower than the current commercial cost.
I would like to do my duties in a powerboat. What do I need to do?
The club operates an Authorised Powerboat Helm list which is held centrally and managed between the training team and class captains. To qualify for powerboat duties and therefore become an approved helm, the minimum requirement is to complete and pass the CSC Powerboat Duties Course (see above). No previous experience is necessary. This will permit members to undertake their duties in club commandos.
I already have RYA qualifications and/or experience. Can I undertake duties without doing a course at Chipstead?
The club recognises that members bring a broad range of skills, qualifications, and experience to Chipstead. In circumstances such as these, someone from the Training Centre would need to assess the helm’s ability. The two aspects of helming and recovering people and dinghies safely are taken seriously. If you require an assessment of skills, please contact the Training Centre for a discussion.
Which course is for doing my duties in the club’s two RIBs?
The club operates a policy for RIB helms which broadly stipulates that helms must be: members of the RIB Squad, RYA Powerboat Instructors or any other person authorised by the Training Centre. The RIB Squad is a small group of members who undertake a minimum of four RIB Helm duties each year. Usually, there is need to recruit more members to the squad. Any member who is interested should contact the co-ordinator via chipsteadribsquad@gmail.com.
Sean Chapman
Chief Instructor, Power
November 2023
CSC RYA Training Centre 