What our Students think of our Services

I recently purchased a 64-foot Sunseeker Manhattan.  My prior boating experience was with sailboats and sailing catamarans up to about 47-feet. But this experience was sparse – the week bare boat vacation to the Virgin Islands, etc.

Since I’d never operated a large twin screw power boat, I was more than a little concerned that it might be a bit too much for me to handle; captaining a 30 ton vessel with two 800 horsepower engines was way beyond my comfort zone.

My broker, Scott Bruce, at Silver Seas Yachts, indicated that with a bit of training, I’d be able to secure insurance without the need for a hired captain; and more importantly, I’d feel comfortable and could be safe.  He referred me to Richard at Yachts4Fun for the necessary training.

After contacting Richard, I learned that I’d be able to satisfy the insurance requirements by completing two Yachts4Fun courses:

1.  Close Quarter Powerboat Handling Course, Twin Inboard, sponsored by the Recreational Power Boating Association (RPBA) and the
2.  Vessel Endorsement Course

The first course consisted of four three hour lessons aboard Richard’s 40-foot Sea Ray.  The second course consisted of another four three hour lessons aboard my newly acquired boat.  I blocked out some time away from work and was able to schedule training over a two week period.

Showing up for the first lesson, I did not know what to expect.  Images of a crusty old salt, with a “my way or the highway” attitude crossed my mind more than once.  But my actual experience could not be further from this initial image.  Richard greeted me in the parking lot and led the way to his boat, making me feel instantly comfortable and at ease.  After a safety briefing and run through the checklists, we were off.

For a novice, the curriculum  could not be better.  Each lesson builds on the skills learned in the prior lesson and get more complex.  The first series of lessons consisted of basic, close quarter powerboat handling.  By the fourth lesson, I was able to safety dock the boat and slide it in and out of a slip – even in windy conditions and with current.

The second course began with a very thorough review of my boat’s systems – there are many!  We then progressed through the same close quarters drills using my boat, instead of the 40-foot Sea Ray.  We then moved through navigation, night operations, and anchoring.  By the end of the fourth lesson I felt safe and comfortable operating my boat single handedly. Richard quickly wrapped up the paperwork and course certifications.

My insurance company accepted the training and eliminated the paid captain requirement the same day I sent them the documentation!  In two weeks I’d moved from a total novice to a safe, insurance company approved captain aboard my boat.

I can’t thank Richard and Matt enough for the great training.  The courses are well designed and the training is efficient and cost effective.  One benefit is making the insurance company happy.  But surely the biggest benefit is begin able to operate safety in the sometimes very busy Marina Del Rey channels.

If you are thinking about chartering a bare boat or purchasing a boat, I highly recommend the training offered by Yachts4Fun.  You won’t regret it!

—Brian

My wife and I always enjoyed boating, but never owned a boat larger than 21 feet. In September 2013 we ordered a new 63’ Marquis Sport-Yacht. Needless to say we were in over our heads, however after meeting and taking lessons from Richard, first on his 40’ Sea Ray and then on a 55’ Marquis our confidence in captaining our own boat which had yet to arrive increased. While my wife came to the first lesson as an observer, especially when it came time to check the oil, she quickly realized how easy boating could be if you have the perfect instructor. Richard was not only our instructor, but became our friend too. With both kids away at college we began taking lessons in February and looked forward to spending a few hours each weekend with Richard and Angel learning something new, yet building on a technique we mastered the week before.

Richard’s patience is award worthy which made docking, close quarter maneuvering, nighttime navigation, anchoring or mooring, and avoiding those pesky paddle boarders much easier. We also learned about right of way, boater courtesy, and the mechanical systems of boats which was great since one quickly learns that boats need attention. When we took possession in May 2014, Richard was there to ensure we understood how the boat worked and operated. Due the size of the boat and our past experience our insurance company insisted we operate the boat with a captain, but after a few additional lessons and Richard’s recommendation we were signed off by our insurance.

Buying a brand new 60+ foot boat was scary, however we had a great summer comfortably and safely cruising in ours and we have Richard to thank for it. We would highly recommend Richard to newcomers and those who still need a pointer or two. They say the two best days in boating are the day you buy your boat and the day you sell it, for us it was the day we bought it and the day we began taking lessons with Yachts4Fun and Richard.

—Mike and Debbie Z

This Powerboat Training Course was exceptionally administered and a tremendous value. We were so impressed by the first lesson with Captain Richard, that we immediately registered for the entire program. The training exceeded our expectations in every way. The instruction was perfectly timed, well-delivered, and thorough. The Vesper is a beautiful boat, well-maintained and a great training platform. Perhaps the strongest statement to be made concerned our very comfortable transition to a 60′ Hatteras immediately following the course. With Captain Richard’s superb training, the transition to running SEA2AIR in its oceanographic research missions was very manageable. The skills developed in the course are applied daily in our research platform. We’re delighted to provide this unequivocal endorsement, an exceptional experience across the board.

—SEA2AIR CREW

Richard is such a FANTASTIC and patient teacher. My husband and I purchased the whole boating package and are completely satisfied. Richard took us through the many steps of boating Docking, anchoring, Open Ocean maneuvers. We learned so much that we actually ended up buying a 340 Sea Ray with Richards’s assistance. We would HIGHLY recommend that anyone who has not had professional boating lessons takes this course. You will learn much more then any book you read and you will be a TRUE boater for life… One year later we sill think of Richard every time we take our boat out (We can still hear his voice calmly telling us what to do and why).

THANKS RICHARD!!!

—Shelia

Richard’s Powerboat Lessons are a safe way to get to know your boat. I have sold many boats to clients who tried to ‘learn by doing’ without the help of a professional Captain, and the result was usually a negative experience. I highly recommend lessons to avoid the potential dangers until one feels comfortable at the controls.

Win Weaver

Bob Koepple Yacht Sales

We thoroughly enjoyed working with Richard – we learned so much. Richard is a very patient, calm instructor with a good instinct for knowing what each person needs to work on and how to engineer exercises to help you become comfortable with concepts you might be struggling with. We started our lessons on Richard’s boat, Vesper, which is a great vessel upon which to learn. Richard then continued our lessons aboard our own boat, which is a different hull style but the concepts are the same. We highly recommend Richard for your powerboating lesson needs, you will gain tons of confidence, learn everything you need to know and have a great time doing it.

Mark & Charlotte