boat use without a vhf license?

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symondo

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Can anyone advise how id stand on this?

We have a vhf dsc radio on board
I dont have the relevant certificate pf license to operate it.

Im aware i can leave it alone and im also aware of the necessity of the radio and how to use it properly

The reason i ask, i had a lesson in handling over the weekend and thought it went well. I'd like to try more practise, just a short pootle about the marina and loch, maybe a few mile circuit at most

How would my lack of vhf paperwork stand me in this instance? Even if i left it switched off?
 
Is there anyone you would need to communicate with via your radio? I know that when we leave the Marina bay, we would need to communicate with the Barrage gates.

Also, what if you did have a disaster?

The course and test is not onerous, in fact, I would say it was quite interesting and it was worthwhile. I would recommend you do it for your own peace of mind.
 
symondo said:
Can anyone advise how id stand on this?

We have a vhf dsc radio on board
I dont have the relevant certificate pf license to operate it.

Im aware i can leave it alone and im also aware of the necessity of the radio and how to use it properly

The reason i ask, i had a lesson in handling over the weekend and thought it went well. I'd like to try more practise, just a short pootle about the marina and loch, maybe a few mile circuit at most

How would my lack of vhf paperwork stand me in this instance? Even if i left it switched off?
Click to expand...

The licence is to "install and use....". If you dont use it i cant see that there is a problem. If it worries you disconnect the power supply.

But the ship's radio licence is free. Why not apply for it? Then its all legal and available for use to anyone on board with an operators certificate.
 
shan said:
Is there anyone you would need to communicate with via your radio? I know that when we leave the Marina bay, we would need to communicate with the Barrage gates.

Also, what if you did have a disaster?

The course and test is not onerous, in fact, I would say it was quite interesting and it was worthwhile. I would recommend you do it for your own peace of mind.
Click to expand...

Not in our marina no, its quite small and quiet

The what if... yes i agree, i do have a sheet of the correct procedure which my father did beforehand after he did the course. I know this isnt really ticking the leagilty box but in extreme measures i guess it would be what it is.

I would like to do the course and have made enquiries to availability. Unfortunately i keep being told there is a 5-6 week wait unless i want to travel over 280 mile round trip for the day. I have the books and practise papers.

I dont think i'll be getting on the water after the end of the season for a good while as our boat is up for sale and i dont think it'll be heading back into the water with ourselves jence my interest to get a little bit of practise in while i can
 
VicS said:
The licence is to "install and use....". If you dont use it i cant see that there is a problem. If it worries you disconnect the power supply.

But the ship's radio licence is free. Why not apply for it? Then its all legal and available for use to anyone on board with an operators certificate.
Click to expand...

Its the operators certificate im short of
 
Online course is £35, you get a book and an app to download where you can practise using the various functions of the radio. Worth it.
The exam is another £60 once you are ready.
 
VicS said:
But the ship's radio licence is free. Why not apply for it? Then its all legal and available for use to anyone on board with an operators certificate.
Click to expand...

Link here: http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radiocommunication-licences/ships-radio/faq/759542

Out of interest, what happens if there is an emergency and the certificated person is incapacitated? I've got idiot-proof instructions on how to make a distress call mounted above the radio, I assume that in an emergency that anyone could legally use it?
 
"In extremis"...i.e. should you need to call mayday, you may legally use the set without an operator's licence. As said, it's simple enough to get a ship's licence on line, which makes it legal to have it on board and switched on. That way you're also able to receive (and, you never know, one of the things you receive could be a plea for assistance from someone even more novice than you).
 
If you get the ships licence, then it is legal to have it on the boat. You can also use it in listen-only mode - useful for the Coastguard's safety and weather announcements. In an emergency, you can also transmit, even without an operator's licence. What you cannot do is transmit any routine traffic, such as radio check, calling up the marina or contacting anyone else.
 
Isn't tis all really quite silly?

Anyone can buy a VHF radio without a licence

Anyone can use such a radio in an emergency even if there is no ship licence

I can't buy a gun without a licence but I can buy such a radio.

What is the point in the whole fiasco ?
 
Nope - no insurance impact normally.

