Boating Helper

Boating Helper

Posted for Accessible Boating Association

Posted by Volunteer North Hampshire

Register your interest

You will be redirected to the Volunteer North Hampshire website to express your interest.

If you enjoy boating, Accessible Boating is on the lookout for new volunteers to help them run their services.  Our purpose-built boats enable almost anyone to enjoy a day trip or a holiday on the canal. Roles include dispatching (for self drive hirers), crewing and skippering.

Our boating season runs from April to October with June to September being the peak period. We also run Father Christmas trips in December.

Some of our volunteers help with boat maintenance during November to March.  This sometimes involves taking the boats to the dry dock in Deepcut - a good way of seeing the canal!

Each of our trips runs for several hours, starting at 10:00am or 11:00am and finishing at 3.00pm or 4.00pm.  There is also an hour either side required to prepare the boat for the trip and then close it down at the end.  

What skills do I need?

Volunteers need an interest in canal boating, no previous experience required, just friendly, a can-do attitude and must be physically able.

If they don't already have a relevant qualification, boat skippers will be required to obtain a CCBM (Certificate of Community Boat Management) or an RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman Certficate. We also expect our skippers to hold a current first aid qualification. Training costs will be met by the charity.

Dispatchers and crew members will be given 'on-the-job' training.  Refresher training for skippers, crew members and dispatchers takes place early in the season.