Risk-free powerboat training on Sydney Harbour

We made the jump from a 22 to a 40 ft 4 years ago and I wanted to improve my skills in berthing in a tight pen and anchoring in stronger winds . Tristan was brilliant, patient and explained everything so clearly! Needless to say I feel more confident in both of those ( especially as I don’t have a bow thruster ) we will definitely book him again , I learnt so much in the 3 hours . Highly recommend him to give you confidence either with a new boat or an existing. Awesome time on the water mate …. Thank you !

Tristan and Dave were excellent in helping get back going with my sailing and rebuilt my confidence after being away from it for 15 years. They were patient and and very knowledgeable which only come from experience. Dave's time with me on board for the day stepped me through the details of anchoring, picking and letting go of a mooring, setting up the sails and numerous conversations about many other aspects of the boat, motorsailing and sailing. A great investment in my pastime!

I had an excellent experience with Tristian, who assisted me with inspecting and running a 43ft Riviera. His knowledge, professionalism, and practical experience were evident throughout the entire process, making sure I felt confident and comfortable handling a vessel of this size. Thanks again, Tristian, for your time, and guidance.

Really sick boat Course , tristan has helped me with anchoring, learning new knots, what do to before starting a boat for it to function properly, how to clean a boat how to maintain a boat and how to use a boat off shore , really good Business and just a sick thing to do 10/10 would recommend

After many years of owning sail boats my new little Jeanneau Merry Fisher had quite a complicated dashboard. Tristian is very good at explaining how everything works which has improved my confidence in the transition from sail power to motor boat. He’s an excellent teacher and I’m happy to recommend him.

Great learning experience with Tristan as my boating instructor. Tristan is incredibly professional, patient and passionate while also really easy to get along with. He has helped me become so much more confident and capable on the water. I really appreciate the dedication and effort he puts into teaching and making lessons enjoyable. I highly recommend Tristan to anybody looking for a knowledgeable and professional boating instructor!

The training was relaxed, easy to follow, and gave me the confidence to handle both simple and more complex manoeuvres on the water. Tristan explained everything clearly, was patient, and made sure I understood each skill before moving on. By the end of each session, I felt confident with docking, reversing, manoeuvring in tight spaces, and safely handling the boat in a range of different situations. From start to finish, the experience was outstanding. Tristan displayed absolute professionalism throughout and took the time to ensure I left with the skills and confidence to operate a boat safely. I couldn't recommend Tristan and the entire Boat Wise team highly enough.

Tristan is an excellent patient teacher, his boating advice really helped us gain confidence for when you really need it.

Tristan is a very experienced skipper who clearly loves what he does. He’s patient, easy to learn from, and happy to go the extra mile to help. I really enjoyed my time on the water with him and learned a lot. Highly recommend if you’re looking to build confidence and improve your boating skills.

Ive had the privilege of spending many days on the water with Tristain over the past year, and I couldn’t recommend him highly enough. Tristain is an exceptional boating instructor with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He has a calm, patient teaching style that builds confidence, and he takes the time to explain not just how to do things, but why. Every trip was a valuable learning experience, covering practical boating skills, safety, navigation and seamanship in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. His passion for boating is obvious, and he genuinely wants those on board to develop their skills and confidence. Whether you’re new to boating or looking to build on your experience, Tristain’s professionalism, encouragement and expertise make him an outstanding mentor. Thank you, Tristain, for sharing your knowledge and making every day on the water such an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I would highly recommend your training to anyone wanting to become a safer and more confident boater.

I just completed a four-hour training session with Captain Tristian and already feel confident enough to drive the boat on my own. He was friendly, patient and very practical, taking enough time to explain everything in detail, including all the boat controls. His experience and guidance were excellent. Highly recommended!

Tristian has been a marvellous and very patient boating tutor. It's been very enjoyable working with him. My boating skills and confidence have improved enormously. He has been very helpful in ensuring warranty issues and improvements on my boat are completed. Highly recommend.

Tristian has been great at inspiring confidence in driving my boat. He is knowledgable, encouraging, and has the perfect temperament to help you stay calm and in control in a situation which would otherwise be quite stressful.

