Minimum Skipper Qualifications

[Cheeky Girl]

Hi there

Friends are chartering a boat and want a skipper of a couple of days just to remind themselves what to do. They have been away from sailing for a couple of years and just want a few pointers. They are not looking to do any certification.

What is the legal minimum requirement(qualifications if any) the skipper of this sort should hold if he is charging them.

I was looking through the RYA website and was struggling to get an answer.

Regards
Graham

 

[flaming]

It has to be a commercially endorsed certificate suitable for the sort of sailing being done.

On the sailing side of the sylabus the lowest qualification you can commercially endorse is coastal skipper. So if the sailing planned is suitable for a coastal skipper then this would be ok.

Very few people do this though, and Yachtmaster is a more common qualification to endorse.

 

[Ludd]

Would have thought decision on qualifications would rest with charter company(or their insurers)

 

[Sailfree]

There are 2 questions here.

1. What is the minimum qualification/ability the charter co will accept for that size of boat. If your friend cannot satify the charter co of his ability the qualified skipper may have to be named as in charge of the vessel. Note many cos to maximise business will let someone with limited experience to charter a smaller yacht - no hard rules

2. Who can charge others to skipper/advise on a boat? As Flaming states only a qualified commercially endorsed coastal skipper/yachtmaster.

If tuition is required rather than advice best to get a RYA qualified instructor. Only about 50% of yachtmaster pass as instructors as many lack the ability to impart knowledge or have a captain bligh mentality. Its a sensible person though that recognises their rusty experience and probably not a person who would be gung ho enough to get into problems unless the area he intends chartering is difficult.

 

[bilbobaggins]

Do please bear in mind that the level of legal responsibility for your friends' welfare, shouldered by your Commercial YotMeister, is literally unlimited.

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Refueler]

Why don't the peeps involved invite an experienced friend along for the trip ? Why is it all commercial and pay this that ..
Or take a skippered boat for so many days and then have agreement skipper is dropped of so rest of charter is own skippered.

Seems expensive way of doing it - paying for a place on board and then paying the guy on top of that ...

 

[Cheeky Girl]

Hi Sailfree

The couple have the required minimum to meet the charter company's requirements. They both passed their DS many years ago and have not sailed for a couple of years ago so are more feeling Dazed Kippers rather than Day Skippers /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. So were just wanting some re-assurance.

It was the CC or YM with the commercial endorsement bit I was looking for.

Thanks

Graham