Confused about which course is right for you?

There are quite a number of courses available when it comes to the maritime sector, so if you are wondering which one is right for you, we cannot blame you!

First of all, if you are a resident in Malta, you will need the Transport Malta Nautical Licence to drive any type of vessel in local waters. The official name of this course is the Transport Malta ‘Basic Seamanship and Boathandling‘ licence. With this licence you can drive any type of vessel up to 24m in local waters (covering Malta, Gozo and Comino).

The course is structured as follows:

Online theory classes via Zoom from Tuesday to Friday afternoon, from 16.30 till around 20.00

Practical session on our speedboat on Saturday morning

Around two/three later you will have an oral exam with Transport Malta in Lija (in person). Upon successful completion of the exam, you are eligble to apply for a licence which is valid for 10 years.

If you are not a resident in Malta or you would like to experience a course where more time is spend on the water, then an RYA course is for you!

These are divded primarily into sailing or motor.

If you wish to drive a speed boat which is smaller than 10m in lenght, then you can opt for the RYA Powerboat Level 2. This course is spread over two days and covers equal amounts of theory and practical. If the weather permits, we usually spend the morning in the classroom followed by the practical in the afternoon on both days.

Boston Whaler SS 170

There is then the RYA Day Skipper practical for Motor cruising. This gives you a certificate to drive a motor boat up to 24m, and is also valid internationally! With this certificate you can also apply for an International Certificate of Competence (ICC). There is the RYA Day Skipper shorebased which will need to be covered prior coming for the practical.

If you are into sailing, we also offer a number of courses depending on your previous sailing experience.

If you have no previous sailing experience, we have two options. If you have never been on a sailing boat before and would like a taster session, we recommend doing the RYA Start Yacthing. This is the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of sailing, where you will be joined by another three students on board one of our vessels, we primarily use a Beneteau Oceanis 411 pictured below.

There is also the RYA Competent Crew which is aimed at total beginners or people with very little previous sailing experience. This is a 5 day course held on our sailing boat, and throughout the 5 day course you will learn how to be a useful crew member and help out as a crew.

The fun never ends, and we will be visiting Malta’s sister island Gozo, and spending one night in Mgarr Marina in Gozo. On another evening we will be returning back to home port to cover some night sailing. Once again we take a maximum of four students + RYA instructor.

If you have previous sailing experience, or completed the RYA Competent Crew and wish to progress further, you can start go for the RYA Day Skipper Practical Sail. You would have needed to cover the theory course first, which is the RYA Day Skipper shorebased course, as you will then be putting into practice what you have learned during the theory course, and you will be asked to plot your course.

Following this five day course, you will be given a certificate which is internationally recognized and is valid for life! You can also apply for the International Certificate of Competence (ICC).

If you have any questions about any of the courses above, or would like more information, kindly get in touch with us on [email protected] or call/WhatsApp on +35699884477. We look forward to having you onboard!

Going on holiday with your boat? Here are some tips before you leave!

Sailing away with a bunch of friends on your own boat is a dream come true for many of us. It is a comfortable way of travelling, having your own belongings with you without being too restricted with luggage space (hello more shopping please!)

However there are quite a few things to think about before setting sail, and here are a few of our tips given by Robert, our chief instructor at Prosailing Malta

If possible, try and combine your trip with a friend – this always works well and is peace of mind should anything happen half way through your crossing

Check and double check the weather before leaving – when planning a trip like this, it is important to have slightly flexible dates! Planning to leave Monday and returning on Saturday might not work, and although weather forecasts are now quite reliable, the forecast can change even when abroad, so the return date might have to shift by a few days.

Make sure to have the essentials on board – (and know what to do with them!!), having a spare primary fuel filter, fine fuel filter, oil filter, spare oil, spare coolant, spare belt and a spare impellor as a minimum together with a well put together tool kit – a set of screwdrivers, spanners, socket set, pliers, side cutters, allen keys, vice grip, cable ties, filter wrench, hack saw and possibly a cordless drill and grinder

Depending on your destination, ensure you have the correct charts, nautical publications such as pilot books, and chart plotters which are well updated.

Plan your itinerary, a few good places to have a bite to eat, and most of all ENJOY!

Want to improve or refresh your boating skills before the summer season hits?

Want to improve or refresh your skills before the summer season hits?

If you are a resident in Malta or Gozo, you will require a local qualification to drive any type of vessel up to 24m, in territorial waters; the Transport Malta Basic Seamanship and Boathandling licence, also known as the local Transport Malta Nautical Licence.

If you wish to go a step further and work on your practical skills, we also offer RYA courses which are more course specific, meaning you will either focus on sail or motor. What better way to improve your skills than spending 4 or 5 full days on the boat?

For motor, we offer the RYA Day Skipper Practical, which is 4 days long, and tuition is offered on our Rodman 900 HT, which has two 200HP Volvo Penta Engines. We take a maximum of 4 students to enquire maximum individual attention and plenty of turns each!

 

During this course, you will be focusing on a number of practical elements, such as:

  • turning in a confined space,
  • anchoring at a pre-determined position,  
  • berthing alongside,
  • leaving an alongside berth,
  • picking up a mooring buoy

We will also be going through some Navigation and Pilotage exercises, in which we will be using some local charts, mainly Chart 2538 (all Malta on one chart), 177 (detailed pilotage chart of Marsamxett and Grand Harbour) and 211 (detailed chart of the Northern parts of Malta, incl Comino and South Gozo ) to plot our course.

This will definitely help you, especially if you plan on going to Sicily by boat this summer. Remember the African proverb which says that ‘Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors’, so it is always wiser to be well prepared! We will also be going through how to deal with the unfortunate event of an emergency situation, what to do, which flares to use, how to give out a distress call on the VHF radio and explain more about a Life Raft.

Fixing a Postion on a Chart

Of course, we will also treat you to some delicious meals which are prepared lovingly by a family member! And our chief instructor Robert will be sure to share his knowledge and some tricks of the trade with our students!

Interested? Next RYA Day Skipper Practical for Motor will be taking place from Monday 13th to Thursday 16th June. Give us a call on +356 9988 4477 or email us on [email protected] to book your place!