I upgraded to a 9m boat from a 5m one. Tristan was able to give myself and my partner the ability to dock, take up a mooring single handed and to anchor effectively. His patience humour and ability to explain things clearly made all the difference.

I had an excellent experience with Tristan. He was professional extremely knowledgeable throughout the entire course. He explained everything clearly and made sure I understood everything before moving further. His calm and encouraging approach gave me the confidence to operate a boat safely and responsibly. I highly recommend him to anyone looking to get their boat licence. If you’re after an instructor who genuinely cares about his students success and safety, you won’t find anyone better. Thank you for making the learning experience enjoyable and helping me pass with confidence! Thank you once again Mohamed

My wife & I had a fabulous 4 hour introductory boat skills course with skipper Dave. Seamlessly arranged through Tristian and Boat Wise. We learnt skills in confidently docking our boat, cardinal markers, safe waterway rules and assessing environmental factors. Will definitely be booking more courses and continue to gain confidence on the water.

Absolutely essential service if you want to learn how to efficiently and SAFELY operate your new boat. I can’t thank Tristan enough for the help and support that he has provided my family and I. With Tristan’s cleare concise and no nonsense approach, he has helped my confident skyrocket when operating my boat, especially when it comes to docking. Tristan’s knowledge on the water truly is priceless, and the best part about Tristan, is that he’s offering his experience and skills for anyone who truly wants to operate safely and efficiently on the water. 10 star service, highly recommended!

I would highly recommend doing the day Boat course with Tristian. His knowledge and experience on the water was invaluable and as I am a newly licensed boat owner it gave me the confidence I needed.

Brilliant service! Tristan and Dave were absolutely professional, gave clear instructions, always followed up and made things all simple. Highly recommended!

A truly memorable day on the harbour despite the pouring rain, as Tristian gave us wonderful & worthwhile lessons in boating & navigation . Even if you feel you’re fairly experienced as I did, I highly recommend engaging Tristian as you’ll quickly realise there’s so much more to know or brush up on .

I can’t recommend Tristan and the Boatwise crew highly enough. As a first-time boat owner, I was looking for guidance, knowledge, and confidence, and Tristan has delivered all of that and more. He has taken the time to ensure both my teenage daughter and I feel comfortable, capable, and safe on the water. His patience, professionalism, and practical approach to teaching have made our boating journey enjoyable and stress-free. Thanks to Tristan and the Boatwise team, we now have the confidence to get out there and make the most of our boat. If you’re new to boating or looking to build your skills and confidence, Boatwise is the team to call.

I recently completed my boat licence course with this maritime training provider, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. The trainers were highly professional, knowledgeable, and supportive throughout the entire process. The theory and practical components were delivered efficiently within the same day, making the course both convenient and engaging. The practical training was excellent, providing clear instructions and hands-on experience that helped build my confidence on the water. The theory sessions were also well-structured, easy to follow, and covered all the essential information required to operate a vessel safely. Thanks to their professional approach and quality training, I successfully completed the course and obtained my boat licence on the same day. I highly recommend this training provider to anyone looking to obtain their boat licence in a professional, friendly, and well-organised environment. Thank you to the entire team for a great experience! 🚤⚓

Gaining my Coxswain Grade 3 with Tristian, followed by my Powerboat Handling course, gave me real confidence on the water and ultimately helped me secure a position as a deckhand with All Occasion Cruises. Throughout my boating journey, I felt supported and encouraged every step of the way. Your training helped me transition from a complete novice to confidently operating a 42ft Axopar. I genuinely appreciated the guidance, patience, and professionalism you showed throughout the process. Thanks for all of your support Tristan!

The best private boat tuition overall. I completed my practical logbook and boat licence training with Tristian, and the experience was excellent. He was very patient, professional, and easy to learn from throughout the whole process. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to get their boat licence or improve their boating skills. I’ll definitely be coming back for more practice in the future.

