The Iberian Sea School is an RYA Motor Cruising School to see the school's certificate of recognition click here

Please scroll down towards the bottom of the page to see dates of courses


Each motor cruiser has a unique personality and each merits sympathetic operation. Even the most talented skippers find their boat handling improves with better technique.

It is amazing the number of owners and skippers stuck on their own in marinas because nobody wants to go to sea with them any more. My goal is to help you to become that marvellous thing, a capable and personable skipper, who manoeuvres a motor cruiser with ease and panache, utterly reliable in a crisis and a pleasure to be at sea with at all times.

I not only offer all the official courses in the Royal Yachting Association syllabus (shown below) but also Marina boat handling is a particular specialty. In just a day, I can transform your ability from ‘just average’ to ‘deeply impressive’. I thoroughly enjoy this work. It is very satisfying to see my clients now able to handle their own boat with confidence and style - in what previously was a difficult berthing situation.

My function is to guide owners and skippers into understanding what is important and what is not. Motor Cruising is fun and it is all about 'style' and 'panache'!! But without proper training a motor cruiser or power boat in the wrong hands can be extremely dangerous, much of my training is about safety as well as driving the boat effectively in a marina and at speed out at sea.

The Iberian Sea School offers all the RYA tidal Practical Motor Cruising Courses for which RYA Course Completion certificates will be issued. Courses can take place either in your own boat or in a boat supplied by The Iberian Sea school as shown below.

Day Skipper in your boat The first day of a 5 day course will be spent studying traditional navigation & learning how to use a Raymarine GPS Chart Plotter in my classroom near Vilamoura. The next four days will be spent using your motor cruiser practising marina boat handling, high speed navigation exercises at sea visiting a different marina or harbour everyday. I have a maximum of 4 people on these courses.  If you have done an RYA theory course in the last 3 years, you will only need to do the 4 practical days.

Lunch when using a school boat will be provided by the school everyday in a restaurant (except one when we have filled baguettes provided by the Oasis Café in Lagos Marina). One of the photographs in the slide show above is of 5 of us having lunch at a restaurant in Alvor during a course in November 2011.

Where will you go on your Motor Cruising Course? - The RYA encourage schools to go on a proper cruise on courses, if you are doing your Motor Cruising course with me in the Algarve it could not be a better place to do exactly that. For more information on cruising in the Algarve click here, and to see my article specifically on the Guadiana river by clicking here. Whilst it may not be possible to go as far as the Guadiana, we will definately go to Alvor, to read my article on Alvor click here. We will almost definately go to Ria Formosa, to read my article on Ria Formosa click here.

Please email me on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone me on 00 351 965 800702 for dates when I am available for an RYA course on your own boat.

RYA MOTOR CRUISING COURSES

Helmsman’s Course: Syllabus – Types of Craft - Engines and Drives - Engine Operation and Maintainance - Safety and Seamanship - Rules of the Road - Boat Preparation and Boat Handling - Securing to a Buoy - Berthing Alongside - Man Overboard.

Day Skipper: Syllabus – Preparation for Sea – Boat Handling – Navigation - GPS – Pilotage – Passage Making – Meteorology – Rules of the Road – Engines – Emergency Situations – Night Cruising.

Coastal Skipper: Syllabus – Passage Planning – Preparation for Sea – Pilotage – Passage making and ability as Skipper – Radar – GPS - Boat Handling – Adverse Weather Conditions.

Course Duration: Helmsman’s Course 2 days, Day Skipper 5 days (unless unless an RYA theory course has been completed during the last 3 years in which case 4 days, Coastal Skipper 5 days

Traditional navigation is learnt thoroughly first, then electronic navigation later

Bob Ball navigating using tradition techniques on board his Sunseeker Manhattan

Whilst GPS has taken all the stress out of navigation, it has also taken some of the excitement and most of the feeling of achievement when making a landfall close to a planned destination as a result of traditional navigation. And, whilst our GPS equipment is extremely reliable, we are totally dependant upon the American government (they could switch the entire system off for a period). We are also reliant on our vessel's electrical systems which in a salt water environment are notoriously fickle, and with just a small problem can leave us with no GPS.  I recently heard of a skipper of a 60 foot motor cruiser who - while cruising in the eastern Mediterranean - was unable to read his chart plotter positioned on the fly bridge because of very bright sunlight. He had no knowledge of traditional navigation, no charts or pilot books on board and despite having land on either side of him was completely lost. A telephone call to a friend in England did not help him find his position, but eventually a local naval vessel guided him to his destination.

Approximately 30 hours of a five day Day Skipper or ICC course will be spent learning and practising traditional navigation. After which if you should ever for any reason loose your GPS signal you can be certain of having the expertise required to reach your planned destination. 

Celtic Dream, can also be chartered by the half day, day or week with a skipper from Celtic Marine Lda, for more information click here.