ICC v Hire Boats

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Phil Mitchell

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Hi, 2in1 here: 1) If one was to buy a French registered boat in France to cruise the French canals, is the ICC required by French authorities? We all know how easy the CEVNI is to get online. So why onearth can't the RYA make it easier for us by having an online test for their ICC?
2) Surely with all the holidaymakers hireing boats willy-nilly (without a clue as to what they are doing) and after only ten minutes tutorial they are then let loose to terrorise canal boat owners lock keepers and ducks. I really don't call this a level playingfield. "One law for the Hire Floatila and One law for Boat Owners." Why should I have to have the ICC and the CEVNI and they don't have to have anything?
 
wElcome to the forum

In answer to the first question, you do have to pass the CEVNI test to use a private boat.

Second question - how do you think it possible to test for the ICC on line when it is a practical, on the water test?

Third question - ask the French authorities as they make the rules, and guess the tourist income from hire boats is a priority for them so minimise the barriers to potential hirers.
 
Thanks, Tranona, but with proof of years of boating on the Thames (without having to have an ICC) and as you probably know the ICC has as part a written exam, couldn't they introduce an online ICC written exam. I'm English, but I'm not in England. I want to go to France and buy a boat on the French canal in Burgundy. The CEVNI is no problem, but I can't go to the UK just to do this ICC.
 
Could be wrong but I believe you can do an icc at any RYA school and they are not all in the U.K.

I didn’t know there was a written exam. Pretty sure mine was just practical but it was a while ago !
 
Hi Phil, I prefer to take the situation as a good reason to gain written qualifications. I have inland water and sea permits and so does my wife, and we enjoyed doing them. Accept it as an enjoyable challenge and as experienced boater doing his favorite hobby it should be easy
 
The arrangement allowing people to hire a boat for a holiday may seem to you unfair but there is nothing you can do about that.

You only need a very basic RYA Helmsman qualification plus the CEVNI in order to obtain the inland waters ICC.
The Helmsman certificate requires a practical course - no exam.

Presumably French people wanting their own boat need an ICC too. How do they go about obtaining it?
 
Phil Mitchell said:
Thanks, Tranona, but with proof of years of boating on the Thames (without having to have an ICC) and as you probably know the ICC has as part a written exam, couldn't they introduce an online ICC written exam. I'm English, but I'm not in England. I want to go to France and buy a boat on the French canal in Burgundy. The CEVNI is no problem, but I can't go to the UK just to do this ICC.
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You can get an ICC either by having a recognised qualification such as an RYA day skipper then take the online CEVNI exam, or you can just take the practical assessment on the basis that you have prior experience. This does not differentiate between power or sail, inland or sea - it is designed to meet the minimum requirements of competence established under UN Resolution 40. Most RYA schools will carry out such an assessment and many will also offer a refresher course to prepare you. As already noted, you do not have to come to the UK.

You will find all this information on the RYA website. There is no alternative - if you want to use a private boat on the French inland waterways (and many others in Europe) you need this certificate of competence. No good moaning about it - and if you have the experience you claim it is hardly onerous.
 
If you have a French registered boat, you need a French permis, which is quite expensive and time-consuming to obtain. If your boat is British flagged and SSR (like mine), the ICC and CEVNI endorsement is just fine.
 
saskia said:
If you have a French registered boat, you need a French permis, which is quite expensive and time-consuming to obtain.
Click to expand...

Ah hah! And the OP says he is planning to use a French-registered boat. So all this bellyaching about the ICC is irrelevant; he needs to be looking into the French process to obtain a French license.

Pete
 
If my memory serves me correct I applied for my icc at the same time as doing my powerboat 2 and got my instructor to fill in the relevant details.

jon
 
After a 16 year boating gap, I did my ICC onboard in the course of a day. Did it with the wife and we picked up a few good tips (as well as lots of boat handling practice) and enjoyed it too. For £300 or so I considered it to be money well spent.
 
Just one thing to watch, when i did my RYA inland license it was restricted to ten meters so make sure your license matches your boat length
 
Bouba said:
Just one thing to watch, when i did my RYA inland license it was restricted to ten meters so make sure your license matches your boat length
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I've no idea about their inland permits specifically, but I believe some French rules depend on engine horsepower as well. So yes, the OP will need to make sure he's getting the correct French qualification for his intended French boat.

Pete
 
Tranona said:
You can get an ICC either by having a recognised qualification such as an RYA day skipper then take the online CEVNI exam, or you can just take the practical assessment on the basis that you have prior experience. This does not differentiate between power or sail, inland or sea -
Click to expand...

Not quite right. I had to take the ICC practical test on a sailing yacht to get the right cert to charter a yacht in Greece. This does cover power as well, but a power only will not get you on a sailing yacht.
 
Bouba said:
Just one thing to watch, when i did my RYA inland license it was restricted to ten meters so make sure your license matches your boat length
Click to expand...
That appears to be so. The 10 metre rule seems to be a means for the RYA to charge for an extra course so you can prove you can handle your own boat.
 
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