best and cheapes way to obtain boating quilifications

[mbroom]

You will need an ICC if you want to got to the Med.

Complete rowlocks.

 

[Rocksteadee]

Complete rowlocks.

Long way to row

 

[SlowlyButSurely]

Complete rowlocks.

Ok, I'll qualify that: you will need an ICC if you want to go to the Med via the canals or you want to avoid potential problems with officials.

I have met many who say they have never been asked to show certificates. Personally I would not advocate going without an ICC, especially when it's so straightforward to obtain one.

I wish you luck arguing the point with the PP.

 

[mbroom]

Ok, I'll qualify that: you will need an ICC if you want to go to the Med via the canals or you want to avoid potential problems with officials.

I have met many who say they have never been asked to show certificates. Personally I would not advocate going without an ICC, especially when it's so straightforward to obtain one.

I wish you luck arguing the point with the PP.

For the canals, you also need a CEVNI certificate. Your other points are opinions rather than facts. There are over 20 countries and about 5 territories in the Med, Greece demands an ICC or equivalent as may do a small handful of other countries. Most do not require anything at all.

 

[[3889]]

Ok, I'll qualify that: you will need an ICC if you want to go to the Med via the canals or you want to avoid potential problems with officials.

I have met many who say they have never been asked to show certificates. Personally I would not advocate going without an ICC, especially when it's so straightforward to obtain one.

I wish you luck arguing the point with the PP.

Why stop stop at an ICC? Go the whole hog and qualify as an Master Mariner, unlimited. Or does that seem somehow ridiculous in answering the OP? BTW, you need a CEVNI, not an ICC to navigate some European inland waterways.

 

[Graham376]

For the canals, you also need a CEVNI certificate. Your other points are opinions rather than facts. There are over 20 countries and about 5 territories in the Med, Greece demands an ICC or equivalent as may do a small handful of other countries. Most do not require anything at all.

True but we're approaching uncertain times when UK boats "may" come under closer scrutiny. Is day skipper needed? AFAIK, an ICC and CEVNI test can be done as stand alones.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

, i didn't know it was a English test for me to double check my writing just wanted some advice.

This forum unites all kinds of people who have sailing and yachting as a common interest. Good command of English and spelling is not a mandatory requirement for as long as the message is clear. Some of us, which English is not their first language (including myself) have good reasons for making grammatical errors now and again and others, like yourself, have similar reasons. However, we are all united by our passion for sailing and this forum welcomes all.

 

[rszemeti]

The typical 40ft mobo would use around 6-7 ltrs of diesel per hour at cruising speed

Umm, this guy has a motorboat, not a yacht. A typical 40ft sailing yacht with an auxilliary of around 40hp may use 6-7ltrs an hour ... a 40 foot motorboat cruising at a typicla 20 knots is likely to be nearer the 100 litres an hour, a good rule of thumb for a 40 fotter is 1mpg ... your overall amount for the journey looked about right though.

 

[[3889]]

You have a point, or just trolling ?

He is seemingly entrenched in the zeitgeist of the 1970s. Oh dear, how sad, but much to mind.

 

[LadyInBed]

Sailtrain have online 'test yourself' for CEVNI - http://www.sailtrain.co.uk/cevni/images/cevni1.htm
and Sailing Issues have an online Nav Course - https://www.sailingissues.com/navcourse0.html

PS and the pdf[TABLE="class: NormalTable"]
[TR]
[TD]Informal document SC.3/WP.3 No. 5 (2016)[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
is worth downloading for the Waterways signs and Signals chart
https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2016/sc3wp3/ECE-TRANS-SC3-WP3-2016-inf_05e_s.pdf
and
http://scoalanautica.ro/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SIGNI.pdf

 

[rszemeti]

during dozens of boardings by Douane, Gendarmerie Maritime, Adounas and Guardia Civil over the last decade I have never been asked to produce any certificate of competence.

Seems correct, there is little/nothing that they can do regarding the crewing of a foreign flagged vessel. The qualifications are down to the laws of the flag country, and no concern of any other nation.

As for the Greek bareboat thing, sounds more like a company rule to me, same as the situation in the UK, few will hire out without a day skipper or ICC, but it is a company policy, not a legal requirement.

 

[PlanB]

I suspect our live-aboard friend has not done the basic fuel calculations.

