The majority of people get their first taste of boating by hiring a boat for a holiday or having a day out with friends. Many novice and experienced boaters are self taught and having no training can lead to boaters living with faults and bad habits in boat handling they are not aware of. This can often seriously dent their confidence with some even giving up.

The Norfolk Yacht Agency noticed over the years that people who take training enjoy their boating far more that those who are self taught so they not only recommend but strongly encourage all their customers to take up the full day helmsman course. They were also aware that training should be made available to as many boaters as possible so linked with Norfolk based Royal Yachting Association instructor, Mike Kirk to give training to anyone. Many insurance companies will no longer cover a boat unless its boatmaster has taken some form of training.

Mike says:

"The emphasis of the whole day is about safety; safety of your boat, safety of its crew and safety of the environment and other water users"

The Helmsman course will teach and instruct both newcomers and the more experienced boater in the principles of better and safer boating. On completion students will receive the RYA's Inland Waterways Helmsman's Certificate. At the same time they can also take the written test for the RYA International Certificate of Confidence (ICC) known as CEVNI which is a now a legal necessity in many parts of Europe.

A copy of the RYA Inland Waterways Handbook is included in the cost of the Helmsman's Course and is used during the course.

Normally training takes place using your own boat and is specifically tailored however we do have our own boat for those who want to take up training before buying a boat.

So what is involved