MCA RYA Motor Boat Training

The RYA Motorboat training courses are run by SeaRegs Training on either a Lochin 33 or Halmatic 10 motorboat. We train groups and individuals and often tailor our training to meet your specific requirements. MCA Boatmaster training is tailored to your needs and MCA requirements. We offer motor boat training on our boat or yours.

The instructors: The most important part of the SeaRegs training group are our instructors. They are first class. All are RYA/MCA Instructors and the majority are also RYA/MCA Examiners. They are picked not because of their qualification but because they are experienced seafarers and most importantly patient and effective instructors. They are there to help you achieve your aim.

An introduction to Motor Cruising with the aim of being a useful crew member and being able to assist the helm. Ideal for introducing family and friends to crewing a motor boat or for anyone looking at working on a boat but have little or no experience.

Previous experience:None
Assumed knowledge:None
Cost:£200
Duration:1 Day (2 days if accompanying another course)
Content:Personal safety, seamanship, dealing with emergency situations, coming alongside, picking up a mooring, anchoring, rope work and helming.
Commercial use:None – although many deck crew undertake this course for vessel familiarity and to show a level of knowledge.
Pre reading:

This course is an ideal introduction for new owners or crew.

Previous experience:None
Assumed knowledge:None
Duration:2 Days
Cost:£400
Please note accommodation is not included in the course.
Content:Types of craft, engines and drives, engine operation and checks, basic seamanship, safety, boat handling, man overboard and coming alongside.

Assessment:Continual training and assessment
Commercial use:None – although many deck crew undertake this course for vessel familiarity and to show a level of knowledge.
Pre-reading:

This course is for new skippers who intend to undertake short passages in familiar waters by day. It covers boat handling, navigation and skippering techniques to run your own boat. You should also have 2 days practical experience on a motor cruiser. it can be combined with the Helmsman course into a 5 day course.

If it’s help with navigation that you need, you should take our Day Skipper shorebased course (see our shorebased courses page).

Previous experience:2 Days afloat
Assumed knowledge: Navigation to Day Skipper shore based standard
Duration:4 days
Cost:£725
Please note accommodation is not included in the course.
Content:Preparation for sea, boat handling, navigation, pilotage, passage making, meteorology, IRPCS, engines, emergencies and night cruising.
Assessment:Continual training and assessment
Commercial use:When commercially endorsed qualifies holder to skipper a commercial vessel up to 24m in length in Category 6 (3 miles NDP daylight) or 5 (20 miles NDP daylight) waters. (Cat 5 when combined with day skipper theory certificate)
Pre-reading:RYA Day Skipper Motor Cruising online RYA book shop.

Previous seatime and qualifications:15 days, 2 days as skipper, 300 miles, 8 night hours. VHF/SRC licence, STCW or RYA First Aid certificate.
Assumed knowledge:Boat handling to the standard of the Day Skipper motor and navigation to the standard of the Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster theory
Cost:£1000 per person including accommodation.
Duration:5 days  We also tailor make courses to fit around your needs so please contact us to discuss your requirements. 1:1 courses available on request.
Content:Passage planning, preparation for sea, pilotage, passage making and ability as a skipper, radar, boat handling, adverse weather conditions, emergency situations.
Assessment: continual training and assessment.
Commercial use: New pre-requesite for Officer of the Watch 3000 followed by the MCA/RYA Yachtmaster Coastal Certificate of Competence. The Coastal Skipper course can be used to reduce the mileage requirements for the CoC.
Pre-reading:RYA Day Skipper Motor Cruising online RYA book shop. RYA Navigation Manual, IRPCS, RYA Weather Manual.

Come join us on Knights Challenge, our Lochin 33 motorboat, for 5 days of preparation running into your Yachtmaster Coastal Exam.

Please note it is absolutely essential that your shorebased knowledge is up to Yachtmaster standard, and not meeting this requirement is likely to prevent you from passing your exam. Our shorebased courses can be found here.

Previous seatime and qualifications:30 days, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles, 12 night hours (if you hold the Coastal Skipper course certificate this is reduced to 20 days, 2 days as skipper, 400 miles, 12 night hours). Half the qualifying sea time must be conducted in tidal waters.  VHF/SRC licence, STCW or RYA First Aid certificate.
Assumed knowledge:Navigation to Coastal/Yachtmaster shore based standard
Cost:£800 per person, plus RYA MCA exam fee £193
Please note accommodation is not included in the course.
Duration:5 days (4 days plus 1 for the exam). We also tailor make courses to fit around your needs so please contact us to discuss your requirements. 1:1 prep course tuition is £800 for 2 days plus a charter fee of £200 for the boat only for the exam day.
Content:There is no fixed syllabus for this course. We try to focus on areas that you need to work on, and that the examiners tend to look at during the exam. We go through usual preparation subjects such as radar, boat handling, day and night pilotage, passage making, meteorology, IRPCS, engines, emergencies and using tides.
Assessment:Practical examination by external examiner on the last day/night
Commercial use:When commercially endorsed qualifies holder to skipper a commercial vessel up to 24m in length in Category 3 waters (20 miles from a safe haven).
Pre-reading:RYA Day Skipper Motor Cruising online RYA book shop. RYA Navigation Manual, IRPCS, RYA Weather Manual.

