Teacher Pre-Visit: RIB Master

This is a two day course to familiarise teachers with use of a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB). The intention is to encourage teachers to set up canoeing and sailing activities with their students.

Many schools can afford to buy a small 3m boat and this makes canoeing trips and dinghy sailing on lakes viable and safe. The onshore teaching will be conducted at SIA's school. The RIB Master course is designed to train a beginner to be a competent operator of a boat and to understand fundamentals such as safety, boat handling, mooring, anchoring, towing and including seamanship topics such as collision regulations.

They can be used to support a larger yacht, as a passenger or crew boat for use from yacht to shore, and they are often used as safety boats as they are fast and very manoeuverable. A RIB may also be used to tow yachts and other vessels or as a dive boat. The RIB Master should be fully conversant with his or her vessel and how to use it. That is what this course is all about.

The course includes manoeuvering two or three sizes of RIB. You’ll learn to handle the boat at slow speed and at higher speeds a well as how to anchor and picking a mooring. There is also some theory so that you are always safe in waters with tides.

The Rigid Inflatable Boat or RIB is a relatively recent development, but has become a very important design of vessel. They are used for a large variety of purposes (as well as having fun of course).

The RIB used properly and effectively is a tremendous asset for teachers covering students in dinghies, windsurfers, stand up paddle boards or canoes. However it is a very dangerous craft if misused or mishandled. This course will ensure you are a proficient helmsman but you need a lot of experience to become a Safety Boat Crew or Helm.