How to get into Boating and enjoy the UK’s amazing coastline?
If you are looking to get into boating but not quite sure what steps to take hopefully this short guide will give you some ideas and what to expect from a Boat ClubMembership. From Training Courses to buying a boat versus joining a boat club we try and enlighten you on the different options.
The very first step would be to look at booking yourself onto a RYA Powerboat Level 2 Course which is a 2 day entry level course to cover all aspects of getting you out safely on the water. Elements of the course will include boat handling, learning how to interpret weather and tidal information, the rules out on the water also known as the Collision Regulations and more. Courses are restricted to a maximum of 3 people which allows plenty of hands on practice during the 2 days or with certain RYA Training centres there is also the opportunity to book 1 to 1. This first step can already be a bit confusing as we often get asked why not Powerboat Level 1, but that is just a 1 day course primarily aimed at children so you are best to jump straight onto the RYA Powerboat Level 2. More details and pricing of this course can be found here.. https://www.jetskiandpowerboattraining.co.uk/rya-powerboat-level-2/
The Training doesn’t stop there though, as you can go on and work through further courses both on the water including Intermediate and Advanced Powerboat Courses and online such as Essential Navigation and Seamanship or Day Skipper Theory.
We usually see two main types of students come to a RYA Training Centre like ours. The first type who have jumped in and made the investment of buying a boat or the majority of others who have an interest in getting out on the water and have taken the sensible decision of completing the training but are then ‘boatless’ and not sure how to carry on their Journey.
For these people a perfect progression would be to join a boat club, something like our New Wave Club which saves on the large upfront Capital Investment of a boat. So what is the New Wave Club boat membership scheme, well think of it as similar to a hire purchase agreement on a car. Instead of having to pay £50,000 + on a new boat you simply pay as one off joining/training fee and then a convenient monthly payment to access a range of boats.
Like a shiny new car, boats will have similar ongoing expenses such as maintenance, insurance, fuel and depreciation. Unlike cars which will sit in your Garage and this is the big head turner the largest annual expense associated with a boat is the berth within the Marina where it is stored. If we look at a typical cost for berthing a 7 Meter boat in Poole Harbour it will be approximately £6,000 - £8,000 a year and this is what shocks most new people looking to get into boating.
So in short as a member of a club like ours for a similar price you would pay to just store your boat a year, you are getting access to a range of boats without the other worries of the initial investment, maintenance, insurance etc.
The major benefit is you know exactly what boating will cost you each year, apart from the fuel you use whilst having fun out on the water.
If you are a Business owner it is also worth speaking to us about our Corporate Boating Memberships which can be passed as a business expense, and let’s face it what better way is there to entertain clients or staff than out on the water.
