Solent RYA Powerboat, Sailing, Motorboat, Radio & Theory Courses

Welcome to Solent Boat Training - Your gateway to unrivalled adventures on the open water, offering expert training in Sailing, Motorboating and Powerboating

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Solent Boat Training runs the full range of RYA Powerboat courses including the popular RYA Powerboat Level 2 ICC from as little as £199 per person.

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Solent Boat Training runs the full RYA sailing courses scheme including the popular RYA Competent Crew & Day Skipper Courses.

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Solent Boat Training offer the full range of RYA motorboat courses including RYA Motorboat Helmsman & RYA Day Skipper.

Solent Shorebased Courses

Solent Boat Training runs a wide range of shorebased courses including RYA VHF Radio, RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance & RYA First Aid at Sea from £49 per person.

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Solent Boat Training Special Offers & Gift Vouchers

RYA Navigation Course

Solent Boat Training runs all the RYA Navigation & Theory Courses including the popular RYA Day Skipper Theory.

Solent Day Sailing Courses

Our Solent Day Sailing Experiences are perfect for both absolute beginners with no sailing experience through to Qualified sailors looking for a day out on the water.

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Close quarter handling in the marina and sail trim are taught in these one day courses.

Cross-Channel-Sailing

Sailing mile builders in the Solent and the West Country. Available for groups or individuals from £199pp

About Solent Boat Training - RYA Advanced Training Centre

Solent Boat Training (SBT) is a leading National RYA boat training centre, providing expert marine training to both the general public and the maritime industry.  Based within the famous English Solent and offering 20 years of experience, we pride ourselves in delivering Low Student Ratio and Competitively Priced Training.

Our courses cover a wide range of water and classroom skills, catering to leisure boaters looking to enhance their knowledge and expertise on the water.

We have students traveling from all over the UK, Europe and even the USA, to train with our approved RYA, HSE & MCA instructors.  All the courses and events found on our website are run by fully qualified instructors and skippers from our own training centre.

Our highly qualified instructors and state-of-the-art facilities allow us to offer comprehensive training programs, designed to meet the needs of boating enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned sailor, Solent Boat Training is committed to helping you achieve your maritime goals efficiently and safely.
 
We Specialise in Low Student to Instructor ratio training, at amazing competitive prices, because we believe in offering the best value for money.

 

Our Fleet of Boats are based in Southampton, allowing us to offer courses & events all over the Solent.

With our large assortment of yachts, motorboats & rigid inflatables, we have the complete flexibility to run courses for private individuals, companies and organisations alike. We offer training for all, from an absolute beginner to aspiring Yachtmaster Ocean Skippers. We also work alongside and are the training provider for Solent Boat Charters, a large local sailing events company. We have 6 classrooms, including a training workshop, all within the marina.  Together with free accommodation, included with all sailing courses, this means your training will be to the highest standard. We offer RYA courses from our Training Centre in Southampton, as well as own boat tuition all around the Solent area including, Yarmouth, Hamble, Lymington & Cowes.

RYA Powerboat Courses Inc Level 2 & ICC

We run the RYA Powerboat Level 2 courses throughout the year, on our own fleet of 6m training ribs, with Intermediate level training courses run on either of our 7.2m XS Ribs from our base in Southampton.

In addition, we also run MCA & SBT advanced powerboat training courses & events on our 7.5m XS Ribs. 

Many of these boats are MCA commercially coded vessels for day and night use up to 20 miles from land, far more than we actually require for these RYA powerboat courses.

We run a complete range of training courses including the RYA Intermediate Powerboat course and the RYA Advanced Powerboat course, with MCA commercial exam (by arrangement).

RYA courses are run from our Southampton based training centre, as well as own boat tuition all around the Solent including, Yarmouth, Hamble, Lymington & Cowes.

RYA Sail Cruising Courses Inc Competent Crew & Day Skipper

With our own fleet of Bavaria 37 cruising sailing yachts moored in Sharock Quay marina in Southampton offering the full range of RYA sail cruising courses from "Start Yachting", "RYA Competent Crew Course" the popular "RYA Day Skipper Practical Course" through to the Yachtmaster preparation course.