A 40 footer could reasonably expect to chew through 100 litres per hour (assuming it is the usual plastic gin palace with a planing hull) ... a figure of roughly 1mpg would be a good ballpark figure for a single-outdrive boat ...

A friend took a 42footer out recently and 125 miles cost him the best part of a grand in diesel ...

A trip to the med from London is about 1700 nm (3200km) ... a fuel budget of 8000 litres, perhaps €15,000 .. one way would seem about right.

We went from London to the Med via Biscay in a Princess 435 in 2005, admittedly coast hopping the whole way round Biscay. Fuel bill was just shy of £10,000.

 

[GHA]

Seems correct, there is little/nothing that they can do regarding the crewing of a foreign flagged vessel. The qualifications are down to the laws of the flag country, and no concern of any other nation.

Wrong, they can do what they want.

Back in the real world the guys in uniforms with guns will do pretty much whatever they please. Smiling passively and if asked for, producing some sort of license will do much more to all being well in the world than arguing about some legal stuff they've probably never heard of.

That said can't remember every being asked for any kind of license and generally the various PMs are friendly and professional, but don't kid yourself, you won't win by arguing with them even if there is some law written somewhere on your side.

 

[PlanB]

A further comment to the OP - you don't just need the qualification, you need lots of practice at mooring and navigation first. We started with no experience and had to have lots of boat handling practice just to make sure we would cope. Plus knowledge of how to navigate and use the chartplotter in real life. Also, handling a 40 footer on your own unless very experienced is not possible. Feel free to PM me if you have specific queries.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Umm, this guy has a motorboat, not a yacht. A typical 40ft sailing yacht with an auxilliary of around 40hp may use 6-7ltrs an hour ... a 40 foot motorboat cruising at a typicla 20 knots is likely to be nearer the 100 litres an hour, a good rule of thumb for a 40 fotter is 1mpg ... your overall amount for the journey looked about right though.

Twas a typo, should have read per mile, not per hour.

35ft flybridge cruiser will use around a gallon per mile, 40ft would use more. I'm talking about older mobos, rather then the latest, more efficient models. Last longish trip i did on a 40ft Fairline, we used about 900 litres of fuel to get from Ipswich to St Kats and back, about 150nm round trip. That's 6lt per mile, with half the journey on the Thames, the whole journey with a fair tide. My last two boats were mobos, i've had lots of practice filling diesel tanks.

 

[[3889]]

Wrong, they can do what they want.

Back in the real world the guys in uniforms with guns will do pretty much whatever they please. Smiling passively and if asked for, producing some sort of license will do much more to all being well in the world than arguing about some legal stuff they've probably never heard of.

That said can't remember every being asked for any kind of license and generally the various PMs are friendly and professional, but don't kid yourself, you won't win by arguing with them even if there is some law written somewhere on your side.

I think you've spent too long in the Caribbean. In Western Europe the rule of law applies and is upheld. Guns really don't come into it and to suggest otherwise is jingoistic fantasy.

 

[GHA]

I think you've spent too long in the Caribbean. In the EU, until recently at least, the rule of law applies and is upheld. Guns really don't come into it.

Same round europe, southern part anyway. Go try it next time the black rib with a load of PM drops by, or worse when there's some kind of incident and it all kicks off a bit with a few dozen forms to be filled in. Generally very professional but start arguing about innocent passage etc you'll not win, if they want to see some sort of license then that's the best thing to whip out rather than arguing that you don't need one. Being nice is much more effective

And they all have guns, added incentive to be nice

 

[mbroom]

Same round europe, southern part anyway. Go try it next time the black rib with a load of PM drops by, or worse when there's some kind of incident and it all kicks off a bit with a few dozen forms to be filled in. Generally very professional but start arguing about innocent passage etc you'll not win, if they want to see some sort of license then that's the best thing to whip out rather than arguing that you don't need one. Being nice is much more effective

And they all have guns, added incentive to be nice

Have they ever asked you for your licence?

 

[GHA]

Have they ever asked you for your licence?

Pretty sure no, as said generally the guys in uniform are pretty decent. That's not the point though, things can and do get asked for, arguing that you know the law better than them just won't help.

 

[[3889]]

Pretty sure no, as said generally the guys in uniform are pretty decent. That's not the point though, things can and do get asked for, arguing that you know the law better than them just won't help.

And yet they have never asked for a license, which is what this discussion is about. No one disputes the right of state authorities to enforce the law though, for me, whether they carry firearms is not a determining factor in obeying lawful directions.