This question has an easy answer: the nautical school that best trains students. For this, we must be able to cover several aspects.
First, training must be practical and pragmatic, that is, it must be really useful for us. That covers the real needs of the student, either as professional skippers, recreational skippers or clients of a charter company. We must know how to handle ourselves safely, control the manoeuvre, and know the emergency protocols. And that can only be achieved through drills and exercises on board.
Another key factor is the effectiveness of the teaching. There needs to be a clear method in place, and the instructor should have solid experience. Someone who is highly skilled in what they do doesn’t necessarily make a good teacher, teaching requires a different skill set. A good instructor should have been trained in how to teach, not just in what they’re teaching. While we often encounter young instructors still honing their own skills, it’s important to remember that experience matters. I wish them the best, but in my view, such instructors should be supported and supervised by more experienced mentors. Furthermore, instructors must stay up-to-date with ongoing training and have a mindset of continuous improvement. You never stop learning in this profession, just like in any other. Instructors should be passionate about their work and dedicated to growing in their craft.
And if all this is not difficult to find in itself, we must ensure that the number of students is not excessive. We must ensure small groups so that the instructor is able to transmit their knowledge in an adequate and orderly manner. Everything that is not progressive learning will be instability for the student, and with this, we minimise the chances of success. In addition to the obvious fact that not all students learn the same way, this leads us to the instructor being able to master different teaching techniques. An instructor is not someone who knows how to navigate, they are someone who in, addition to that must teach very well.
Where to find such a school? Easy, find your nearest RYA training centre and enjoy….
