Learning to captain a boat… without knowing how to swim
An Instagram ad popped up promising to teach me how to drive a yacht. I thought to myself “Sure, why not? Boats seem fun" So, I signed up for a course with Xclusive Boat Club in Dubai, even though my swimming skills are best described as “nonexistent.”
Yes, I thought it’d be a great idea to conquer the open waters while hoping not to fall into them. Solid plan.
A two days boating course over the weekend
The course was spread over 2 days, 8 hours each. That’s a weekend of boat-driving wisdom. Our classroom was just three students, including myself. The instructor was armed with a whiteboard, navigation signs, and a bunch of flares that I tried my best not to let my intrusive thoughts win and set one up during class.
Once the theory (2-3 hours) was out of the way, it was time to get on the boat. I have to admit that I realized parking a car is child’s play compared to parking a boat. We practiced everything: anchoring, docking, and even saving a drowning person - we called the drowning person "Wilson" from the movie, I don't know which movie but that's what they told me.
And at the end of course no boating course would be complete without learning to tie knots. Here’s where I discovered that my “basic survival skills” didn’t include making a loop with a rope because I managed to scrape my finger on the concrete ground.
RYA license issued same day
By the end of the second day, I was sunburned, and holding an RYA license that’s valid globally (except in Spain, apparently). The course set me back 3,000 AED that I would say it's worth it for gaining a new skill.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Even if you can’t swim, there’s nothing quite like cruising through the water and calling yourself a captain. Just don’t ask me to save you if you fall in.
Summary because no one reads
The school is called Xclusive Yacht Club dubai, look them up on instagram
2 days, 8 hours each day
Total cost 3,000
License is international and gets issued on the 2nd day
Only needed my Emirates ID and a personal photo for the license