Their 3 double cabins and large saloon area make sailing the Solent, visiting new harbours and learning new skills a very pleasant experience indeed. We specialise in low ratio student to instructor courses as we feel this offers a more complete experience for very little extra expense.  We also offer our own SBT skills days, mileage builders and specialist events that fit perfectly in between the range of RYA sailing courses offered.

At SBT we believe in offering amazing value for money, compared to many local competitors, with most running courses a higher ratio of students per instructor on each course, while also charging more.

We offer our RYA courses from Southampton, as well as own boat tuition all around the Solent including, Yarmouth, Hamble, Lymington & Cowes.

Sailing Mile Building & Experience Sailing Days

With our yachts based in centrally in Southampton, we are able to offer a vast range of sailing mile builders and sailing experience days.  This allows our past present and future students the chance to increase their knowledge and experience, whilst putting in to practice, previously learnt skills.


Sailing Experience Days Sailing Mile Builders

RYA Motor Cruising Courses

We have a fantastic Flybridge Motorboat called 'Kingfisher', a Rodman 1040 Adv.She is perfect for the entire range of RYA motorboat courses. ' RYA Motor Cruising Training Courses' run from our fleets base in Southampton's Shamrock Quay. 

SBT courses offer complete flexibility to train you in many aspects of motorboat handling and fits in between the RYA motorboat courses.

We can run motorboat courses from our Southampton base as well as own boat tuition all around the Solent including, Yarmouth, Hamble, Lymington & Cowes.

RYA & SBT - Shore Based & Theory Courses

Our classroom overlooks Shamrock Quay Marina in Southampton and is only 50 yards from the water's edge.

Our classrooms are a warm and safe environment for all of our shore based courses, including; RYA VHF Radio, Marine Radar, First Aid, Day Skipper Theory, Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Theory courses.

Our own SBT Outboard Petrol Engine Maintenance course and the RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance courses have become increasingly popular.

HSE First Aid Training Courses

SBT are a fully certified HSE first aid training centre offering the popular First Aid Courses including;

  • Emergency first aid at work
  • Paediatric First Aid
  • Activity First Aid.

Own Boat Tuition

Our RYA instructors are able to travel to any venue in the Solent area and offer the full range of RYA courses on your vessel or at your premise. We call this own boat tuition.

 

