Chieftain Training Reviews 

403
TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.9

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 136 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently praise the instructors for being extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and approachable, creating a wonderfully relaxed and fun learning environment for all participants. Reviewers consistently mention that the staff goes above and beyond to ensure everyone fully understands the material and feels supported throughout the session. People also highlighted how well the courses are structured, offering a fantastic balance of classroom theory and practical time on the water. Participants noted that complex concepts are explained simply and clearly, which makes the training incredibly engaging and boosts their overall confidence.

What people talk about most

Staff

Customers consistently note positive experiences with staff, highlighting that instructors are extremely... See more

User experience

Users describe positive interactions with user experience, highlighting exceptionally engaging and well-run... See more

Service

Customers consistently report positive experiences with service, highlighting professionally delivered... See more

Product

Reviewers express great satisfaction with the courses, highlighting the detailed theory and fun delivery.... See more

Instructions

People report positive experiences with instructions, noting that the courses are well organized and up to... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I attended the RYA First Aid course yesterday. The facilities are very good with plenty of parking. Our trainer (Alan) was very experienced with plenty of real life examples to enhance the material.... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Hi Chieftain Team, A really big thank you for an excellent Powerboat Level 1 course for my two children and my wife, despite the shocking weather (raining all day) they had a fantastic tim... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The course instructor was excellent, there was a real balance of the practical time on the water, which was well supported, and the time in the classroom learning the theory. I was also very impressed... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I did the RYA Sea Survival and then the second day as well. The pool session is tough but rewarding and worthwhile - if nothing else it teaches you that you never want to be in a liferaft. Great instr... See more


Company details

  1. Training Centre
  2. Boat Rental Service
  3. Boating Instructor
  4. Sailing School
  5. Training School
  6. Yacht Club

Written by the company

STCW & RYA Marine Training Centre based in Hamble, Southampton, Greenwich and Helensburgh. The company delivers a wide range of Sea Survival, First Aid, GMDSS, engineering, navigation, maritime security and powerboat courses for super-yacht, workboat and leisure boating crew and masters. Sailing and powerboat students will find we offer the widest range of shorebased, marine radio, yacht maintenance, engineering, first aid at sea and navigation courses of any RYA Training Centre. The centres are equipped with first class resources and training aids for GMDSS, marine engineering and survival training.


Contact info

4.9

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

403 reviews

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4.9

All reviews

(403)

135 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Top Knotch!

Adam was my instructor for Yachtmaster Offshore Sail to Power conversion. Writing as an RYA Cruising Instructor (sail) myself who has taken numerous RYA courses in the last 20 yrs; I am happy to report that Adam was the best instructor I have had the pleasure to work with in any discipline.

Patient and professional, with an uncanny knack of conveying even the most complicated of concepts in a simple, accessible manner. Adam and Doug (Chieftain’s principal) go the extra mile; it is clear that they are both truly invested in the development and success of their students. A credit to the industry.

April 3, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thanks Ben. Well done to you for a solid pass of the Yachtmaster Exam

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Alex was amazing!

Alex was amazing! Very patient, informative, and clear with all instructions!

March 29, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thanks F, glad you enjoyed the Powerboat Level 2 Course

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

STCW PST course

Really knowledgeable, engaging instructor. Course felt well-paced. Good facilities. Only slight downside is the travel between classroom and pool sessions, but the two locations are closer together than for some other available courses.

March 21, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thank for the review Amanda. The journey to the survival pool rarely takes more than 15 minutes each way . There are closer pools to our Hamble centre but the one we use is purpose built for survival training and gives you a far better course than the alternatives.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

RYA first aid course was expertly…

RYA first aid course was expertly delivered by Joe, everything was discussed and well presented, definitely be back

March 23, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thank for the feedback BC and good to see you at the centre, by my count that is your 6th First Aid course with our team over the last couple of decades.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great instructor

Great instructor, delivered with confidence stemming from professional experience

March 12, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thanks Neil, glad you enjoyed the RYA Short Range Certificate (SRC) Course with Matt and Doug.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

5 out of 5 !

Challenging, enjoyable and technically interesting. And all questions were answered with experience and knowledge.

March 12, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thanks Henry, glad you enjoyed your training course

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Nigel has done an excellent job in ocean theory

Nigel has done an excellent job in balancing real life experience with keeping a focus on working through all the material.
I really enjoyed it.

March 11, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thanks Dirk, glad you enjoyed the RYA Yachtamsre Ocean Shorebased Course

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Recently completed an RYA Sea Survival…

Recently completed an RYA Sea Survival Course; thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was made fun, interesting, and interactive. The instructor was great; will be using Chieftain for my future training needs.

March 7, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thank Neil, we look forward to seeing you again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12V Electrics - V Good - V Hands On

Carl led my 12 Electrics course. He is a highly knowledgable and enthusiastic instructor able to work with people of different skills, experience and learning styles.

He adapted the material to ensure that each participant had the ability to work on and understand any 'projects' they were considering - whether Solar, primary circuits, automatic bilge pumps with indicators and overrides or just circuit design and fault finding.

Course covered use of tools (strippers, crimpers, ferrules), Techniques (soldering to extend wires and protect them properly) and use of test/measuring equipment.

All of the materials were provided - the test rigs for fault finding were excellent.

Thoroughly Recommended.

March 7, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thanks Phil, glad you enjoyed our 12 Volt Marine Electrics course. Carl is indeed a great Instructor

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great two days for absolute beginner

Great two days on the water, as an absolute beginner I was quickly driving the boat, had lots of hands on driving time, learned loads of things I will need in the future and feel confident that I can get on the water safely in the future

March 3, 2026
Unprompted review
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Reply from Chieftain Training

Thanks Mike, glad you enjoyed your Powerboat Level 2 Course at our Southampton Centre

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Top level training provider


My second course at Chieftain and both have been professionally conducted, great content & delivery in a format that was easy to absorb. Alan was able to remain personable & demonstrated a high level of knowledge in both subject areas 🏆

January 25, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Doug's Advanced Powerboat Instructors…

Doug's Advanced Powerboat Instructors Course truly stands out as an exceptional experience. He tailored the material precisely to the participants' skill levels, ensuring we acquired the necessary knowledge to become competent instructors. His vast expertise clearly shines through in his teaching.

January 21, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A very worthwhile 2 days learning about marine electrics

Carl our instructor has a broad range of experience within the yachting industry as well as being a a very experienced marine electrician.
The 2 days are packed with challenges getting your head around marine electrics and also boat systems and how all this is put together to make boat electrical systems work. The use of the multimeter, clamp metre and soldering were extremely beneficial even for those who had some knowledge

A very worthwhile 2 days and i will feel a lot more confident when i next start fault finding on a yacht,

January 13, 2026
Unprompted review

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