Private Powerboat Lessons on San Francisco Bay
Feel Calm at The Helm Especially When Docking
Get 1-on-1 Coaching – Master Docking, Navigation, and Safety With Total Confidence
Traditional powerboat schools prioritize their business efficiency over your learning. They force you into a classroom for half the day and make you share the wheel with three other students.
The “Group Lesson” Trap:
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You Share the Wheel: You pay for a full day of instruction, but you only spend 25% of the time actually driving. The rest of the time, you are just watching strangers learn.
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You Are Held Back: The pace of the class is set by the least experienced student. If they struggle to dock, you sit and wait.
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You Don’t Retain It: Information is crammed into a single weekend. By the time you get back to your own boat, the confidence has faded.
The Cost: You end up wasting your weekends on “certifications” that leave you feeling anxious and unprepared to handle a boat on your own.
Why Private Coaching Wins
Private powerboat coaching that takes you from “nervous and unsure” to “confident and capable” on your schedule.
The “Old School” Way |
Passage Nautical Private Coaching |
|---|---|
| 1 Instructor ÷ 4 Students | 1 Instructor ÷ 1 Student |
| 25% Helm Time (Mostly watching) | 100% Helm Time (Always driving) |
| Pace: Set by the slowest student | Pace: Set by your goals |
| Schedule: Fixed Weekends Only | Schedule: Any Day (7 Days a Week) |
| Theory: Boring Classroom Lectures | Theory: Interactive Online Modules |
Your Path to Mastery in 3 Simple Steps
Step 1: Complete the Experience Survey Don’t waste time or money on skills you already have. Fill out our quick survey to tell us your current experience level and exactly what boating goals you want to achieve.
Step 2: Get Your Custom Roadmap We will review your goals and design a personalized training plan—whether that’s a single day of docking drills or a multi-day certification course—specifically to close your skill gaps.
Step 3: Train Until You Command Meet your instructor on the water and execute your plan. You’ll practice exactly what you need until you feel completely competent and confident at the helm.
What Students Say
“I thought powerboating would be intimidating, but my instructor made it fun and approachable. Within three sessions, I was docking and handling the boat solo, and I wasn’t nervous!”
Michael R., San Francisco
“The private lessons were worth every penny. I learned more in 8 hours than friends who have been taking multiple weekend courses. They are so impressed with my skills that now I’m the one teaching them!”
Lisa T., Mill Valley
Private Courses Designed To Meet Your Goals – For One Person, Couples, and Families
All-Inclusive Pricing – No Additional Fees
2-Day Skill Building Custom Course
WHO THIS IS FOR:
- Previous experience and want to refresh skills.
- Previous experience and want to do focused skill building.
- Beginner who wants to check out boating and lessons.
- All lesson time is on the water.
This course is a total of 8 hours on the water completed over two 4-hour days. For experienced boaters looking to refresh or focus training on specific areas, it gives you a fast track approach to improving skill sets for handling a boat in open water or close quarters, wherever you feel the focus should be. This includes 6 hours of online classroom theory.
4-Day Custom Safe Powerboat Handling
WHO THIS IS FOR:
- For beginners, the next course after the 8-hour intro day to reach a level of independent boating
- For boaters with some experience but not ready to take the helm, this will take you to competency
- All lesson time is on the water.
This course is 16 hours of on the water training completed over four 4-hour days on the water. The goal of this course is to take you to the level of competency to safely operate a small motorboat and improve your boat handling skills. This course includes 24 hours of online classroom theory.
5-Day Custom Powerboat Cruising
WHO THIS IS FOR:
- Beginners who have had some exposure to boating as a passenger and want to become proficient at operating a small powerboat on their own. No powerboat experience necessary.
- Experienced boaters who need to start over after a long absence from boating and need to refresh skills and relearn critical boat handling skills.
- All lesson time is on the water.
This course is 20 hours of on the water training completed over five 4-hour days on the water. The goal of this course is to take you to the level of competency needed to safely operate a small motorboat and feel comfortable under heavy bay conditions. This course includes 35 hours of online classroom theory.
6-Day (24-Hours On-The-Water) Custom Powerboat Cruising
WHO THIS IS FOR:
- Beginners who want to become proficient at operating a small powerboat on their own. No powerboat experience necessary.
- Experienced boaters who need to start over after a loing absense from boating and need to refresh skills and relearn critical boat handling skills.
- All lesson time is on the water.
This course is completed over six 4 hour days. This is the ultimate course to up your skill level in half the time of group lessons. Personalization and focused attention are the key to your success. Private powerboat lessons are the fastest and best way to learn and be comfortable on the water. This course includes 40 hours of online theory.
Tell Us Your Goals, And We'll Get You Boating In No Time!
BAREBOAT CHARTER & INTERNATIONAL BOATING LICENSE CERTIFICATIONS
International Boating License
To rent a boat, charter a power yacht or power cat in Europe and many other countries, you need a recognized boating license.
We offer the SLC-p power boating license, accepted by all port authorities and yacht charter companies worldwide.
It ensures you meet international standards for chartering.
Bareboat Charter Certification
To rent a boat, charter a power yacht or power cat in the Caribbean, you need to have a bareboat charter certification.
We offer this certification through NauticEd, which is accepted by all port authorities and yacht charter companies worldwide.
It ensures you meet international standards for chartering.
Get Your California Boaters Card
Starting January 1, 2025, everyone who drives a motorized boat in California must have a valid California Boater Card.
Getting the California Boater card is easy. First, complete a state and NASBLA-approved boating safety course. Then, fill out a quick $10 online application. Your lifetime card will arrive after the application is processed