British Offshore Sailing School - RYA Cruising Instructor Courses

The five day RYA Cruising Instructor course covers; Instructional techniques, the syllabus and how to construct an effective course, safety, and personal skills both practical and in handling customers. We also look at how to guarantee being offered more work by schools.

The RYA Cruising Instructor qualification is valid for 5 years. After 5 years, cruising instructors must have passed the Yachtmaster Instructor’s Qualification, or re-take the Cruising Instructor course. This qualification is the minimum requirement for anyone wishing to teach yachting, and qualified RYA Cruising Instructors can teach up to and including the RYA Day Skipper practical course. Minimum standard for entry to course is Yachtmaster Offshore. However, Cruising Instructor candidates must also have a commercial endorsement before they can teach in a commercial environment.

It is recommended that Cruising Instructor candidates have passed the medical requirements for a commercial endorsement before attending this course. The maximum age for cruising instructors is 64 years.

The successful Cruising Instructor candidate will be expected to give convincing demonstrations of any part of the RYA Competent Crew and RYA Day Skipper syllabus, including: Knots, sail-handling, man overboard, mooring, pilotage by day and night, IRPCS, basic meteorology, navigation and skippering.

Cruising Instructor candidates who reach the required standard may be given the opportunity to gain real teaching experience by running a weekend course at BOSS. This teaching will be preceded by a briefing and followed by an extensive debriefing with suggestions for improvement.

Pre-course preparation. Be familiar with a current G15, the Cruising Logbook. Weather at Sea by David Houghton, and the International Regulations for the prevention of Collisions at Sea. The cost of the course is £525, for training and assessment. The certification fee for non-RYA members is £33.