RYA Diesel Engine Course
Our one-day RYA Diesel Engine course held at our Thameside clubhouse in central London.
It will show you how to take preventative and emergency care for your engine to keep you going. In particular it will help you with any mechanical breakdowns at sea - and could save your life.
You don't need any previous experience to do this course - just come along, enjoy, and learn. And at the end you will get an RYA Diesel Engine Certificate.
Upcoming RYA Diesel Engine Courses
Below we've set out the main parts of the course with some useful links and videos to get you in the mood.
How a diesel engine works
The first part of the RYA Diesel Engine course covers how a diesel engine works. Most boats have diesel engines because the fuel is cheap, more efficient, and less flammable than petrol. Diesel engines are less complex and less likely to break down. The course delves into how these engines work.
Parts of a diesel engine
Boat diesel engines come in all shapes and sizes but all share the same basic components. In the second part of the course you'll find out the the filters are, the various filling points, the cooling system, the electrical system, the fuel system and more.
The fuel system
The boat fuel system sends diesel from a tank on your boat to the injectors on your engine. It filters and cleans it on the way and returns any unused diesel back to the tank. Part 3 of the RYA Diesel Engine course looks at this circuit in detail. Check out this excellent article in Yachting Monthly
The cooling system
Part 4 of the course looks at diesel engine cooling systems. It's important to understand how your system works - if it's faulty at sea you need to know what's gone wrong and how to fix it, otherwise you cannot run your engine and may even do it serious damage. There's a nice summary of different systems on the Boat Safe site here
The air system
Part 5 of the course looks at diesel air systems. Even a small engine running at low revs consumes a lot of air from your engine compartment. For most engines this sytem works, but for some the air is recycled into a turbocharger to get more power. You'll learn how these systems work and how to maintain clean airflow using the right air filters. Yachting Monthly have a nice article on this.
Engine electrical systems
Engine electrical systems are normally self contained systems that are separate from the leisure electrical systems you might have on a boat. In Part 6 of the course, learn about alternators, starter motors, starter batteries and solenoids. There's a nice taster article here
Tools, maintenance, winterisation
The final parts of the course cover the maintenance essentials for your diesel engine. It's important to have a proper servicing schedule as well as the tools and spares to keep your boat going at sea.
Little Ship Club's top tips for diesel engines
Here's what some of our members contributed from years of experience - and mishaps!
- get a head torch or a good work lamp
- a good set of socket wrenches and Allen keys
- spare alternator belts
- spare fuel filters
- spare air filters
- spare lubricants
- spare coolants ie anti-freezes.
- a clean engine compartment: will allow you to spot fluid leakages and any components that fall off due to engine vibration
- anti-pollution mats
- protective gloves and overalls