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Norfolk Broads Marine Course


Janice

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Hi

Are there any courses around that would teach people the basics of owning your own boat for example how to care for it, all about moorings, marinas, servicing the boat, different types of boat specifications, the rules and regulations of boating on the Norfolk Broads type rivers and the Sea and anything else that should be covered?

We have been lucky that we have friends that are very experienced in owning their own boat and who were able to give us advice for example about marinas and the Norfolk Broads but it would be good to be able to attend a course, or a string of courses, that would (excuse the pun) teach one the ropes of owning a boat and using it on river ways or out at sea.

The little things that perhaps more experienced boat owners take for granted like tying the boat up, the knots etc, mooring and about giving way to yachts, tidal information, or (unbelievably because I've seen people do this) teaching people which side of the river they should cruise along, all would help. Also non-boat owners, people who holiday regular on the Broads could take the courses.

If a certificate could be gained at different levels foundation, advanced and master it may help reduce insurance costs (I know they are quite low but every little bit helps) most of all though it would give newbies a chance to go somewhere to learn the ins and outs fast. Ok I know that, same as driving a car, there are some things that you can't teach, that have to be gained by experience but at least there would be a good foundation to learn upon.

What do you think?

Jan

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The RYA Helmsman course is a good introduction, or Powerboat Level 2. 

 

East Coast Training in Yarmouth (http://www.eastcoast-training-services.co.uk/courses/35/) are great because they cover river and sea; mooring, slow and high speed manoeuvring, vessel checks, rules of the road etc.

 

Having said that, there are several people locally who offer to come and do the same on your own boat.

 

Be careful - learning is quite addictive.  Now studying for yachtmaster offshore!

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I think that anybody spending thousands and thousands on a boat should spend a few hundred on an RYA course so that they can get the propper knowlegde of how to handle it.

 

I've seen people with a £100k boat, freshly out of the brokerage, do untold dammage because they didn't spend a couple of hundred extra and have some tuition.

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...

I've seen people with a £100k boat, freshly out of the brokerage, do untold dammage because they didn't spend a couple of hundred extra and have some tuition.

Well it's what the likes of Richardson's, Barns Brinkcraft etc, do every week, when they hire out their top of the range fleet to first timers, they rely on only half an hour of instruction.

Some of their boats are worth more than £100k too.

Mind you... some do return with untold damage...

But a cheap collision damage waiver covers the hirer... most of the time.

I bet you can't get that on private insurance.

Richard

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