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

About Solent Boat Training - RYA Advanced Training Centre

Solent Boat Training (SBT) in Southampton & Lymington* is a truly national training centre based in the famous English Solent with 20 years experience in delivering low student ratio training courses. 

We have students travelling from all over the UK and Europe to train with our approved RYA, HSE & MCA instructors. All the courses found on this website are run by our own instructors at our own training centre, we do not farm out courses to other centres. This is due to our amazing resources including our boat fleet, classrooms and instructor team whom the vast majority are full time staff. We are not a one man and a boat operation, unlike many other centres.

We now have boats based in Southampton, Hamble, Lymington & Dartmouth. We offer courses & events from all these locations.

We specialise in low student/instructor ratio training at amazing pricing because we own our own fleet.

With 16 assorted yachts, motorboats & ribs we have the complete flexibility to run courses for private individuals, companies and organisations. We offer training for all, from an absolute beginner to a Yachtmaster Ocean skipper. We also work alongside and are the training provider for Solent Boat Charters a large local sailing events company. We have 6 classrooms and a training workshop all within the marina together with free accommodation included with all sailing courses means your training will be to the highest standard. We offer RYA courses and own boat tuition all around the Solent including Southampton, 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 courses run on either of our 7.2m XSribs from our bases in Southampton & Lymington*. We also run MCA & SBT advanced powerboat training courses on our 7.5m XSRibs. 

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 also run a complete range of commercial endorsement training courses including the RYA Intermediate Powerboat course and the RYA Advanced Powerboat course with MCA commercial exam.

We can run powerboat courses from any suitable Solent marina including Southampton, Lymington, Yarmouth, Cowes & Hamble.

RYA Sail Cruising Courses Inc Competent Crew & Day Skipper

With our own fleet of Bavaria 37 cruising sailing yachts moored in Saxon Wharf marina in Southampton & the Yacht Haven in Lymington we can offer 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 days that fit perfectly in between the range of RYA sailing courses we offer.

We offer amazing value compared to local competitors. Commodore Yachting, First Class Sailing, Hamble School of Yachting, Boss Sailing & Bacchus Yachting all run with more students per course and also charge more.

We can run sail cruising courses from any suitable Solent marina including Southampton, Lymington, Yarmouth, Cowes & Hamble.

Sailing Mile Building & Experience Sailing Days

With yachts based in Southampton, Hamble, Lymington & Dartmouth we offer a full range of sailing mile builders and sailing experience days.

RYA Motor Cruising Courses

We have a pair of fantastic flybridge motorboats called Great Escape, a Nimbus 370 flybridge and also Kingfisher a Rodman 1040 Adv. They are perfect for the entire range of RYA motorboat courses.  RYA motor cruising training courses run from our fleets base in Southampton's Saxon Wharf. SBT courses offer complete flexibility to train you in any aspect of motor boat handling and fit well in between RYA motor boat courses. We can run motorboat courses from any suitable Solent marina including Southampton, Lymington, Yarmouth, Cowes & Hamble.

RYA, HSE & SBT Shore based & Theory Courses

Our classroom overlooks Shamrock Quay marina in Southampton and is only 50 yards from the waters edge. Our classrooms are a warm and Covid safe environment for all shore based courses including RYA VHF Radio, Marine Radar, First Aid, Day Skipper Theory, Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Theory courses. Our own SBT petrol engine maintenance course and the RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance courses are increasingly popular.

*Lymington Training Centre Opens March 2022 subject to RYA approval.