Maritime Training and Activity Center in Stavanger
Explore Norway’s fjords with confidence. Get certified through English-language boating courses designed for foreigners — from first-time navigators to future skippers. Learn the rules, master the waters, and set sail on one of the world’s most stunning coastlines.
News in English:
Our Courses:
Basic Boating Skills Course
Duration: 3 hours
Level: Beginner
Prerequisite: None
Format: Short briefing + practical exercises
Goal: Give participants the confidence and basic skills to safely operate and maneuver a small boat.
| Topics | Content |
|---|---|
| Welcome & Briefing | Boat orientation, life jackets/PFDs, emergency equipment, weather and local conditions, basic safety rules |
| Boat & Engine | Controls, steering, throttle/gear selection, engine start/stop, kill switch, gauges, fuel, basic checks before departure |
| Docking | Safe departure, lines and fenders, steering at low speed, approaching the dock, stopping and securing the boat |
| Basic Boat Handling | Forward/reverse, acceleration and deceleration, turning, stopping, maintaining a heading, understanding momentum and wind/current |
| Maneuvering | Slow-speed turns, figure-8s, reversing, controlled 90°/180° turns, maneuvering in a confined area |
| Man Overboard | Immediate actions, lookout, engine safety, approach technique, recovery considerations and communication |
| Navigation | Lookout, basic right-of-way principles, safe speed, buoys/markers, crossing and overtaking situations |
| Debrief | Summary and questions |
Season: all year
Advanced Boating Skills Course
Duration: 4 hours
Level: Intermediate-to-Advanced
Prerequisite: Completion of basic boating course or equivalent experience
Format: Short briefing + practical exercises
| Topic | Practical focus |
| Briefing | Weather, wind/current assessment, equipment check, risk assessment, route planning, emergency procedures |
| Advanced Boat & Engine Handling | Trim, throttle control, steering response, maneuvering characteristics, effects of wind/current and boat momentum |
| Precision Low-Speed Handling | Controlled turns, stopping on a target, reversing, pivot turns, confined-space maneuvering |
| Advanced Docking | Approaching with wind/current, alongside docking, leaving the dock, spring lines, correcting an unstable approach |
| Navigation & Route Planning | Charts/navigation aids, course planning, hazards, depth awareness, safe speed, collision avoidance |
| Open-Water Handling | Maintaining a planned course, turns at speed, wake management, lookout and situational awareness |
| Emergency & Man-Overboard | Person in water, engine failure, loss of steering, basic emergency communication and decision-making |
| Anchoring | Use of anchor and sea anchor |
| Debrief | Summary and questions |
Season: all year
Private Lessons and Family Courses
Duration: Minimum 2 hours (we recommend 3 hours)
Participants: 1 – 5
Prerequisite: None
Format: Briefing + practical exercises + Debrief
Vannsprut offers customizable private lessons tailored to the needs of groups and families wishing to learn together.
Participants may set their own agenda for these sessions. Have a look at our Basic and Advanced courses. This might give you some ideas of what you want to learn.
Season: 1. April – 30. September
Boating License (Båtførerprøven)
If you are going to operate a vessel in Norway, you need a boating license. Vannsprut is approved as a test center for the Norwegian boating license,
We offers classroom-based courses on demand, online courses through our partner, and practical exams. Vannsprut also provides a foundational practical boating course suitable for those preparing for the boating license exam.
Season: all year
International Certificate of Competence – ICC
Vannsprut is an approved provider of the International Certificate of Competence (ICC).
The certificate entitles you to operate a recreational vessels in other countries that have accepted the ICC as proof of boating competence. In some cases, private operators in countries that have not officially accepted the ICC may still require it to allow the rental of boats or jet skis.
If you need a bit of a skills refresher before the practical exam, Vannsprut offers preparatory courses for the ICC, covering both theory and practical exercises on the water.
The practical exam for the ICC can be carried out using Vannsprut’s motorboat or the customer’s own vessel, whether it is a sailboat or a motorboat.
Course season: April 1st – September 30th
High-Speed Courses
As Norway’s first approved provider of high-speed courses, Vannsprut offers both theoretical and practical training for boats and personal watercraft (PWC) capable of speeds exceeding 50 knots. Completion of these courses is mandatory from June 1, 2023, for operators of such vessels in Norway.
Season: 1. April – 30. September
High-Speed Instructor Training Course
Vannsprut provides instructor training courses for those interested in teaching high-speed vessel operations. These two-day courses include theoretical instruction and practical sessions for both boats and PWCs.
Upcoming courses: on request