Help; what boats will a Red Ensigh Flagged qualification let me work

[animal]

I'm about to take my yacht masters in Australia but I was told by one of my friends that club sail courses weren't RYA certified, having spoken to them they have told me that my course allows me to work with any Red Ensigh Flagged boat. Because the correspondence is in Australia the responses I get to questions are always a day old and I found this out today and I fly to Australia tomorrow!

What boats can I work on with a Red Ensign Flag and will I be able to get work on a boat in Antibes?

Help; what does a Red Ebsigh Flagged qualification let me do

 

[john_morris_uk]

I believe that you may be a little confused about the role of the ensign. The red ensign says something about where the boat is registered, and who owns it, not necessarily whether you can work on it. Whether you work on it depends on the regulations of where the boat is being used, and what it is being used for in that part of the world.

If you have done courses that are not RYA approved in the past it doesn't matter as far as your RYA Yachtmaster is concerned. In fact so long as you have the prerequisite experience and knowledge, you can present yourself for a YM practical examination with no formal sailing qualifications at all. You will need your first aid and radio tickets of course.

Hope that this helps.

 

[animal]

Actually that really helps, I keep on getting snippets of information from Club sail but no full explanations in getting my , Inshore Skipper, Diesel Engine workshop, Radio Operator's licence workshop, STCW95, Milebuilder, International Yachtmaster Coastal Practical plus I will have 1000 logged miles. I'm then planning on flying to Antibes and winging it to try and get a job as a deck hand. Do you think I will have much luck getting a job!

 

[Twister_Ken]

There are a whole bunch of crewing agencies in Antibes. They all speak English, often with a southern hemisphere accent. Googling will come up with lots.

Why not make a few phone call or emails and ask?

 

[John_Lana]

If you are looking for work as a deckhand, then the most important bit of paper is the STCW 95 certificate. Anything else is a bonus! If you are flying to Aus now though, you will be a bit late for this season - this is the busy time for hiring crew right now. It depends on how long your course is, maybe you will be ready in the autumn to find a job on a boat heading for the Caribbean - you need to be looking by the end of September at the latest.....
If you are looking for work on a boat heading across for the winter, it is worth trying to get a US B1/B2 visa ahead of time, in case you get a job on a boat that wants to pit-stop in Florida or the USVI.
Good luck,
John

 

[tcm]

Boating in antibes

milebuilder eh? Hah!

Antibes is full of boats that hardly move at all from one week to the next. There's not much hard work saily sailing tackity tack cos there's not much wind, especially in summer. There are usually plenty of super-confident aussies around, some of whom break things and some of whom are very good. The bulk of boats are big fat powerboats or superyachts. But still plenty of sailing boats.

owever, boat crewing in antibes is mostly an issue of familiarity with mop and bucket and hose pipe cos it's under the flight path into Nice. There is an Aussie Bar (called er the Aussie Bar) plus other places with lots of Aussies.

Crew-wise, places to register or look up include Freedom Yachting, Peter Insull, The Office, Camper and Nicholson and others. Best also mingle at the bars too. I expect an Aussie doesn't really need that advice tho? Good attitude and an early starter is the difference between someone who gets a job and someone who doen't.

I also reckon that being "not ugly" is a help if you want to crew on a boat, especially a good looking boat, cos you can always clean and polish the boat but you can't easily take a belt sander to the crew.

 

[animal]

Re: Boating in antibes

Danker,

That is all great advice. I don't care about doing scrubbing/barnacle removing as long as I can get my self on to a boat at some how or another! so you recon that if I go to Antibes by mid May I might miss the boat as it were (excuse the pun) where else do you suggest going to work if you are looking to get experience. Generally everyone I have spoken to has said Antibes is a great place to start for the begging of the med season!

 

[snowleopard]

Re: Help; what boats will a Red Ensigh Flagged qualification let me w

You have said that (a) you are taking your yachtmaster and (b) you have 1000 miles logged. The absolute minimum milage requirement for the yachtmasters is 2,500 miles and the examiner will look very closely at you if you present with the minimum mileage. full details here.

In addition you will need a medical report and a pass from a Sea Survival course to get the commercial endorsement which entitles you to skipper boats up to 350 tons & 75 ft IIRC.

In theory at least the yachtmaster is only recognised in the UK and individual organisations may ask for a lot more than the bare certificate.

re. John's comment - I'm talking about the genuine RYA Yachtmaster Offshore here.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Don't mention the International Yachtmaster Coastal whatsit qualification to the RYA examiner too much - it doesn't count for anything in RYA terms, and they have been sued (successfully) for using the term 'Yachtmaster'!

 

[animal]

I'm getting these qualifications with a view to get in to the industry and gain sea miles I'm obviously not looking to skipper a boat straight away! the courses I will be taking will give me the qualifications to go and work as a deck hand. I'm hoping once I get on a boat the rest will follow suit with a bit of hard work!

 

[tcm]

Danker

uh, what does that mean. Praps you meant thankyou? Or something else!

I think you would be fine going to antibes from around now or anytime to mid may - a fair bit of crewing up goes on now and probably finishes sround the time the european ski season ends late april-mid may.


Yep, antibes probably the place

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Re: Danker

[ QUOTE ]
fair bit of crewing up goes on now and probably finishes sround the time the european ski season ends late april-mid may.

[/ QUOTE ]Oh what a life these people must lead...... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[alant]

Re: Help; what boats will a Red Ensigh Flagged qualification let me w

commercial endorsement which entitles you to skipper boats up to 350 tons & 75 ft IIRC. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
________________________________________________

Thought this was < 200 tons or 24 metres.

Where are your figures from?

 

[animal]

Re: Danker

Correct, that is why i'm quitting my job and flying around the world to do this! I just hope to god it works out!

 

[peterb]

Have you talked to the RYA?

There are now several schools in Australia that are RYA approved. There is an RYA Australia organisation, headed by Penny Haire, who used to be the RYA's Chief Instructor in the UK. At the least, the RYA should be able to give you contact points in Australia.

 

[snowleopard]

Re: Help; what boats will a Red Ensigh Flagged qualification let me w

From distant memory. Now I've bothered to look on the ticket it says 200 tons but no mention of length.

 

[bilbobaggins]

Re: Help; what boats will a Red Ensigh Flagged qualification let me w

[ QUOTE ]
From distant memory. Now I've bothered to look on the ticket it says 200 tons but no mention of length.

[/ QUOTE ]

That provoked me into having a read:

"Valid for pleasure vessels up to 24 metres in length used for commercial purposes until......."

and

"Valid for commercial use on vessels subject to codes of practice issued by the Department of Transport Marine Safety Agency or Maritime and Coastguard Agency until......"

The rear of the wee bit of paper mentions the '200 gross registered tons' bit.

Maybe the newish ones are different.

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif