Five of us have just completed our RYA level 2 powerboat handling course with Camel Sailing and Powerboat Centre. Two days of eye-opening instruction in fast RIB’s with 115hp outboards.
The River Camel estuary between Rock and Padstow is a haven for water-sports, including dinghy sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, waterskiing and small powerboats. Camel Sailing and Powerboat Centre provides beginner and advanced instruction. The staff are brilliant in their knowledge, enthusiasm and patience.
The RYA level 2 powerboat handling course taught us how to handle boats at speed and slow manoeuvring, the latter being the biggest challenge. We learn’t how to turn the boat in tight spaces, pick up buoys and man overboard, gently come alongside a pontoon and stay stationery against wind and tide. Plus some classroom stuff including tying important knots, understanding charts, rules of the road and recognising buoys.
James, one of the instructors, reckons handling is about looking ‘cool’ – taking it slow, planning manoeuvres and getting it right. Even when planing fast it’s not about outright speed but about comfortable speed. Cruising up the estuary to Wadebridge at 15 to 20 knots was pretty cool.
If you fancy learning powerboat handling I can thoroughly reccomend Camel Sailing and Powerboat Centre. For us the course gave us huge amounts of confidence with big smiles along the way.
Find more information about Camel Sailing and Powerboat Centre.
Tel: 01208 862881
Email: camelsailing@gmail.com
