ICC - do you have one? will you get one? do you bother?

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

About 25 years I did the RYA Yachtmaster and the following year the Ocean Astronavigation shore based courses; if I remember right, the duration of each course it was approx. 6 months, two hours per week, with an exam at the end, I have got the shore based certificate but I never did go for the practical test.

To get the ICC, which is becoming a popular request abroad, one must have an RYA practical, (Skipper and above) which I do not have or take the test. The ICC test is a half a day job, which I may do perhaps next season.

However, does anyone bother with the ICC for cross channel trips? Would it become mandatory in the UK in the near future? The latter will be a good idea since my encounter with a few less than responsible yachts this weekend and to my surprise most of them were Sailing yachts not just motor yachts (a 45ft plus yacht going at hull speed on full sails up the river Medina only feet away from the moored boats, very busy with yachts, and obviously he would have been unable to avoid any potential incident)

 

[nortada]

About 25 years I did the RYA Yachtmaster and the following year the Ocean Astronavigation shore based courses; if I remember right, the duration of each course it was approx. 6 months, two hours per week, with an exam at the end, I have got the shore based certificate but I never did go for the practical test.

To get the ICC, which is becoming a popular request abroad, one must have an RYA practical, (Skipper and above) which I do not have or take the test. The ICC test is a half a day job, which I may do perhaps next season.

However, does anyone bother with the ICC for cross channel trips? Would it become mandatory in the UK in the near future? The latter will be a good idea since my encounter with a few less than responsible yachts this weekend and to my surprise most of them were Sailing yachts not just motor yachts (a 45ft plus yacht going at hull speed on full sails up the river Medina only feet away from the moored boats, very busy with yachts, and obviously he would have been unable to avoid any potential incident)

Think we have just done this subject to death on the liveaboard forum.

 

[Uricanejack]

No.
No.
Not bothered.
I have sailing cert, not from Europe.
Your RYA Yachtmaster. Is still yours and still a Yachtmaster if you did it before the practical test became part of it.
Its still proof of knowladge.
Even a MM does not have or at least did not have a practical test.
Why not just do the practical RYA test they will probabaly throw in the ICC with it, for a fee

 

[prv]

About 25 years I did the RYA Yachtmaster and the following year the Ocean Astronavigation shore based courses; if I remember right, the duration of each course it was approx. 6 months, two hours per week, with an exam at the end, I have got the shore based certificate but I never did go for the practical test.

To get the ICC, which is becoming a popular request abroad, one must have an RYA practical, (Skipper and above) which I do not have or take the test. The ICC test is a half a day job, which I may do perhaps next season.

However, does anyone bother with the ICC for cross channel trips? Would it become mandatory in the UK in the near future? The latter will be a good idea since my encounter with a few less than responsible yachts this weekend and to my surprise most of them were Sailing yachts not just motor yachts (a 45ft plus yacht going at hull speed on full sails up the river Medina only feet away from the moored boats, very busy with yachts, and obviously he would have been unable to avoid any potential incident)

There is no need for an ICC for trips across the Channel. It's mostly the Mediterranean charter destinations that are asking for some form of competence in their visitors. Plus for continental inland waterways, where the ICC is the UK means of meeting the CEVNI requirements.

The likelihood of the UK requiring it seems remote. There isn't a problem to be solved, and the RYA is reasonably effective at reminding the Powers That Be of that fact.

The ICC form does say that the list of qualifications is not exhaustive, and others may be accepted at the discretion of the RYA Training Manager. Perhaps it would be worth emailing them (I wouldn't phone, as you put the person answering on the spot and they may just give the easy answer of "no") to ask whether your old Yachtmaster and (presumably) 25 years of experience would be acceptable.

Pete

 

[aquaholic]

Personally I think the ICC is a good idea, having all these shore based certs are great, but obtainable without ever being on a boat....

 

[nortada]

There is no need for an ICC for trips across the Channel. It's mostly the Mediterranean charter destinations that are asking for some form of competence in their visitors. Plus for continental inland waterways, where the ICC is the UK means of meeting the CEVNI requirements.

The likelihood of the UK requiring it seems remote. There isn't a problem to be solved, and the RYA is reasonably effective at reminding the Powers That Be of that fact.

The ICC form does say that the list of qualifications is not exhaustive, and others may be accepted at the discretion of the RYA Training Manager. Perhaps it would be worth emailing them (I wouldn't phone, as you put the person answering on the spot and they may just give the easy answer of "no") to ask whether your old Yachtmaster and (presumably) 25 years of experience would be acceptable.