Come join us on Knights Challenge, our Lochin 33 motorboat, for 5 days of preparation running into your Yachtmaster Offshore Exam.

Please note it is absolutely essential that your shorebased knowledge is up to Yachtmaster standard, and not meeting this requirement is likely to prevent you from passing your exam. Our shorebased courses can be found here.

Previous seatime and qualifications: 50 days sea time, 5 days as skipper, 2500 miles, 5 passages over 60 miles including 2 as skipper and 2 overnight (half the seatime must be in tidal waters). VHF/SRC licence, STCW or RYA First Aid certificate.
Assumed knowledge: Navigation to Coastal/Yachtmaster shore based standard
Cost: £800 per person, plus RYA MCA exam fee £224
Please note accommodation is not included in the course.
Duration: 5 days (4 days plus 1 for the exam). We also tailor make courses to fit around your needs so please contact us to discuss your requirements. 1:1 prep course tuition is £800 for 2 days plus a charter fee of £200 for the boat only for the exam day.
Content: There is no fixed syllabus for this course. We try to focus on areas that you need to work on, and that the examiners tend to look at during the exam. We go through usual preparation subjects such as radar, boat handling, day and night pilotage, passage making, meteorology, IRPCS, engines, emergencies and using tides.
Assessment: Practical examination by external examiner on the last day/night
Commercial use: When commercially endorsed qualifies holder to skipper a commercial vessel up to 24m in length in Category 1 waters (150 miles from a safe haven).
Pre-reading: RYA Day Skipper Motor Cruising online RYA book shop. RYA Navigation Manual, IRPCS, RYA Weather Manual.

Previous seatime and qualifications: RYA Yachtmaster Offshore – Power with a commercial endorsement, RYA knowledge check and PPR course. Experienced skipper.
Assumed knowledge: Navigation to Coastal/Yachtmaster shore based standard
Cost: £850 per person
Duration: 4 days (3 days plus 1 for the moderation).
Content: Teaching methods, debriefing, contents and syllabus of G158 log book, RYA system, communication skills, practical teaching and navigation instruction.
Assessment: continual training and assessment by trainer and external moderation by another trainer on the last day.
Commercial use: Allows a Cruising Instructor to teach RYA Start Motor Cruising, Helmsman and Day Skipper practical courses at an RYA Training Centre.
Pre-reading: RYA Motor Cruising Logbook and RYA Cruising Instructors logbook.

The boat In the 1980’s, the R.N.L.I. chose the Lochin 33 as the basis for the ‘Brede Class’ Lifeboat and these craft served them well for almost 20 years. The same craft were adopted by the South African equivalent of the R.N.L.I. known as the National Sea Rescue Institute (N.S.R.I.). The Lochin 33 were also built for pilot’s, police patrol craft and passenger carriers as well as many charter and leisure vessels. Our Lochin 33, ‘Knights Challenge’,was built in 1990 and has a long wheelhouse, safe stable working deck and twin Yanmar diesel engines on shaft drives. She is equipped with chartplotter, colour radar, AIS, Navtex, intercom, autopilot and twin VHF radios. She is Category 2 commercially coded (up to 60 miles) for up to 8 persons. She is a training boat, so she has some knocks and scratches and you might put some there too, but we keep her mechanically well maintained, clean and with an ample supply of tea and coffee.

The training We teach a maximum of 4 students onboard and often have smaller groups. Personalised tuition is available either for RYA/MCA courses or for improving your skills: 1:1 tuition onboard costs £425 per day or 2:1 tuition is £300 per person per day. Costs include fuel, a working lunch, snacks, tea & coffee, mooring fees etc. Courses are non residential, so accommodation is required locally.

RYA MCA Commercial Endorsement

This is an endorsement to the Powerboat level 2, Day Skipper practical, Advanced Powerboat, Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore or Ocean certificates so that they can be used on small commercial vessels up to 24m  (200GT YM Offshore and Ocean).
You will need:
a valid and RYA approved First Aid,
STCW/RYA Personal Survival Techniques,
PPR (Professional Practices and Responsibilities) certificate
and a valid medical (ENG1 or ML5).

These certificates and your certificate of competence are sent to the RYA with a small fee for commercial endorsement. We can help or advise with all of these.
Pre reading: RYA Commercial regulations for small commercial vessels