Boat handling and canal skills training courses

Training courses which develop boat handling or maintenance skills are increasingly popular amongst both novice and experienced canal boaters.
Although you can cruise a your own boat or a hired boat on UK canals without any training or qualification many people prefer to get some practice and develop their confidence first.
Even experienced boaters can improve their skills and avoid getting stuck in bad habits. A refresher course can ensure that cruising and lock-working safety standards are kept high.

Narrowboat Training

  • The RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman Certificate is practical training for those wanting to improve their inland waterways boat handling skills and build confidence.
  • There are courses for boat owners who want to be able to maintain their boats and engines.
  • Some trainers also run courses for commercial skippers and water safety courses for people working on or near water.
  • MCA Boatmaster courses are for skippering a passenger boat carrying more than 12 passengers.
  • For continental boating you might need the International Certificate of Competence/CEVNI course.

Canal boat handling & narrowboat training courses

Birmingham & Midland Marine

Birmingham & Midland RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman (private boat insurance company approved), RYA Powerboat, RYA First Aid, MCA Boatmaster Ancillary and DEFRA / HSE & CDM Reg’s ‘15 training courses – ensuring compliance for working aboard and in the water margins.

British Waterway Skippers

British Waterway Skippers is a professional boat moving service, qualified and insured to move all types of boats anywhere within the UK Inland Waterways Network. We work 7 days a week, 12 months a year, in all weathers. We can provide both male and female skippers. We also provide private, own boat tuition.

Derbyshire Canal Boat Tuition

Derbyshire Canal Boat Tuition A friendly RYA training centre based on the Trent & Mersey at Swarkestone. Fully qualified and insured to conduct Helmsman and Crew courses plus non-certified courses.
Tel: 07974564430
Email: dcbtuition@gmail.com

Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training

Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training For those new to canals, we offer one and two day courses on our boats or yours. We cover safety, rights of way, leaving a mooring, stopping, steering, turning, mooring,  locks, bridges, tunnels, going aground and more.  Phone: 07944 589 679

Noble Boat Training

Noble Boat Training. We are a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) inland waterways training centre specialising in Narrowboats, Widebeams & Dutch Barges. Offering Helmsman and Crew Courses, Plus Bespoke Training from our base at Goole Marina, East Yorkshire.

Surrey Care Trust Community Boat Programme

Surrey Care Trust Community Boat Programme National Community Boat Accredited Training Centre at Guildford, River Wey

The Pirate castle

The Pirate castle The Pirate Castle on the Regent’s Canal in London training people to enjoy themselves safely on the water for 40 years. Qualifications from British Canoe Union, RYA & National Community Boats Association.

Our Listings

We provide contact telephone and email details free of charge for canal based companies, click for details.
Please note: We provide all contact details as an information service. We rely on traders to keep us informed about these listings so we can't guarantee that details are accurate or up to date. Please see our Terms of Use.

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Canal Skills Training
A Star Boat Handling Training
UK Wide
Canal Boat Instruction - navigation, helmsmanship, locks, mooring, boat upkeep and advice.
A&G Passenger Boats Ltd
RYA Inland Helmsmans course, Passenger boat operations
Alvechurch Boat Centres
Alvechurch
Various Locations
bearBOAT Training
Bear Boating
RYA approved Training Centre
Birmingham & Midland Marine
The Wharf, Gailey, Staffordshire
Training Centre
01902 544329
office@midlandmarine.co.uk
www.midlandmarine.co.uk/training
Brecknock Boat Services, RYA Training Centre
Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal or on your own boat UK wide
Inland Waterways Helmsman & Crew Courses
07896 812606
info@brecknockboatservices.co.uk
www.brecknockboatservices.co.uk
British Waterway Skippers
All UK
Widebeam, Narrow Boat, River Boat Movers and Tuition Services
07532 001254
nfobwskippers@gmail.com
britishwater.wpengine.com
Canal Boat Escapes
Barnoldswick, Leeds & Liverpool Canal
RHA Training Centre
Canal Experience
Hunton Bridge
Phil Basset
CanalSkills
Lowland canals, Scotland
Helmsman and Cevni courses
Central Midlands Training Services
Nottinghamshire
David Jackson
Chas Newens Marine Co Ltd
Chase the Boat
Cheshire Cat Training
RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman and Crew courses, novice boat handling days
Derbyshire Canal Boat Tuition
Trent And Mersey Canal Between Shardlow And Willington
Rya Boat Handling Courses. Rya Inland Waterways Helmsman Course
07974 564430
dcbtuition@gmail.com
Inland Waterways Cruising School
Stourport on Severn
Inland Waterways Rescue / Training
Grand Union south east
Inland waterways helmsman course/ one 2 one diesel engine service course
Islington Boat Club
RYA Narrowboat Courses
Life-on-the-Cut
West Yorkshire
Narrowboat Training
Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training
Braunston Marina, The Wharf, Braunston, Daventry, NN11 7JH
a href="https://www.narrowboatescapes.co.uk/training" rel="noopener">Narrowboat Escapes Holidays And Training For those new to canals, we offer one and two day courses on
07944 589679
mwood.elws.nbescapes@gmail.com
www.narrowboatescapes.co.uk/training
Narrowboat Skills Centre Ltd.
RYA Training Centre, Helmsman’s, diesel engine & maintenance courses
0116 4422326
info@nbsc.org.uk
nbsc.org.uk
National Community Boats Association
CBA
National
02476 397400
staff@national-cba.co.uk
NavSail
First Aid Training for Leisure Boating
Noble Boat Training
Goole Marina in East Yorkshire
Rya Training Centre, Helmsman, Crew Courses, Plus Bespoke Training
07816 786452
sarah@nobleboattraining.co.uk
nobleboattraining.co.uk
Norfolk Powerboating, RYA Inland Training Centre
Norfolk Broads
Norfolk Broads
Planet Narrowboats
Helmsman Training
Courses in Shardlow
Seasecretary
Boatmasters training in Chester & Rollesby
Soar Valley Helmsman Training Centre
RYA Boat Handling Courses – East Midlands region, River Soar
Somerset Boat Centre
Maidenmead Moorings, Banklands, North Newton, Bridgwater TA7 0DQ.
Boat Training and Safety Training courses from the training centre at the boat yard.
Stratford Upon Avon Narrowboat Trust
RYA helmsman courses
Streethay, Lichfield
Surrey Care Trust Community Boat Programme
National Community Boat Accredited Training Centre
Surrey Care Trust run education, training, mentoring and volunteering programmes, helping people to build skills for life, learning and work, enabling them to make a valued and positive contribution to society.
07976 282239
cj.padmore@surreycaretrust.org
www.swingbridgeboats.co.uk
T & D. Murrell’s Boating for Enthusiasts
Northern France
Barge Handling instruction for ICC licence
Teams and Themes
Prestatyn North Wales
First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Safety courses
The Boat Movers
UK Wide
Boat mover and instructor, Specialising in own boat training for Widebeams and Narrowboats.
The Pirate castle
Training Courses
02072 676605
info@thepiratecastle.org
www.thepiratecastle.org
Trent Boat Handling
East Midlands Rivers and Canals
Trines Ward, Boatmaster
Midlands & N. Home Counties
Informal training on your own narrowboat.
Watercraft
Midlands and Thames
Inland Waters Helm, VHF, First Aid, Diesel Maintenance, ICC & CEVNI
Willow Wren Training
Willow Wren Training
Rugby Warwickshire
Youthful Ventura
Birmingham
Birmingham

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