There is a practical training course within the RYA powerboat scheme that appears to be little known here in the Mediterranean, but is of great benefit both to the individual and to the yachting industry. The course title is Superyacht Tender Operator and is the product of a collaboration between the Professional Yachting Association (PYA) and the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). Their aim was to meet industry demands and create a course tailored specifically to yacht crew in their role as a tender driver.

The course was originally intended for crew responsible for ferrying passengers between superyachts and the shore, and has been extended to suit anyone operating a powerboat day, or night, with responsibility for carrying passengers.

The course is best suited to the individual keen to get into the superyacht sector who holds the Level 2 certificate and recognises the requirement for further training, and therefore uses this course as a means to i) enhance their skill set ii) show evidence of their commitment to the sector iii) put their CV at the forefront; and to existing tender drivers, in possession of the RYA Powerboat Level 2 certificate who may never have received any formal training in the operation of carrying passengers, and critically, the operation of such an activity at night. This course totally addresses that shortcoming.

With the backing of the RYA and PYA it is understood this qualification will become the default qualification for tender drivers in the superyacht sector.

The course includes plenty of time to practice working with a crew member and operating short-handed.  In navigation terms, the emphasis is on short ship-to-shore transfers by day and at night, with duty of care as a major element of the course.

The course will run over two days and one evening and will usually run on a weekend, however private courses can be tailored to suit. The night-time training will be held on Day 2 after the candidates have prepared a passage plan to be executed under the hours of darkness.

The syllabus will include safety, day and night navigation and pilotage and associated theory, people management, local regulations, passenger safety and comfort, embarking and disembarking passengers, docking situations and anchoring, and understanding the additional hazards of moving passengers, by water, in the dark.

This course is only available through Training centres that hold recognition for Advanced Powerboat training, and currently, within the Balearic Islands, Aigua Sea School and Palma Sea School are the only training centres with authorisation to run this course. Training will be under the care of an Advanced Powerboat Instructor. The candidate must hold the Level 2 Powerboat handling certificate, a VHF/DSC marine radio operator’s certificate and a First Aid certificate. Crew size is a maximum of three to one Advanced Instructor.

For further information on this course, the Level 2 Powerboat Handling course and Advanced Powerboat please contact training@aiguaseaschool.com or call the school office on +34 871 230 373. The free-of-charge navigation theory classes that run monthly at Aigua Sea School will further assist your preparation to succeed in this course.