Irish National Sailing School
National Powerboat Certificate (Level 2) C-17
Who should do this course?
This is the most popular powerboat course we teach. Covering all you need to know to safely operate a powerboat. Suitable for those who have been boating for years and want to brush up on their skills, and for those who are new to boating to learn the correct and safe way to handle a powerboat. This course revises all the material from the introductory course however, previous powerboating experience is required. Participants must be aged 16 years or older. Successful completion of the National Powerboat Certificate allows you to apply for the ‘International Certificate of Competency’ (ICC). The aim of the ICC is to provide boat owners and people wishing to charter boats abroad with an internationally recognised document certifying their competence to skipper a boat for recreational use.Overview
The course runs over two days from 9.30am-5.30pm and covers:
- Learning how to Leave and Come Alongside a Dock.
- Learning the art of picking up a Mooring.
- Anchoring.
- Turning in confined spaces / operating in busy marina areas.
- Recovering a person fallen overboard.
- Rules of the Road.
- Launch and Recovery from a Road Trailer.
- Safety and Planning.
- Tying up to a dock.
- All necessary knots to include Round Turn, Reef Knot and Bowline.
The above is just a taste of the many areas covered on the course. We aim to provide you with the perfect foundation and template in the sport of Powerboating. The course is conducted in a number of different boat types which may include tiller arm Yak boats with 15 horse power engines and RIBs (Rigid inflatable boats) of up to 175 horsepower.
Our cancellation policy for this course can be viewed here.
- Course 1: Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th January
- Course 2: Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st January
- Course 3: Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th January
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 4: Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th February
- Course 5: Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th February
- Course 6: Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th February
- Course 7: Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th February
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 8: Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd March
- Course 9: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th March
- Course 10: Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th March
- Course 11: Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th March
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 12: Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th April
- Course 13: Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th April
- Course 14: Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April
- Course 15: Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 16: Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May
- Course 17: Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May
- Course 18: Thursday 16th and Friday 17th May
- Course 19: Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May
- Course 20: Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd May
- Course 21: Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd May
- Course 22: Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May
- Course 23: Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th May
- Course 24: Thursday 30th and Friday 31st May
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 25: Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th June
- Course 26: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th June
- Course 27: Tuesday 11th and Sunday 12th June
- Course 28: Thursday 13th and Sunday 14th June
- Course 29: Saturday 15th and Sunday 16the June
- Course 30: Tuesday 18th and Sunday 19th June
- Course 31: Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June
- Course 32: Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th June
- Course 33: Thursday 27th and Friday 28th June
- Course 34: Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 35: Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd July
- Course 36: Thursday 4th and Friday 5th July
- Course 37: Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July
- Course 38: Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th July
- Course 39: Thursday 11th and Friday 12th July
- Course 40: Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July
- Course 41: Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th July
- Course 42: Thursday 18th and Friday 19th July
- Course 43: Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July
- Course 44: Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th July
- Course 45: Thursday 25th and Friday 26th July
- Course 46: Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July
- Course 47: Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st July
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 48: Thursday 8th and Friday 9th August
- Course 49: Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th August
- Course 50: Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th August
- Course 51: Thursday 15th and Sunday 16th August
- Course 52: Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th August
- Course 53: Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st August
- Course 54: Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd August
- Course 55: Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August
- Course 56: Tuesday 27th and Sunday 28th August
- Course 57: Thursday 29th and Sunday 30th August
- Course 58: Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 59: Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September
- Course 60: Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September
- Course 61: Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September
- Course 62: Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 63: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October
- Course 64: Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October
- Course 65: Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th October
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
- Course 66: Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November
- Course 67: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th November
- Course 68: Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th November
- Course 69: Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November
- Course 70: Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December
Courses run from 9.30am to 5pm each day.
Further Training
Once you’ve completed this course, course you may be interested in further training.
VHF SRC Radio Course – important for those heading to sea. It is a legal requirement to hold a VHF licence when operating a VHF radio in Ireland. We offer the Irish Department of Marine course, the one you will need if registering for a “Ships Radio License” if you are planning on installing a VHF radio on your own boat.
Navigation & Theory Training
Essential Navigation and Seamanship – Brush up on your navigation and theory with this online course, building upon the introduction you’ll receive to these topics on your powerboat course.
Coastal Navigation for Small Boats – designed for boaters looking to undertake the Intermediate Powerboat and then Advanced Powerboat Courses. This course consists of 4 evenings or 2-days of in person tuition.
Further Boating
Practise the skill: Powerboat Charter – We have a number of our RIBs available for three hour and full day charter to keep the skills you’ll learn on the course fresh.
Intermediate Powerboat Course – this course is designed to bring your powerboating to the next level, combining more advanced navigational theory with longer trips away from base.
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Great sailing school in the tidal waters of Dublin Bay - I have just done the RYA Competent Crew course here, five-days aboard the 36-foot Beaufort Venture under the guidance of instructor Gary Curran. The whole week surpassed my expectations, and I cannot praise Gary's teaching style highly enough. We covered the syllabus with clear, safety-focused instructions, followed by lots of hands-on practice. He was patient when things didn't always go right first time, and challenged us to step up our skills when he thought we were ready. We got lots and lots of sailing in conditions ranging from 10 to 30 knots of wind, and the Beaufort Venture is a comfortable and forgiving boat to sail. I won't name check my wonderful shipmates, but I can say that after this week of instruction and encouragement I've raised my sailing ambitions to a higher level. The INSS under Kenny Rumball are super-well organised, and supported us with all the advice, equipment, clothing and food we needed. A great week, and I strongly recommend the INSS to anyone wanting to start sailing or to build their skills.
01/07/2017 -
Competent Crew Course - Excellent Instructor - Having done a few courses with the INSS over the summer of 2023, and some sailing on the Mediterranean, doing the Competent Crew course with others who were doing the Day Skipper course at the same time was the highlight of my time learning how to sail. The reason it was the highlight was largely due to the course instructor Shona O'Dowd (I made certain to get her full name before leaving to give her the credit she deserved). Huge knowledge and experience mixed with a great attitude, with friendliness, patience and approachability making Shona stand out and make each day of the course something to look forward to regardless of weather or experience level. Shona guided practical use of all facets of sailing knowledge excellently and never micromanaged or tried to exert too much control, thereby never limiting the learning that can take place for students.
This teaching style is difficult to find, having seen a variety of instructors and their styles, in different countries and even within the INSS, and so you will be very lucky if you get Shona on your boat when it comes your turn to learn the ropes (literally). All in all, the Competent Crew course was very enjoyable, and I just wanted to give credit where it was due.
20/08/2023