Excellent instructors! I had the pleasure of having Tristian and Dave for my handover session and for taking my boat out on the open water for the trip home. They were both extremely friendly, professional, and patient throughout the experience. Their knowledge and experience were invaluable, especially for new boaters, and they made the whole process enjoyable and reassuring. Very happy with the sessions and highly recommend them 😊

I recently got my boating license, but I felt I still needed more training. I was a bit worried because my English isn’t very fluent, but Tristian explained everything clearly and kindly, step by step. I had so much fun during the lesson, and it was a really enjoyable experience. Even if you already have a boating license, I think regular lessons are very helpful. I look forward to seeing him again!

Great session with Tristian. Went from novice having only had smaller boat experience to feeling pretty good within 3hrs. Could berth my 42ft flybridge cruiser on my own by the end. Very patient and helpful, just what I was looking for. Cheers Tristian

Absolutely loved the experience, great detail on everything we need to know about boating. would recommend to anyone looking to get a boat license today, do not hesitate to contact Boat Wise now.

By far the best in business, thats if you have competition Tristan haha Love your work and support . Thank you 🤩

I did a boat handling course with Tristian from Boatwise and couldn’t recommend it more highly. I had basically no experience docking a 35-foot flybridge beforehand and wasn’t very confident, but after just one session my confidence improved more than I expected and I was able to do it on my own. Tristian explains things in a really clear, practical way and stays calm the whole time, which makes learning close quarters handling much easier. He’s also a great guy to spend a few hours on the water with - easy going, patient, and knows his stuff. Worth every cent.

Have had some great lessons with Tristan on the water. Help me out on the weekend with a small issue. He was happy to take the call and advise me. Thanks again, Tristan.

Boat Wise is an excellent step for those wishing to gain boating skills in skilled hands.

Great service and great tuition lesson by Tristian. His lessons make you gradually feel better as you practice. Very happy I choose him today and loved Boat wises work. Thank you 🙏🏼

My training with Boat Wise was excellent. My instructor, Tristan, was professional, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. He explained everything clearly, making the entire process straightforward. The practical training truly built my confidence on the water. I highly recommend Boat Wise!

Tristan is a fantastic mentor with amazing mentorship qualities. He has taught me the cirrect simplified steps with respects to all aspects of boating. I strongly recommend his service to those wishing to learn from a professional who has great ability to Transfer knowledge and teach beginners, and also to refine skills of experienced boaters

Great powerboat handling course with Tristian. Practical and professional, I felt confident docking an Axopar 28’ straight away, great day out on the water.

The team at Boat Wise are the best. Highly recommended if you want to take your boating skills to the next level.

Highly recommend - great service. We're new to boating, Tristian took us through all the basics launching and retrieving, docking and pulling away from dock, manoeuvring in wind and swell, anchoring, staying on plain, navigating around the harbour. We can head out with a lot more confidence.

I cannot recommend BoatWise highly enough. My friend and I got our boat licenses together, but as total newcomers to boating we wanted to get a solid base of knowledge beyond what is provided in the licensing course before heading out on our own. We booked a one day course with Tristian, and spent 6 hours out on the water with him. Every element of the training was exceptional. Tristian is in the first instance a fantastic teacher - extremely knowledgeable, well-organised, clear in his instruction, patient, and good-natured - but he is also just a great guy to spend a day with out on the water. He built the training specifically for our level of experience and capabilities, and throughout the day was constantly checking in the make sure that we were confident and happy before moving on to the next skill. The amount of knowledge and number of skills that he was able to transfer to us over the course of the day was honestly unbelievable. When we had covered the basics by mid-afternoon and felt confident handling the boat in a range of scenarios ranging from slow speed handling and docking to driving through heavy sailboat traffic, Tristian was happy to take us out to the heads to teach us how to read and navigate through waves and rougher waters. The training was totally hands-on: other than when Tristian was demonstrating various skills for us to practice we were behind the wheel for the entire time. I started the day having essentially never driven a boat, and by the end I felt completely confident to handle a boat in a wide variety of conditions within the harbour. If you're getting started out and want to fast track your journey to be one that is safe, stress-free, and just plain fun then there is quite simply no money better spent than booking in some training with BoatWise.

