Where in the UK can you get your Yacht Captain’s licence?

7 comments

1. Your need more yachts.

   Not enough yachts!

2. Go to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and look up Day Skipper and Yacht Master certificates.You might also want to look up Navigation certificates.

3. It’s complicated, and I don’t fully understand it myself.

   For small vessels (depends on country I think) you don’t need a licence. The idea of a “boat licence” doesn’t really exist.

   There is an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) which is recognised across most countries thanks to a UN agreement. This basically is more a “I won’t trash a harbour by being wildly out of control” than an actual test. Generally though, you get one in the UK by passing certain RYA courses – pass Powerboat Level 2 (you don’t need to do Level 1 confusing eh…) which is VERY easy to pass unlike a driving test, and an ICC is issued automatically.

   Again, what boats require one varies – in Ibiza for example you can’t rent ANY boat aside from a tiny boat with a 15hp engine on the back if you don’t have an ICC. Yet on certain Greek islands you can rent powerboats that easily do 70mph (which feels like 200mph on water) by basically just stumping up the cash.

   Boats over a certain length, generally 10m, will require a higher level of ICC. This is inventively called the “Power Over 10 metre ICC”. At this point, many countries will also require you to have certifications in SOLAS training, VHF/Emergency radio usage, advanced navigation, etc.

   Again, there is no specific ICC test as such, but you will need an equivalent qualification from a boating body in your country. Handily, most RYA courses than make you eligible for one also cover any extra stuff you might need.

   Not sure what that covers up to – I would genuinely be interested to know what the qualifications for piloting a large ship are. I imagine that’s a whole other world of complicated.

   Unless you’re in Greece, where you can probably just rock up and no one is bothered….

4. There are lots of places depending on what level you are going for.

   RYA levels, plenty of sailing schools around offering this.

   Day skipper, again, plenty of RYA schools around.

   Yachtmasters, again RYA. Will be offered by the larger clubs or schools such as UKSA. Allows you to command a yacht up to 24m and 150 miles from shore. But there is an ocean level you can do to cross oceans.

   Beyond that you are looking at commercial licences. This is where you move away from RYA and these are issued by the coastguard. You do a course at an approved maritime college and sit usually both written and oral exam. These can be limited to ship tonnage or can be unlimited.

   There are obviously some I’ve missed out in between these, but these are main ones. I’m more familiar with the commercial licensing as that’s the one I have.

5. Others have mentioned commercial licenses, should that be what you intend to do drop me a message if you have any questions, I’m a sailor myself so I may be of some use, sadly I don’t know much about the RYA issued tickets

6. Mother and Father had yachts growing up. You don’t need any license to pilot a boat, just jump on and go!

   If you’re thinking of buying a boat, start small and work your way up. There‘s lots to learn and it’s really a case of building up your confidence and knowledge.

   You will get into scrapes, run out of petrol and all that silly stuff. Just take care of the safety stuff first and you’ll learn from every experience. Eventually you become a salty dog who knows what’s what. Never push yourself further than your comfort level wants to – slowly does it.

   If you do buy a VHF radio (and you’d be a numpty if you didn’t for safety reasons) then you will need a VHF radio license. It’s only a short course and covers you to call locks, marinas and other boaters.

   Just as an FYI, you don’t need a VHF license to make an emergency distress call on Channel 16 or to respond to one. Even if you just plan on day trips it’s worth carrying a radio with you and learning the general lingo of Channel 16 calls.

   Oh, and for the love of god buy a floating EPIRB and register it. There are dead people today who would have been found, if only they had spent £100 at the chandlers.

   The Royal Yachting Association offers Day Skipper, Coastal and Overshore courses. They’re all helpful and are a pathway into professional skipper work. The ICC course is worth investigating too.

7. You want to check for local RYA training centers I did one in Dale in Pembrokeshire and know Southampton has a few.

   https://www.rya.org.uk/wheres-my-nearest

   You see likily wanting to go from day skipper up to full of yachtmaster.