The Marine Education Boatshed offers a range of marine safety courses designed for primary and secondary schools and vocational training.
Canoeing and snorkelling
Canoeing and snorkelling are great ways to introduce marine safety to students.
We can provide up to 14 canoes and 24 sets of snorkelling equipment for schools to use for:
- Introductory marine training
- Marine science studies
- Basic snorkelling instruction.
Junior Crew program
The Junior Crew program is for primary school students and focuses on:
- Safe use of boats
- Safety of others when boating.
The program provides a range of free resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, logbook, and certificates of completion.
Find out more about the Junior Crew program.
Seatrek program
The Seatrek program gives students the opportunity to gain valuable marine safety knowledge while undertaking a sailing expedition along the Western Australian coastline.
Sailing expeditions range from day trips on the Swan River to 5-day expeditions to Shark Bay.
During the program, students will learn skills in:
- Advanced boat handling
- Coastal navigation
- Radio procedure
- Sailing.
The Seatrek programs focuses on teaching voyage planning, preparation and personal safety.
Note: All students must have a Recreational Skipper's Ticket to participate in the Seatrek program.
The Seatrek program qualifies as part of the outdoor education course in the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE)
Raising sails on a Seahawk sailboat (video)
Minimal impact: Seatrek program, Shark Bay (video)
The Marine Education Boatshed offers a range of sailing expeditions from 1-day trips up the Swan River to 8-day expeditions around Shark Bay or from Fremantle to Mandurah.
Each expedition can take up to 24 students and 2 staff members in our fleet of boats, which includes:
- 6 5-metre self-contained sailboats.
- Motorised safety and support vessel.
Survival swimming program
Our survival swimming program teaches people to swim in marine and coastal environments.
The program is designed to complement existing programs conducted in swimming pools and includes:
- Use of lifejackets
- Entry and exit practicals
- Survival techniques
- Real-life simulations.
Vocational education and training
The Marine Education Boatshed is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 51772), and provides nationally-recognised vocational training in marine safety.
We currently award Statements of Attainment for the following units of competency:
- MEM50008 Carry out trip preparation and planning
- MEM50009 Safely operate a mechanically powered recreational boat
- MEM50010 Respond to boating emergencies
- SISOSAI001 - Sail small boats in smooth water and light to moderate winds
Statements of Attainment recognise a student's abilities in particular units of competency. While they are not full qualifications in themselves, they allow students to get recognition for vocational qualifications and skill sets in future.
Skipper's ticket training for schools
The Recreational Skipper's Ticket (RST) is the qualification needed to skipper a power boat with a motor greater than 6hp in WA.
The School Curriculum and Standards Authority has endorsed the RST course for credit in the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).
By obtaining an RST, students will earn 1 unit of equivalence towards their WACE.
The Marine Education Boatshed can help teachers and principals organise for RST training to be conducted in their schools by authorised providers.
Students in years 10, 11 or 12 can also earn the RST in their own time but must get it validated by their school before the WACE points can be transferred.
For more information on RST school-based programs, contact the Marine Education Boatshed at edboat@transport.wa.gov.au