Highly recommend if you are new to boating. I took private lesson and it was well worth. By the end of my practice session, I was so much confident to drive a boat on my own. Had a good fun in the harbour.

I recently completed a private training course with Boatwise for myself and my son, and our instructor Tristane was absolutely fantastic. Before this course, I had been trying to learn boat handling on my own for almost a year with very little success. Within minutes of training with Tristane, everything finally clicked. His hands on teaching style, clear techniques, and calm approach made driving and docking feel simple and stress free. Tristane made me feel extremely confident on the water, especially when manoeuvring and docking, something I previously found very challenging. He breaks things down in a practical, easy-to-understand way and stays right there with you until you truly get it. I highly recommend Tristane to anyone who wants to be fully in control of their boat on the water. Give him a call — he will literally change the way you boat.

As a first time and somewhat anxious boat owner, today was our first experience with Tristan. His true passion for boating and enthusiasm for his clients to enjoy the instructor experience impressed me from the minute he stepped on board. Tristan’s attention to detail, clear instructions and intuition of what our specific requirements were, made for a very productive day, leaving us more confident and more enthusiastic than ever about our future in boating. … Tristan is a credit to his profession and passion.

I found Tristan to be extremely professional , his boating skills and how he teachs and helps you remain calm whilst taking you through manoeuvres is second to none . I can’t recommend Tristan enough! If you find berthing a boat as nerve racking as I did … hire Tristan.. used my boat the next day ….docked first go with confidence!

Tristan gave my brother and I an amazing time on his brand new boat, teaching us different skills whilst also showing us how to drive well in all situations. Was super friendly and a great teacher.

I highly recommend booking a session with Tristian to anyone who is either new to boating or rediscovering their boating journey. Tristian is a skillful and patient educator and he is willing to share his knowledge and experience with students of all backgrounds. If you approach his sessions with openness, positivity, and a keen ear, you will be rewarded with some real gems to cherish as you build your own boating experience.

Tristian is awesome with his boating knowledge and the ability to share this in an easy to understand manner. He also instills confidence in you during the training, which is a great help and helps you minimise mistakes. Tristian is next level with all sorts of other boating advice and assistance, liaising and assisting you to source boat repair slips and mechanics, ensuring your boat is operationally sound and ensuring any future issues are addressed in advance, and providing a wide range of resources via their webpage, suggested Apps, and other similar resources. Tristian is also always ready to take your call, and help you work through whatever issue you have. I highly recommend Tristian and thank him for his training and related assistance.

I had an excellent experience with Tristian as my private boating coach. He understood everything I asked perfectly and explained things clearly with a great communication throughout the session. His boating knowledge is truly impressive, and he shared tips and the insides that were both practical and easy to apply. I left the lesson feeling much more confident and the better propelled thanks to his expertise. Highly recommend Tristian to anyone looking for a skilled and reliable instructor.

My husband and I have been training (and a sunset and evening cruise!) with Tristian since August last year, and he is honestly one of the best operators you’ll ever meet. He’s professional, patient, funny, and makes every session feel relaxed and enjoyable — even when you’re learning something new. We always walk away feeling more confident, and every time on the water with him becomes a beautiful memory. If you’re looking for training, a skipper, or just an unforgettable day out, we can’t recommend him enough. A genuinely good person and an exceptional instructor. Thanks so much, Tristian — see you again soon!

Tristan and Dave were both super responsive, helpful and pleasant to deal with. I had lessons using our own boat in our local waters which was just what I needed to be more confident on the water. Dave was an extremely experienced skipper who had a lot of knowledge to share - both my husband and I learned so much from him - we’ve changed things around on our boat and we are buying a few other items for safety and ease of using the boat. During the lessons we did a mix of practical things like mooring and anchoring as well as setting a passage for the morning. Dave was always pleasant and upbeat and just a really great teacher - we always felt safe with Dave and had a lot of fun too. I highly recommend both Dave and Tristan for boating lessons or getting your boat licence.

Tristian was terrific. Knowledgable, clear and focused on what we wanted and needed to know. Highly recommend!