Own Boat Tuition

Check out our Google Reviews

378 Total Reviews
Just completed my Yachtmaster Power COC and PB Instructor course with SBT. Having worked through both the power and motor syllabus with them over the last 3 years I can honestly say that no other centre could come close. Sam, Kallan, Bryan, Sean and Rob are all excellent with their own unique styles and expert levels of competence, giving students a robust depth of knowledge and skills. The training boats are particularly well equipped and allow for skill-building in areas well beyond the syllabus, all of which help increase a boater's confidence, safety and enjoyment on the water.
Kieran Allmark
25/11/2025
I recently completed a mile builder weekend and a day skipper course with Bella, the instructor. She is incredibly skilled, empathetic, and always available to share her knowledge. I highly recommend her!
Andrea D'Amato
24/11/2025
Andrea, Thank you for your review, recommendation and encouraging words for your instructor Bella. We look forward to meeting you again in the near future. SBT Team 25/11/2025
Completed the 5 day competent crew course and couldn’t be happier with the experience. The entire process was smooth and well organised, from booking to the training on the water. Terry was a brilliant instructor, always making sure everyone felt comfortable and confident no matter their prior experience. Highly recommended for anyone looking to gain practical sailing skills in a welcoming, supportive environment.
Max Havey
24/11/2025
Hi Max, Thank you for taking time to pen your review, recommendation and sharing the photos of your time with us. We are delighted that you enjoyed your time with Terry and gained the experience and knowledge required to be a competent crew. With your new found skills, we hope we can assist you as you continue your sailing journey. SBT Team 25/11/2025
Perfect place to do my Powerboat level 2. The boat was ideal to learn on and my instructor (Mathew) was patient, knowledgeable and made it fun. ????????????????????
Mark
23/11/2025
Mark, Thank you for your review and we hope to meet you again in the future. SBT Team 25/11/2025
We had a great experience during the powerboat level 2 course thanks to our excellent intructor Bryan Pummell. He shared his knowledge with us and provided us with lots of practicle advice regarding powerboating. It was an enjoyable and amazing weekend. Regards Aleks and Tom.
Aleksander
23/11/2025
Hi Aleks & Tom, Thank you for your positive feedback and thanks for your instructor Bryan. We are glad that you enjoyed your time with us and look forward to meeting you both again soon. SBT Team 25/11/2025
Bella is a truly outstanding instructor. Despite becoming quick friends, it was obvious there would be no compromise or shortcuts when it came to satisfying the requirements of the syllabus. She tailored her teaching style to match my learning style and could not have been more accommodating. If Solent Boat Training recruit to a similar standard (which I believe they do) then you will have a good experience regardless which course you book.
Shane Powell
22/11/2025
Shane, thank you for your review and high praise for your instructor Bella. We appreciate your recommendation and will be happy to assist you with any further training you might require in the future. SBT Team 25/11/2025
I attended the power boat level 2 course with no prior experience and by the end of the two days I was confident in my ability and couldn’t wait to go out again on my own. The instructor was excellent and extremely knowledgeable. I had an absolute blast and would recommend using solent boat training to anyone.
Liam McCarty
22/11/2025
Liam, We are very pleased that you had a great time with us at Solent Boat Training. We hope that you will return for any additional training you might require. Until then, Happy and Safe Boating in the future. SBT Team 25/11/2025
I cannot recommend this company enough! I have taken part in several courses and I have had such positive experiences. I think the instructors have all been exceptional! Engaging, knowledgeable, motivational, fun and enthusiastic. So helpful and considerate. Able to cater for different learning styles too. I have to give a special mention to Dom, Rob, Nick & Sean who are incredible instructors. I will be back…
Catherine Cluskey
17/11/2025
Catherine, Thank you very much for your review and kind words for our instructors. We are delighted that you have enjoyed your time with us at Solent Boat Training and also hope to see you again in the near future. Happy and Safe Boating. SBT Team 17/11/2025
I’ve just completed a really useful days training with Jude at SBT focussing on marina skills. This is a natural progression from Competent Crew, which SBT took me through earlier this year. As a new boat owner, the content was really useful, well thought out and professionally delivered. I left feeling confident on many aspects, including wind against tide, mooring alongside, lassoing cleats, finger berths, hammerheads and holding station. The fleet is clean and well maintained, and Jude allows students to make mistakes and learn from them in a safe environment. Thanks, SBT, for another brilliant course and another brilliant instructor. I can’t wait to apply and practise what I have learnt today. Once my fingers thaw out.
Guy Daisley
16/11/2025
Hi Emma, Thank you for your positive and kind words for Jude. It's great to read how much you gained from the training with us and hope that you get the opportunity to put it all into practice soon. Hope to meet you again soon. SBT Team 17/11/2025
I did the 5-day Comp Crew at SBT in Nov 25, with Bella. It was a really great all-round experience. Group size of 4 (2 x CompCrew, 2 x Day Skipper) worked really well. Bella is an excellent instructor - very knowledgeable, assertive communicator, kept us safe at all times, made sure we were all learning, and made it fun! The boat was in good condition, well set-up, and sail-able by novices. Good wet weather gear was provided, pre-course instructions were thorough. The Solent has everything - traffic, tides, busy marinas etc, so while it might not be sunny in winter, by the end of the course I felt much more confident in all situations. I would book other courses with SBT.
Sally Guscott
16/11/2025
Hi Sally, We are so glad that you enjoyed your time with Bella and the team at Solent Boat Training. We look forward to assisting you through your next chosen courses with us. SBT Team 17/11/2025