Help - Ships Radio Licence

Very Annoyed

Very Annoyed

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I've just purchased a new (to me) boat Cox 27 Fisher. I have a Garmin VHF Radio aboard the previous owner had a licence for it which I found aboard to boat. Do I need to register myself with Ofcom to use it? Can anybody shed some light on this please. Oh by the way my 1st posting so 'Ahoy!':cool::cool:
 
It's all on the Ofcom website:
You can’t transfer a licence to your name.
Licences are non-transferable as a call sign and MMSI number stays with a vessel for life.
You will therefore need to apply for a new licence in your name, retaining the call sign and MMSI number of the vessel.
You can apply for a new licence here (link)

http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radiocommunication-licences/ships-radio/faq/759546

.
 
What Paul said is exactly right - I would just emphasise the point about filling in the same MMSI number when you apply for the license. Otherwise you'll be issued with a new number, and changing it in the radio is a dealer job.

(In practice you'd probably just take out another license with the right number once you realised the problem, since they're free, but that's a bit of a muddle. Better to get it right first time.)

The direct link to the licensing system is here: https://ofcom.force.com/licensingcomlogin

Pete
 
Very Annoyed said:
I've just purchased a new (to me) boat Cox 27 Fisher. I have a Garmin VHF Radio aboard the previous owner had a licence for it which I found aboard to boat. Do I need to register myself with Ofcom to use it? Can anybody shed some light on this please. Oh by the way my 1st posting so 'Ahoy!':cool::cool:
Click to expand...

Yes you have to register with Ofcom to use the online licence application procedure but that is fairly simple as far as i can remember.

The licence application itself is abit long winded because its " one form for all purposes . Whether you are a little yacht with just a VHF or a cruise liner with dozens of bits of radio equipment that have to be included its the same form.

This is to license the boat as a radio station. As Paul Rainbow says; quite separately you, personally, yourself will need a "Certificate of competence " which gives you the authority to operate the radio

( Similar I suppose to needing car tax and a driving licence ....... except that a ships radio licence is free if applied for on line )

See http://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollectio...aws and Regulations/VHF RADIO REGULATIONS.pdf
 
Remember that you can still listen and use a vhf, for emergencies only, without your certificate of competence. You still need the license as stated above which is free and online. Then there is the 'massive' risk of you getting in trouble if you use it for 'non-emergencies' without your certificate (for massive read none). :)
 
paul-essex said:
I think it is a two day course now
Click to expand...

I know it got beefed up because the Germans complained, but I think some places still manage to do it in a day with some pre-reading or online stuff.

Not 100% sure as it was still only one rather short day when I did it :)

Pete
 
Seems it changed in 2014. Looks like it's still one day in the classroom, with some online stuff. Or, do the course online and take the exam in the classroom. It's now half what it cost me 10 years ago.
 
WOW...!! Thanks guys for so many helpful answers!

I've filled in the online paperwork - thanks for the links!

Just the Radio course to do now

Great forum thank you all for so much help
 
I already have a certificate of competence but passed in the days when DSC was a degree, not a type of radio. Are there any upgrade courses to cut the amount of bum-numbing time that has to be spent getting the new licence?
 
Bodach na mara said:
I already have a certificate of competence but passed in the days when DSC was a degree, not a type of radio. Are there any upgrade courses to cut the amount of bum-numbing time that has to be spent getting the new licence?
Click to expand...

Don't think there are, but you can do the course online and just go sit the 2 hour exam.
 
Sorry for little thread hi-jack. Does anyone know what the procedure is in the Republic of Ireland when a boat with a VHF and MSSI registered with OFCOM UK is exported to RoI?
 
Bodach na mara said:
I already have a certificate of competence but passed in the days when DSC was a degree, not a type of radio. Are there any upgrade courses to cut the amount of bum-numbing time that has to be spent getting the new licence?
Click to expand...

There were, when DSC first came in, but nobody runs them any more due to lack of demand. Almost everybody who's ever going to convert, already has.

Pete
 
JIM_TERN said:
Sorry for little thread hi-jack. Does anyone know what the procedure is in the Republic of Ireland when a boat with a VHF and MSSI registered with OFCOM UK is exported to RoI?
Click to expand...

This site has information about that: http://www.seacraft.ie/vhf-faqs.html
€100 for a ship's licence? :disgust: User licence course fees seem high, too.
Unless someone pops up here with another solution, it might be worth your putting your question direct to Seacraft.

In the absence of any working SSR system, I imagine Irish boatowners are accustomed to being creative with quite a few bits of on-board bureaucracy, perhaps including radio licencing (station and user). Some grass-roots info would probably be useful to you. A new thread might be more effective in finding it.

As things stand I doubt there's much need formally to 'export' a boat to Ireland, although that may change with brexit (which may be motivating your question?)
 
JIM_TERN said:
Sorry for little thread hi-jack. Does anyone know what the procedure is in the Republic of Ireland when a boat with a VHF and MSSI registered with OFCOM UK is exported to RoI?
Click to expand...

Simplest solution is to keep the UK MMSI and don't let on. If you really want an Irish licence and proper paperwork you'll need to do the three day course.
 
JIM_TERN said:
Sorry for little thread hi-jack. Does anyone know what the procedure is in the Republic of Ireland when a boat with a VHF and MSSI registered with OFCOM UK is exported to RoI?
Click to expand...
Here is a link to the Maritime Radio section of the Irish Dept of Transport
http://www.dttas.ie/maritime/english/maritime-radio-affairs-unit-mrau-0
You can click on a list of course providers, but the link is not working at present. I had a look at the Irish Sailing Association's website, www.sailing.ie, but for VHF courses it redirects to the above. Google will probably find you a selection of courses, run by both commercial organisations and sailing clubs, some of which may even be in a location convenient to you.
 
JIM_TERN said:
Sorry for little thread hi-jack. Does anyone know what the procedure is in the Republic of Ireland when a boat with a VHF and MSSI registered with OFCOM UK is exported to RoI?
Click to expand...

You should re-register your VHF. However, pretty sure if you have a UK certificate of competence that is valid in Eire.
 
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