Small Boat Rescue Techniques Course
This course gives you the essential skills to act safely and effectively when an emergency strikes on a small boat. You will learn to protect yourself first, prepare and check lifesaving equipment, send a clear distress message, carry out man overboard maneuvers and recover people from the water, and respond to capsize, grounding, flooding, fire and engine failure, so that you can protect lives and coordinate well with rescue services.
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 Boat Rescue Techniques Course?
This short course focuses on emergency response and rescue on motorboats, small sailing boats, RIBs, tenders, recreational boats and support craft. You will study the difference between prevention, assistance, rescue and evacuation; the most common emergencies, from falls overboard and capsize to fire, flooding and engine failure; the principles of self-protection; lifejackets, lifebuoys, rafts, flares and other lifesaving gear and how to check them before casting off; VHF and other means of raising the alarm and the content of a distress message; man overboard detection, approach and recovery; and the first response to capsize, grounding, flooding, fire and loss of propulsion or steering.
What sets this course apart: it concentrates on what to do when something goes wrong, complementing courses on general small craft safety rules; it stresses rescuer safety and not becoming a second casualty; it gives detailed attention to recovering people who are exhausted, injured or hypothermic while controlling the propeller and the stability of the boat; it uses clear roles and checklists for crew and passengers; and it closes with an applied project in which you design a complete rescue plan, briefings, emergency messages and drill program for a real or realistic boat.
Program highlights
- Self-protection first: assess the scene, keep afloat, call for help and avoid becoming a second casualty.
- Lifesaving equipment: lifejackets, lifebuoys, rafts, flares, first aid kit, extinguishers and bilge pumps.
- Raising the alarm: VHF, sound and light signals, flares and a complete distress message.
- Man overboard: detection, marking, safe approach and recovery of injured or hypothermic people.
- Emergency response: capsize, grounding, flooding, fire, engine failure, drift and towing.
- Applied project: rescue plan, checklists, briefings and drills for a specific small boat.
Syllabus of the Small Boat Rescue Techniques Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of rescue, self-protection and safety on small boats
- 1.1. The concept of rescue on small boats and the differences between prevention, assistance, rescue, emergency and evacuation
- 1.2. Types of craft: motorboats, light sailing boats, RIBs, tenders, recreational boats and support craft
- 1.3. Common risks: falling overboard, capsize, grounding, fire, flooding, engine failure, bad weather and injuries on board
- 1.4. Principles of self-protection: not becoming a second casualty, assessing the scene, staying afloat and calling for help
- 1.5. Roles of the skipper, crew, passengers, companions and outside services during a rescue situation
Lifesaving equipment, advance preparation and emergency communication
- 2.1. Lifejackets, lifebuoys, lines, buoys, liferafts, visual signals, first aid kit, extinguishers, bilge pumps and flotation aids
- 2.2. Checking condition, expiry dates, accessibility, location, labeling and real availability of equipment before casting off
- 2.3. Use of VHF, telephone, sound signals, lights, flares, location apps and communication with rescue services
- 2.4. Preparing emergency messages with position, nature of the incident, persons on board and assistance required
- 2.5. Briefing crew and passengers on rules, lifejackets, moving about, safe positions and basic emergency actions
Man overboard maneuvers, recovery of people and assistance to survivors
- 3.1. Detection, alerting, marking, visual watch and allocation of roles when a person falls overboard
- 3.2. Safe approach maneuvers according to wind, current, waves, type of boat and the condition of the person
- 3.3. Use of lifebuoy, line, boathook, ladder, swim platform, buoy, lifejacket and other flotation aids
- 3.4. Recovering people who are conscious, exhausted, injured, hypothermic or unable to help themselves
- 3.5. Preventing injuries during recovery, controlling the propeller, keeping the boat stable and protecting the rescuer
Responding to capsize, grounding, flooding, fire and engine failure
- 4.1. Action after a capsize: stay calm, stay with the boat, count heads and call for help
- 4.2. Handling a grounding or striking a shoal: damage assessment, controlling water ingress and external communication
- 4.3. Controlling flooding with pumping, temporary plugging, reducing water ingress and preparing to evacuate
- 4.4. First response to fire: cutting fuel, electricity and ventilation, using extinguishers and protecting people
- 4.5. Engine failure, loss of steering, drift, emergency anchoring, towing and coordination with maritime assistance
Applied project in small boat rescue techniques
- 5.1. Definition of the case: motorboat, small sailing boat, RIB, tender, recreational boat, sailing school or family outing
- 5.2. Risk diagnosis according to boat, area, crew, passengers, weather, equipment and usual routes
- 5.3. Design of the rescue plan with roles, equipment, communication, man overboard, capsize, fire, flooding and engine failure
- 5.4. Preparation of checklists, briefings, emergency messages, evacuation protocols and coordination with outside help
- 5.5. Proposal for drills, equipment maintenance, first aid, incident recording and continuous improvement
Duration and format of the Small Boat Rescue Techniques 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 Boat Rescue Techniques Course
Career opportunities after the Small Boat Rescue Techniques Course
Questions about the Small Boat Rescue Techniques Course
Skippers and crew of small recreational and sports boats, water sports instructors and monitors, members of rescue organizations who want small-boat specific content, and boaters who want to be ready for an emergency.
That course focuses on prevention, mandatory equipment and safe navigation rules. This one focuses on response: what to do and how to rescue people when an emergency has already happened.
Yes, in detail. You will study detection, marking, approach maneuvers according to wind and sea, and how to recover people who are exhausted, injured or hypothermic without endangering the rescuer.
Falls overboard, capsize, grounding, flooding, fire, engine failure, loss of steering and drift, as well as the communication with rescue services that each of them requires.
No. The course is delivered online through case studies, procedures and planning exercises. It is a good preparation for hands-on training in the water with a qualified instructor.
No. Navalis Institute teaches the subject; professional lifeguard and rescue qualifications are issued by the competent bodies under their own requirements.
Through exercises in each module and a final applied project in which you design a rescue plan, checklists, briefings and a drill program for a specific boat.
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: a recreational boating license or demonstrable experience handling small boats; skippers, small-boat crew, water sports instructors and nautical enthusiasts are welcome.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with webcam and microphone and a broadband connection to follow the classes, case studies and planning exercises.
- 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.