Handheld VHF on charters?

[pipemma]

Newbie here, apologies if this is an old chestnut but a forum search yielded nothing....

What's the situation with taking your own handheld VHF on a charter yacht? Would it normally be covered by the charter yacht's ship radio licence? We're not in the UK so Ofcom won't give us a portable licence and getting a separate licence for every jurisdiction you visit doesn't seem eminently practicable...

 

[telford_mike]

Take one with you - really handy especially if you're short-handed. No licence worries as long as there's already a fixed set installed.

 

[pipemma]

Ah now that's the simple sort of answer I was looking for! Do you need to tell the charter co or ask their permission? Or is it simply covered?

And OT - are you the same Telford_mike who posts on snowheads?

 

[telford_mike]

I didn't tell Sunsail in advance. The skipper on our flotilla knew I had one though, and didn't have any problems with it.

OT - yes, that's me, and U would be???

 

[pipemma]

Thanks, looks like we'll be OK just to bung it in our luggage then

OT I'm eng_ch - fancied a new user name. Small world /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[seumask]

Practially speaking just take it is a good answer IMHO. Technically some countries can be more problematic requiring licences etc. possibly an issue at customs in the Airport but I've not heard of anyone getting done over for carrying a marine hand held VHF radio for a very long time. I stand to be corrected.

 

[AHoy2]

[ QUOTE ]
Take one with you - really handy especially if you're short-handed. No licence worries as long as there's already a fixed set installed.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is a licence issue for UK use as portable sets should still be listed on the vessel's radio licence or have a separate licence (T number issued). I took this separate approach as I always take my handheld VHF in my grab bag when aboard other boats and wanted to avoid any licence issues for the host skipper. In practice a lot of folk don't seem to bother. Not sure of the situation about an unlicenced handheld if you go across the channel.

 

[pipemma]

We're very unlikely to be chartering in UK waters, so combined with non-residence too, Ofcom didn't want to know

 

[SimbaDog]

Always take mine, really usefull /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Usually take a hand held GPS as well

 

[pipemma]

Provenjohn - another snowhead? They're going to think we're invading!

 

[fireball]

Neilson didn't worry when we took ours - infact the lead crew borrowed it a few times as theirs had packed up !! We also took GPS and splashed out on a chart of the area.

 

[SimbaDog]

[ QUOTE ]
Provenjohn - another snowhead? They're going to think we're invading!

[/ QUOTE ]
Well spotted /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Way the weather has been this summer, that forum would have been more apt /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[photodog]

WTF is "Snowhead"?

I bet its a forum for peeps with dandruff......
Any other bets?

 

[misterg]

I assumed it was something to do with cocaine .. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[telford_mike]

http://snowheads.com - it's a bit like this forum but for people who waste all their hard-earned skiing (as well as yotting in some cases by the looks of it) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Yardarm]

I've always taken my hand held VHF, it's so much easier when you're coming in to a mooring to be able to talk from up on deck where you can see what's happening rather than stuck down below.

In fact I've just been charging mine up for our week in Turkey - off on Saturday /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hiya fellow snowHeads, fancy seeing you all on here /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif from RachelQ

 

[moody1]

Usually it is not covered by Ships radio Licence and would require you to licence separately in the situation you give. In case of own yacht, you can add hand-held to the Ship radio licence. This is most likely international as well as OFCOM are subject to same rules as other countries Radio Authorities. That's the technical answer.
But as many here say and we do also - it's normal for people to carry HH VHF on other boats and charters and rarely do they get caught for it.

 

[pipemma]

Hello Rachel /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Usually it is not covered by Ships radio Licence and would require you to licence separately in the situation you give. In case of own yacht, you can add hand-held to the Ship radio licence. This is most likely international as well as OFCOM are subject to same rules as other countries Radio Authorities.

[/ QUOTE ]

The problem, of course, is with owning a HH VHF without your own boat. Ofcom told me that their portable licence was only valid UK waters and suggested (but weren't sure) that one might technically need to licence it under each separate jurisdiction as portable licences aren't submitted to the ITU... Realistically that is surely totally impractical e.g. for people like delivery skippers? They further suggested that the portable might be covered by the charter co's ship licence if that licence covers portables too and if the charter co gives permission. Mind you, even their notes on ship licences say that the ship licence is only valid for UK waters but in practice that's surely not the case? Grr typical UK authorities, never get the same story out of them twice /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[Kedge]

Always take mine (and my VHF license) but never never been asked about them.

 

[moody1]

As we were told the HH VHF licence is valid based on being on / from own boat ie in tender to. The further distanced from own boat we were getting varied answers from Ofcom. We came to conclusion that main point was the the HH was not to be used ashore which many do.