Pete

Having sailed within Europe & beyond for over 30 years, whilst having to frequently produce passports, boat documents & insurance, we have never been asked for proof of competence.

Are we unusual or is this the norm?

 

[jimbaerselman]

The questions about proving your competence usually arise if you have some sort of accident. If you don't have a certificate (of any sort), in some countries, you'll be asked to take a local test. Local tests/checks by a charter co are also common, sometimes even when you have a certificate.

And no, it doesn't have to be an ICC. Many other certs are acceptable. But it's a good idea if translations into other languages of key phrases are available.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Personally I think the ICC is a good idea, having all these shore based certs are great, but obtainable without ever being on a boat....

Overall, it is a good idea; there are so many people nowadays who have the spare cash to buy a yacht and yet unable to demonstrate safe handling. In my 45 years of sailing, in various places, the most dangerous people are those on big ribs who drive them as if they were driving a car.

 

[blueglass]

Plus for continental inland waterways, where the ICC is the UK means of meeting the CEVNI requirements.

only if you have the CEVNI endorsement which is a seperate test but 6 years in the med including 3 months on inland waterways - never asked for mine once.

 

[Houleaux]

FWIW, I was boarded by the local Douane (Customs) in St Cast le Guildo (Brittany) a couple of weeks ago and the only documentation they asked for was the boats registration document and our passports.

 

[prv]

only if you have the CEVNI endorsement which is a seperate test

Yep, but as far as I know in the UK you cannot get a qualification that covers only CEVNI. My point was that one reason someone might need an ICC is as a hook to hang their CEVNI endorsement from.

3 months on inland waterways - never asked for mine once.

Doesn't surprise me, but them's the rules.

Pete

 

[prv]

FWIW, I was boarded by the local Douane (Customs) in St Cast le Guildo (Brittany) a couple of weeks ago and the only documentation they asked for was the boats registration document and our passports.

Yep, ICC not relevant on the French Atlantic / Channel coast. Dunno about the Med.

This all makes sense, because someone who has sailed their British boat over to France can be assumed to possess the bare minimum competence that the ICC proves. The issue, if there is one, is among the charter fleets in the Ionian and Adriatic where a family can fly out with no sailing ability whatsoever, Dad does three half-days learning how to work a yacht, then they're given a boat to go and bounce off things for a week.

Pete

 

[Appledore]

I have one. Free to me as an RYA member with Coastal Skipper cert. Just though it would be just as well to add it to my ship's papers - just in case!

 

[snowleopard]

Personally I think the ICC is a good idea, having all these shore based certs are great, but obtainable without ever being on a boat....

The 'shore-based certificates' say nothing more than 'this person has sat in a classroom'. You'll often hear 'I have Yachtmaster theory' but that is not so; if you haven't passed the practical exam you have NO qualification.

I got an ICC when I went long-distance cruising. I was never asked to produce it so I let it lapse and saved myself £30 when the 5 years were up.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Having sailed within Europe & beyond for over 30 years, whilst having to frequently produce passports, boat documents & insurance, we have never been asked for proof of competence.

Are we unusual or is this the norm?

Wasn't allowed to leave Χανιά on Crete a few years ago until an ICC was produced.

 

[Iain C]

I have an ICC. I got it because I am a dinghy instructor (ticket gained on a pond) and have a PB2 qualification gained on tidal waters in a 4m RIB . So I'm good (if I remember rightly) to skipper a yacht up to 24m in length. Thanks RYA!

Ok, so I might not have ever learned to navigate, or seen a VHF, or sailed at night, or put in a reef, or seen a seacock, or for that matter ever even seen a yacht EVER, but hey...

 

[Philiz]

Although I qualify I've never bothered to apply for one. Suppose I should really

 

[Mark-1]

No.
No.
Not bothered.

 

[davidaprice]

I've a Finnish ICC, based on my Finnish coastal skipper (non-tidal) equivalent certificate, exam done on an 8m yacht (Albin Express). According to the certificate, it's valid for pleasure craft with gross tonnage < 500

 

[prv]

Ok, so I might not have ever learned to navigate, or seen a VHF, or sailed at night, or put in a reef, or seen a seacock, or for that matter ever even seen a yacht EVER, but hey...

That's OK, the ICC syllabus and standalone test don't require most of those things either. It seems to amount to little more than departing from a pontoon, motoring to a buoy and tying up to it, casting off and sailing a triangular course, then motoring back to the pontoon.

Pete