Do I need previous navigation training?

No. The workshop assumes basic familiarity with a phone or tablet and builds passage planning skills from first principles.

What apps will be covered?

Instructors demonstrate Navionics, Navily, Orca and Windy and how to combine them with charts and forecasts.

Where is the meeting point?

Meet inside Club Nautico Altea at Av Del Puerto 50; instructors typically arrive around 18:00.

How large are the groups?

Groups are kept small (approximately three per session) to allow hands-on time and personalized feedback.

Is there a certification provided?

This is a practical workshop focused on skills and decision-making; it does not issue formal certification.

Bring enthusiasm, a charged device with your usual apps, and a notebook for plotting and notes.

Passage Planning Workshop: Master Coastal Navigation at Club Nautico Altea | Workshop | Sailing

Passage Planning Workshop at Club Nautico Altea is a focused two-hour course on the shore of Altea in Comunidad Valenciana, Spain. Held inside Club Nautico, this practical session teaches sailors how to plan coastal passages using seamanship principles and the digital tools many boaters already rely on. You'll learn to read charts, check weather and sea state correctly, use Navionics, Navily, Orca and Windy with confidence, and build contingency plans that comply with SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 34. The classroom sits above the marina, where bobbing hulls and the flat horizon of the Mediterranean provide context for learning. Key features of the scene include the sheltered berth at Club Nautico Altea, the nearby pebble beaches and the jagged limestone headlands that shape local currents. The workshop emphasizes identifying hazards from charts and aerial imagery, plotting safe routes through coastal shoals, and picking bolt-holes—nearby safe harbors—before you leave the berth. Instructors use real trip scenarios to show how to combine paper charts with apps and forecasts so you never over-rely on a single source. The course is ideal for weekend skippers, new owners, or anyone who wants to move from reactive to proactive decision-making at sea. Group sizes are small, allowing hands-on time with electronic charts and Q&A about tides, wind shifts, and night passages. By the end of two hours participants will be able to draft a complete coastal passage, identify alternate routes, and spot the common errors that place small craft at risk. Practicalities: meet at Av Del Puerto 50, Club Nautico Altea; the session typically convenes around 18:00. Bring enthusiasm, a charged phone or tablet with your usual navigation apps, and a notebook. No prior certification is required. The workshop also situates its advice against local regulations and SOLAS guidance to underline why planning matters for vessels large and small. Why this matters: Altea’s coastline can change quickly with sea breezes and localized currents, and the town’s marina is a hub for cruising sailors in the Alicante region. This short, focused workshop turns abstract advice into a repeatable workflow you can use next time you shove off. Whether you’re preparing for an evening hop to a nearby cove or a longer coastal leg, the Passage Planning Workshop at Club Nautico Altea teaches the decisions that keep you safe and cruising with confidence. Expect interactive demonstrations, sample passage plans, and immediate feedback. It helps to bring a route you plan to sail so the instructor can review it with you. The small-group format gives time for personalized pointers on chart symbology, magnetic variation, and selecting dependable anchorages. Many participants finish by stepping down to the quay to verify bearings and practice plotting on paper charts before their next outing.

About Sea School Costa Blanca

Sea School Costa Blanca is a coastal training centre based in Altea, Comunidad Valenciana, offering practical, safety-focused boating and watersports courses for beginners and progressing students.

The school delivers RYA‑branded programmes including a two-day Powerboat Training and Licence course, a one‑day PWC Jet Ski Training and Licence course, the RYA SRC VHF Marine online course with local exam, and the online RYA CEVNI Test for inland waterways.

Training combines shore briefings with hands-on tuition on the water. The Powerboat Training course covers mooring, anchoring, man overboard recovery and navigation practice during guided expeditions to local ports. The PWC course focuses on safety, seamanship and maneuvering techniques with continuous assessment throughout the session. The SRC course is completed online at the student’s pace with the practical exam taken at Sea School Costa Blanca in Altea to obtain a lifetime-valid radio operators’ licence. The CEVNI Test is delivered online to assess knowledge of rules and regulations for Europe’s inland waterways.

Instructors use practical demonstrations, repetitive drills and scenario-based learning to build competence and confidence. Safety equipment and local knowledge of Comunidad Valenciana waters are integrated into each programme. Sea School Costa Blanca positions itself for those seeking accredited RYA courses, practical experience and clear, exam-ready instruction. All course descriptions, durations and outcomes correspond to the listed RYA training formats and online examinations available through the school. Course formats include in-person practical days, guided port expeditions, hands-on drills and online study modules followed by local examination at the Altea centre and RYA standards.