I'll place a pint on it that up there you'll never be asked to show your CoC or Ships Licence to anyone vaguely official unless you've done something really stupid either. I suspect VERY few are asked anywhere in the UK. Those going overseas are more likely when they get other documents checked...

As said - sort the Ship Licence its free.

You don't need a CoC to use in an emergency. BUT you need to confidence that you aren't going to get B****KED for getting it wrong and the confidence to get the right info across when it all goes pete tong. If its going very very badly wrong you know its OK to hit the red button and say whatever you feel like into the radio. BUT if its going that badly wrong seconds count and missing something because you've never had the chance to practice would be a bad place to be! For something less critical going wrong I'll bet you hold off calling. That means if the situation deteriorates there is less time to get the information needed across...

The one time I suspect your certificates would be examined would be if you either do something blatently illegal or if you end up with the MAIB involved in something...

There are some advantages to the Course too. There are some unusual things like Mayday Relay and how to handle it on DSC.
 
GrahamHR said:
Isn't tis all really quite silly?

Anyone can buy a VHF radio without a licence

Anyone can use such a radio in an emergency even if there is no ship licence

I can't buy a gun without a licence but I can buy such a radio.

What is the point in the whole fiasco ?
Click to expand...
Firstly, if you use a VHF without a licence, no-one dies.

Secondly, if you buy a VHF, and then do the course and get the licence later, you can have the VHF in listen mode, and can transmit in an emergency.

You just can't call up the marina to book a berth (and other routine things).
 
GrahamHR said:
Isn't tis all really quite silly?

Anyone can buy a VHF radio without a licence

Anyone can use such a radio in an emergency even if there is no ship licence

I can't buy a gun without a licence but I can buy such a radio.

What is the point in the whole fiasco ?
Click to expand...

Isnt there a minor difference of purpose between a gun and a VHF transmitter? I.m not sure anyone was ever killed by a VHF set...

But seriously, particularly with DSC there is a need to control the way it is used in an emergency....:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7_s8JRiQqU

(Apologies I know its been posted before, but it still makes me laugh)
 
symondo said:
Can anyone advise how id stand on this?

We have a vhf dsc radio on board
I dont have the relevant certificate pf license to operate it.

Im aware i can leave it alone and im also aware of the necessity of the radio and how to use it properly

The reason i ask, i had a lesson in handling over the weekend and thought it went well. I'd like to try more practise, just a short pootle about the marina and loch, maybe a few mile circuit at most

How would my lack of vhf paperwork stand me in this instance? Even if i left it switched off?
Click to expand...
The ships radio licence is free and you can get one online. The likelihood of you ever being asked to produce one is extremely small. It makes sense to have an operators licence and strictly speaking you should have one in order to transmit although you can transmit in an emergency without one. Again though, the likelihood of ever being asked to produce one is extremely small. In your position I certainly wouldn't let the absence of either bit of paper stop me using my boat.
 
ShinyShoe said:
The one time I suspect your certificates would be examined would be if you either do something blatently illegal or if you end up with the MAIB involved in something...
Click to expand...

More or less...

A few years ago I was towed in by the lifeboat - a long story (involving a broken gearbox and the driveshaft sliding into the rudder) which has been posted here before. Anyway, nowadays whenever someone is towed in, a volunteer Coastguard turns up on the jetty to ask some questions and fill in a form. The purpose was not stated, but from the thrust of the questions it seems fairly clear that it's to determine whether you are a numpty in need of educating or a basically competent person who was unlucky. Anyway, one of the things asked was whether I had a radio license and CoC. He didn't require to see them - I think by that point he'd mentally ticked the competent/unlucky box and was just going through the motions.

I agree that in day-to-day use you're extremely unlikely to need to produce any paperwork.

To the OP - you might as well get the license if you haven't already since it's free online. Get the operator's certificate when you can, but in the meantime leave the radio on receive when out and about. If you're near a commercial port with a VTS (like Air Traffic Control for ships) then it's worth listening in to that, both for a heads-up of heavy metal coming your way and to get a feel for how experienced radio operators speak. Sadly, listening to amateur yachtsmen booking into marinas and doing radio checks with the coastguard is rarely an example of good style :)

Pete
 
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