Small Craft Safety Rules Course
The Small Craft Safety Rules Course gives you the essential knowledge to go afloat safely and responsibly in motorboats, dinghies, RIBs, tenders and personal watercraft. You will learn to identify and reduce risks, use safety equipment correctly and react to emergencies at sea, building a solid foundation that complements your preparation for nautical qualifications and lets you enjoy the water with confidence.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Small Craft Safety Rules Course?
This short course sets out the safety rules that apply to small boats and the habits that keep everyone on board safe. You will study the differences between prevention, self-protection, emergency response, maintenance and regulatory compliance; the main types of small craft, from motorboats and light sailing boats to RIBs, tenders and personal watercraft; their typical risks such as falling overboard, capsizing, collision, grounding, fire, breakdown and bad weather; the responsibilities of skipper, crew, passengers and owner; mandatory equipment and pre-departure checks; basic documentation, permits and insurance; safe speed, lookout and the basic rules of the road; navigation near ports, beaches and bathing areas; berthing, anchoring and recovering a person from the water; and how to protect children, inexperienced passengers and pets on board.
What sets this course apart: complete coverage of current rules, mandatory safety equipment and good boating practice for small craft; practical guidance on handling the boat, basic first aid and coping with breakdowns at sea; realistic emergency simulations so you can test what you know in a safe environment; multimedia content and interactive self-assessment you can follow at your own pace; and an applied project in which you write a safety checklist, passenger briefing and emergency protocols for a real or realistic small boat.
Program highlights
- Small craft safety: motorboats, light sailing boats, RIBs, tenders and personal watercraft.
- Mandatory equipment and pre-departure checklist: hull, engine, fuel, batteries and bilge.
- Rules of the road: right of way, crossing, overtaking, head-on and safe speed.
- Maneuvers: berthing, anchoring, towing and recovering a person from the water.
- People on board: children, inexperienced passengers, fire prevention and breakdowns.
- Applied project: a safety checklist, briefing and emergency protocols for a real boat.
Syllabus of the Small Craft Safety Rules Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Foundations of small craft safety, risk prevention and the skipper's responsibility
- 1.1. The concept of nautical safety and the differences between prevention, self-protection, emergency, maintenance and regulatory compliance
- 1.2. Types of small craft: motorboats, light sailing boats, RIBs, tenders, personal watercraft and recreational boats
- 1.3. Common risks: falling overboard, capsizing, collision, grounding, fire, breakdown, bad weather, injuries and loss of control
- 1.4. Responsibilities of the skipper, crew, passengers, owner and guests during navigation
- 1.5. Preventive culture: planning, prudence, lookout, communication, maintenance and learning from incidents
Mandatory equipment, preparation before casting off and safety checks
- 2.1. Lifejackets, lifebuoys, lines, visual signals, first aid kit, extinguishers, bailing equipment, lights and means of communication
- 2.2. Checks on the hull, engine, fuel, batteries, electrical system, rudder, anchoring gear, bilge and deck fittings
- 2.3. Basic documentation, permits, insurance, qualifications, registration, certificates and authorized conditions of use
- 2.4. Pre-departure checklist covering weather, route, range, passengers, safety equipment and the general condition of the boat
- 2.5. Passenger briefing on moving around on board, lifejackets, safe areas, behavior and emergency procedures
Safe navigation rules, maneuvers, speed and coexistence with other users
- 3.1. Constant lookout, safe speed and safety distances, adapted to traffic, visibility, waves and shared areas
- 3.2. Basic rules of right of way, crossing, overtaking, head-on situations and clear maneuvers to avoid collisions
- 3.3. Navigation in ports, channels, anchorages, beaches, bathing areas, restricted zones and close to the coast
- 3.4. Berthing, unberthing, anchoring, towing, approaching a quay and recovering a person from the water
- 3.5. Use of lights, signals, VHF, whistle, gestures and clear communication during maneuvers or risk situations
Safety of people on board and prevention of falls, fires, breakdowns and critical situations
- 4.1. Prevention of falls overboard, knocks, slips, entrapment, burns, cuts and injuries while under way
- 4.2. Safety with children, older people, inexperienced passengers, pets and recreational groups
- 4.3. Fire prevention: ventilation, fuel, gases, batteries, electrical system and correct use of extinguishers
- 4.4. Action in the event of engine failure, steering failure, a leak, running out of fuel, a flat battery or loss of communication
- 4.5. Basic first aid for seasickness, sunstroke, hypothermia, dehydration, anxiety and initial care of minor injuries
Applied project in small craft safety rules
- 5.1. Definition of the case: motorboat, small sailing boat, RIB, tender, light tourist boat or family recreational trip
- 5.2. Diagnosis of risks according to the boat, navigation area, passengers, weather, route and available equipment
- 5.3. Design of the pre-departure safety checklist, passenger briefing, technical check and cancellation criteria
- 5.4. Preparation of protocols for a person overboard, fire, breakdown, bad weather, injury, grounding or loss of communication
- 5.5. Proposal for preventive maintenance, document compliance, good environmental practice and continuous improvement
Duration and format of the Small Craft Safety Rules Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Small Craft Safety Rules Course
Career opportunities after the Small Craft Safety Rules Course
Questions about the Small Craft Safety Rules Course
The lifejacket or personal flotation device, worn correctly and sized for each person. The course explains when it must be worn and how to check it before every trip.
It depends on the type of boat, its navigation area and local rules, but it usually includes lifejackets, a lifebuoy, visual signals, a first aid kit, an extinguisher, bailing equipment, lights and a means of communication. The second module covers each item and how to check it.
No. Navalis Institute teaches small craft safety rules and good practice, which complements your preparation; nautical qualifications are issued by the competent maritime authority after its own examinations.
Keep calm, keep the boat safe from rocks and traffic, anchor if necessary, check the most common causes and call for help by VHF or phone if you cannot restart. The course covers this and other breakdowns step by step.
You choose a small boat and a trip, diagnose its risks and write a pre-departure checklist, a passenger briefing and protocols for a person overboard, fire, breakdown, bad weather and other critical situations.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7 from any device, with downloadable material, practical exercises and emergency simulations.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at recreational and sports boaters, skippers of small craft, owners of small boats, recreational fishers and water sports enthusiasts, and members of yacht clubs and sailing schools; familiarity with basic nautical terms and some experience on small boats are helpful but not essential, and minimum ages for skippering depend on local rules.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer, tablet or other device with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and software to view PDF documents and multimedia content.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.