Qualifications required for using a powerboat for paying guests

[john_morris_uk]

Don’t do it without being properly qualified. Your liabilities are large. It’s not a question as to whether you’re being paid, it’s whether the passengers are paying someone. If it’s part of a package they’re paying for to get to the island then they’re paying and it’s a commercial operation and you very much need to be certified properly. Ignore anyone who suggests otherwise and makes noises about ‘donations’.

Costs can be easily quantified:

Powerboat Level 2 £250 and upwards
Professional Practices & Responsibilities (online course) £39
ENG 1 medical £115 or ML5 perhaps £35
Basic Sea Survival £150
Commercial Endorsement to your PB level 2 £40

Edit: you also need a First Aid Certification. £100+?

You might already tick some of the above? Or you might go down the Boatmaster licence route as previously mentioned.

FWIW I also pay for Skippers liability insurance. Maybe £150 pa?

 

[Momac]

You can’t pick up random strangers and claim to be outside the regulations.

I think you could . eg if you helped rescue someone.
But in the circumstances the OP describes he could be held personally liable if for example one of the paying passengers is injured and he would have no insurance cover.

 

[Mark-1]

But in the circumstances the OP describes he could be held personally liable if for example one of the paying passengers is injured and he would have no insurance cover.

Well yes, but that would be in the case where something happened that was so serious someone was actually taking legal action.

So that statement boils down to: "Don't to it in case a very serious incident occurs". But a serious incident could just as easily harm the OP and we don't say 'Don't do it case you personally get killed or maimed'.

Of course, the OP isn't considering doing it without the required certification, quite the opposite, he's finding out what he needs.

 

[Bouba]

Hi Im a sailor with a coastal skipper practical, yachtmaster , ocean master theory and ICC, VHF and long distance radio licenses.
Ive been asked if i would help take paying guests 4-6 approx 500 metres on a powerboat to an island where they stay for a week. Do I need other qualifications ?
J

This could be an open ended commitment....drop them off implies that you pick them up as well...what if one of them needs picking up earlier...for example, have to go back home because mother is sick, got bitten by a snake, forgot my inhaler....and then what if the weather changes and you can’t get them out...and they miss their connecting flights and are running out of money ....or worse, you see the weather window closing so tell them you want them to leave early...even though they’ve paid for a whole week and will have to sleep on the airport terminal floor for two nights

 

[Offshore57]

I would want to be legally insulted from anything that could possibly go wrong

As opposed to being insulted illegally... ?

 

[Bouba]

As opposed to being insulted illegally... ?

Insulted illegally sounds expensive....especially if you include the prison time

 

[Mark-1]

Costs can be easily quantified:

Powerboat Level 2 £250 and upwards
Professional Practices @ Responsibilities (online course) £39
ENG 1 medical £80 or ML5 perhaps £35
Basic Sea Survival £150
Commercial Endorsement to your PB level 2 £40

Good to see an actual answer to the question.

I had no idea it was so easy to be a professional. I assumed there would be a completely different set of qualifications for taking paying passengers.

 

[ylop]

I think you could . eg if you helped rescue someone.

Clearly you have obligations under a mayday situation.

But in the circumstances the OP describes he could be held personally liable if for example one of the paying passengers is injured and he would have no insurance cover.

This isn’t a question of personal liability IF someone was hurt, it’s a breach of the merchant shipping regulations.

 

[Mark-1]

This isn’t a question of personal liability IF someone was hurt, it’s a breach of the merchant shipping regulations.

I was answering the point the the post I was quoting, which specifically related to liability if someone was hurt.

EDIT: To cross out my dumb reply.

 

[Stemar]

The problem today is the societal 'rules' have swung such that 1. people now look at things in 'what if' way .. 2. the 'old days' are gone where people acted and thought for themselves ...

Sorry but I really do think todays society has lost so much humanity ... I wonder how far its going to go before people finally say enough !

I agree with this, but we bring it on ourselves*. Muppets do something stupid or just get unlucky, and people get hurt, so laws are passed that require qualifications and insurance.



* Not us, of course, we never do anything stupid, do we, nor do we have bad luck like hitting a tree floating in our path...

 

[ylop]

Powerboat Level 2 £250 and upwards
Professional Practices @ Responsibilities (online course) £39
ENG 1 medical £80 or ML5 perhaps £35
Basic Sea Survival £150
Commercial Endorsement to your PB level 2 £40

You’ll also need a valid first aid certificate.

 

[ylop]

I was answering the point the the post I was quoting, which specifically related to liability if someone was hurt.

Which is why I didn’t quote your post!

 

[Kwik Decision]

ENG 1 medical £80 or ML5 perhaps £35

I'm afraid your figures are rather out of date - I paid £115 for an ENG1 in September. That was after (years ago) trying to get an ML5, and my GPs surgery just making it too difficult - I never got to ask the price, but unless the GP is a mate or doing you a favour, I can't see them doing anything for £35.

 

[Mark-1]

Which is why I didn’t quote your post!

Whoops! Over sensitive with poor English comprehension? Me?



Sorry!

 

[Greg2]

Don’t do it without being properly qualified. Your liabilities are large. It’s not a question as to whether you’re being paid, it’s whether the passengers are paying someone. If it’s part of a package they’re paying for to get to the island then they’re paying and it’s a commercial operation and you very much need to be certified properly. Ignore anyone who suggests otherwise and makes noises about ‘donations’.

Costs can be easily quantified:

Powerboat Level 2 £250 and upwards
Professional Practices @ Responsibilities (online course) £39
ENG 1 medical £80 or ML5 perhaps £35
Basic Sea Survival £150
Commercial Endorsement to your PB level 2 £40

You might already tick some of the above? Or you might go down the Boatmaster licence route as previously mentioned.

FWIW I also pay for Skippers liability insurance. Maybe £150 pa?

But wouldn’t the boat also need to be coded to operate commercially? Depending on the category and the boat that may not be cheap and will involve an inspection by a suitably qualified surveyor.

It isn’t clear from the original post whether it is coded but if it isn’t it should be.
.

 

[Petertheking1982]

For UK: Powerboat level 2, vhf license, rya first aid cert, ppr, and medical (eng1 or ml5). The PB2 can be used upto 3nm from point of departure in daylight hours. The PB2 is basic, coikd also use PB tender, PB advanced, day skip motor, or ym motor.

 

[john_morris_uk]

You’ll also need a valid first aid certificate.

Agreed. Apologies but I forgot to include that for completeness, (but he said he’s got YM Coastal which means he’s already got a First Aid certificate. )

 

[john_morris_uk]

But wouldn’t the boat also need to be coded to operate commercially? Depending on the category and the boat that may not be cheap and will involve an inspection by a suitably qualified surveyor.

It isn’t clear from the original post whether it is coded but if it isn’t it should be.
.

I got the impression the OP was being asked to use someone else’s boat. And yes the whether it’s his or someone else’s the boat needs to be inspected and certified. To what level depends on the waters of intended use.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I'm afraid your figures are rather out of date - I paid £115 for an ENG1 in September. That was after (years ago) trying to get an ML5, and my GPs surgery just making it too difficult - I never got to ask the price, but unless the GP is a mate or doing you a favour, I can't see them doing anything for £35.

Edit: I had my last ENG1 two months ago in the midlands and you’re quite right. Cost was £115.

Re ML5, £35 is the normal cost for a medical certificate at our practice which is why I quoted it, however I’ve never had an ML5 so I admit no personal experience.

PS I’ve also edited my previous post to reflect accurate pricing.

 

[Bouba]

I would look up any commercial water taxis in the area....then pass on their phone number to your friend and opt out