Small Boat Navigation Course

Take your first steps in sailing on small boats in Ireland!

The aim of this course is to provide you with the skills and knowledge required to safely navigate a boat by day and by night in coastal waters with which you are familiar. It is intended as preparation for:

• ISA Advanced Powerboat Certificate (open powerboats)
• ISA Advanced Sailing Certificate (sailing dinghies, keelboats, or catamarans)

Previous experience/knowledge required — participants should have completed either:

• ISA National Powerboat Certificate (open powerboats)
• ISA Improving Skills Certificate (sailing dinghies, keelboats, or catamarans)
• ISA Competent Crew Certificate (sailing yachts)
• ISA Helmsman Certificate (motor yachts)

Coastal navigation for small boats must consist of a minimum of eight hours of contact time. However, the length of the course may be extended where it suits or is necessary for participants to take a more relaxed approach to the program.

The course may be broken into modules; however, where this is done, the modules should be of no less than two hours each and spread over no more than two weeks. Additional time may be needed where this approach is taken unless participants are completing exercises as homework.