Motorboat driving school
Motorboat driving school
Our motorboat instructors will prepare you thoroughly and comprehensively for the official category A skipper’s examination. The A license entitles you to operate a motorboat with engine power over 6kW on all our lakes and border waters. The exam consists of a theoretical and a practical part.
We train students all year round in our motorboat driving school. The training times are from 07.00-21.00 from Monday to Sunday. You can take the lessons in 90-minute sessions or in several blocks as a full-day or half-day course – this depends on your availability, wishes and the time available until the exam.
Our motorboat training takes place on the Luna Chiara, a maneuverable Finnish boat with an outboard motor, auxiliary heating and windshield wiper.
The outboard motor drive type is the most frequently chosen variant for the motorboat driving school.
With the outboard motor, maneuvering in harbours and during reverse maneuvers is much easier and more flexible than on the rigid shaft of the Mastercraft. This type of drive is particularly suitable for boaters with a slightly lower budget, little time or people who would like to sail mainly on outboard motors or sterndrives in the future.
The average number of lessons until the successful completion of the exam is 15-20 lessons of 90 minutes each.
Training area
Our training areas are the lower Lake Zurich basin and Oberrieden. We usually start our motor lessons from the ports of Zürich Seerose, Zürich Tiefenbrunnen or Thalwil.
Training
As individual lessons or groups of 2. We are also happy to give you private lessons on your own boat.
Depending on your wishes and availability, the motorboat school can be completed in blocks as a half-day course, full-day course or in 90-minute lessons. We will be happy to discuss the most suitable option with you and its advantages and disadvantages.
Training times
January to December, by individual arrangement with you, from Monday to Sunday from approx. 7°° to approx. 21°°, depending on the time of year and daylight.
Implementation
Our lessons are held in all weathers, as far as the safety of the boat and crew allows. No special clothing is required apart from shoes with non-slip soles (e.g. sneakers).
Training program
The motorboat and the prescribed equipment including engine system. Mooring and unmooring at jetty and pier port and starboard, forward and reverse. Maneuvering in confined spaces (turning on the spot, turning over the bow). Bow and stern landing at buoy, jetty and in the box, “man overboard” maneuver. Sailing on different courses according to markers and compass. General seamanship (knots, mooring the ship, ship safety, basics of ship handling). Preparation for the category A exam.
Duration of training
The duration of training varies depending on personal background and age. The average is 15-20 lessons of 1.5 hours until you are ready for the exam.
Insurance
Personal accident insurance is the responsibility of the student; lunasailing cannot accept any liability. Damage caused by the student to the school boat and equipment is covered by the hull insurance flat rate.
Certificate of proficiency for sailing instructors
Your instructor Andreas Rieser is a very experienced skipper with licenses for motorboats and sailing boats inland, passenger ships – 300 persons, cargo ships, Swiss deep-sea license for sailing and motor yachts. Every year he travels over 25,000 km on the lake or sea! He grew up on Lake Zurich and knows every corner.
Contents of the basic training – Requirements for a successful examination
✓ Knowledge of the boat
✓ Operation of the boat
✓ Safety on board
✓ Manning the boat
✓ Knowledge of the sailor’s knots
✓ Compass – navigation
✓ Seamanship
✓ Making the ship ready to sail
✓ Mooring and casting off sideways on the jetty forward (starboard and port)
✓ Mooring and casting off sideways at the jetty astern (starboard and port)
✓ Bow and stern landing
✓ Turning over the bow
✓ Maneuvering in confined spaces
✓ Navigating port facilities
✓ Mooring in forward and reverse boxes
✓ Driving on different courses
✓ Man overboard maneuver
✓ Anchoring maneuvers
✓ Knowledge of the harbor
✓ Firefighting
✓ Water in the ship
✓ Ship aground – average
✓ Towing
✓ Weather knowledge
Video instruction of driving school maneuvers – modern aids in boating school!
The powerboat driving school in 2024 no longer consists “only” of dusty training documents, paper pad, pen and pinboard.
Lunasailing has turned the powerboat driving school maneuvers from Lake Zurich that are frequently tested in the powerboat exam into professional short films for you.
We use these maneuver instructions during the driving school to show you the maneuvers on the tablet / Ipad. The maneuvers from the motorboat driving school can also be repeated by customers at home or serve as preparation.
Depending on the type of propulsion, wind and other local conditions, there are also other ways of performing the maneuvers. The maneuvers shown are one possibility and not the only correct solution!
Take a look at the most important maneuvers here! – Just click on the link!
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Motorboat mooring at the jetty”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Man overboard”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Bow mooring at the jetty”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Turning on the spot”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Mooring at the jetty forward 45 degree drift landing”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Mooring at the jetty forward 45 degrees drift reduction”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Mooring at the jetty forward 90 degree drift landing”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Mooring at the jetty forward 90 degrees drift reduction”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Mooring at the jetty backwards 45 degrees”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Turning over bow”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “casting off from the jetty”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Boxing forward with turning on the spot”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Boxing backwards with turning on the spot”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Bow mooring with stern anchor”
Motorboat driving school maneuver “Cross bearing navigation task”
