Erith Yacht Club offers a range of sailing and powerboat related courses.
We offer training to both members and non-members but give priority to members and prospective members where spaces are limited. EYC Members can also benefit from discounts on training. Ask the Senior Instructor or check out our joining process if you are interested in becoming a member.
All courses are run on the River Thames off the clubhouse in a controlled sailing environment with safety boat cover. The shore-based sessions are held in the classrooms in the clubhouse.
RYA Affiliated
Our courses are run under the auspices of the Royal Yachting Association as part of our affiliation with them using their syllabus. This means that we offer high quality teaching, providing any student with the skills and knowledge to enable them sail. It also means that students receive qualifications recognised across the UK and internationally.
All courses are run by qualified and experienced RYA instructors, who aim to ensure that the courses are fun and informative. All instructors at EYC are volunteer members who give up their weekend to teach you new skills and hopefully a love for being on the water.
Beginner courses
- RYA Start Sailing (Level 1) – Introduces you to sailing
- RYA Basic skills (Level 2) – Builds on Level 1 enabling you to sail without an instructor or experienced helm in the boat.
- RYA Sailing Seamanship
- RYA Level 2 Powerboat – Introduces you to the workings of a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) and give you the practical skills to safely drive it
We also have a range of courses and events to advance your sailing capabilities that we organise on an adhoc basis.These include:
- VHF Radio Certificate
- First Aid Certificate
- Safety boat driver
- Day Skipper Theory
- RYA Dinghy Instructor
Training Dates
What we provide
To ensure you don’t have to buy anything special for the courses we can provide the buoyancy aids and wetsuits. Of course if you have the gear you are welcome to use that. We will also issue you with a logbook as part of the course and any appropriate handouts.
What you need to bring
Please bring a change of clothes with you as well as footwear that can get wet, such as trainers. Its a good idea to bring packed lunch the galley is not always open serving food every weekend.
Erith town center is only a few minutes away by car so you can always grab something before your course or at lunch if needs be.
Our bar is usually open Sunday afternoon and is a relaxing spot to refresh after your course.
Course duration and ratios
The courses are run over a weekend from 9am to 5pm each day. All courses run on a ratio of 1 instructor to 3 students if in powerboats or double-hander dinghies, or 1 instructor to 6 students if in single-hander dinghies.
What happens after the course?
We encourage people who have done a course to become an active sailing member at Erith by appling for prospective membership. If you don’t know what boat to buy we have club boats for hire once you have completed your Level 2, gained a bit more experience and become a member. We have a mixed sailing programme of recreational and racing sailing. Sailing is a great way of keeping fit, socialising, exploring and making new friends.
Further details and how to contact us about training
Please email the training team if you are interested in a course or have a question. Equally, contact us if we have not advertised a course that you are interested in.
If you have booked a course we will send all relevant details including what to bring, what to do and anything else you will need to be prepared for the course you are undertaking.