Sailing qualifications

[GarthGregory]

Hi Guys ,

To add to the confusion - I sailed in Croatia for 6 yrs North to South only ever rqd boat papers and almost in every village or port

In Venice I wanted to clear in from Croatia and the Port Captain wasn't interested , said I was wasting his time . I had friends flying out ,who had not cleared in . In Italy most places are very interested in boat Insurance and sometimes boat papers .

I have been in Greece for 3 x yrs and occasionally boat papers and Transit log .

To save the hassle I would have the - boat papers - transit log ( or equivalent ) - at least even a day skippers ticket .

most just want a piece of paper to look at .

Regards Garth

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by NotSoOldNick

I sail regularly in Greece. In theory, an ICC is required though I have never been asked to show it when sailing my own boat, only when chartering.

ICC is NOT required in Greece, a certificate of competency IS required for chartering Greek based boats, that can be an ICC or the Greeks can issue you with one on the spot.

There are only two countries to my knowledge specifically ( i.e. by law) require certification , EVEN if your flag country does not require any such certificate , Thats Croatia and Montenegro . Some other countries have officials that ask for it, but thats different. Portugal has a requirement for competency ( in general it requires a " license") , but its applies the rules of " comity"


Dave

[SVNarese]

Dear Nial,
Please do not make an issue of it.
If you have a foreign flag on your boat nobody will ask for a qualification. The rule in Europe is normally that you should have the qualification required buy the regulations of of the country of the flag of your boat. For example, if you have a british flag on your boat, you do not need any qualification since it is not required by British regualition. If you have a French flag you would need to have a license only for motor vessels not for sailing crafts, etc.
I don't know the regulations in the US. But theoretically you shoul comply with the regulations of the country your boat is register. Practically, nobody will ask you anything!
Good wind on your sails
and plenty of water under your keel!
SvNarese

[CaptJDK]

I have been organizing flotillas for ASA in Croatia for the last 7 years and use local charter companies. These charter companies require an ICC like the ASA 104 (Bareboat) certification and a VHF license from the skipper. A FCC restricted VHF license will do.
If you have the 104 certification, ASA can issue an international endorsement that includes the VHF license. An OUPV was not accepted (you don't need to be a sailor to be able to get one, a "stink potter" can get an OUPV and know nothing about sailing).
Last year we went sailing in Mallorca, where we are also starting ASA flotillas, and the same rules apply.
Maybe, if you have your own boat and you are not chartering, they are less strict about it?

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by SVNarese

Dear Nial,
Please do not make an issue of it.
If you have a foreign flag on your boat nobody will ask for a qualification. The rule in Europe is normally that you should have the qualification required buy the regulations of of the country of the flag of your boat. For example, if you have a british flag on your boat, you do not need any qualification since it is not required by British regualition. If you have a French flag you would need to have a license only for motor vessels not for sailing crafts, etc.
I don't know the regulations in the US. But theoretically you shoul comply with the regulations of the country your boat is register. Practically, nobody will ask you anything!
Good wind on your sails
and plenty of water under your keel!
SvNarese

true, except for Croatia and Montenegro which specifically by law require EVERYONE to to have one of dozens of clearly stated licenses

[goboatingnow]

Last year we went sailing in Mallorca, where we are also starting ASA flotillas, and the same rules apply.
Maybe, if you have your own boat and you are not chartering, they are less strict about it?

Thats different, I presume you are using Spainish registered charter vessels, in which case the rules for Spanish citizens apply

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by SVNarese

Dear Nial,
Please do not make an issue of it.
If you have a foreign flag on your boat nobody will ask for a qualification. The rule in Europe is normally that you should have the qualification required buy the regulations of of the country of the flag of your boat. For example, if you have a british flag on your boat, you do not need any qualification since it is not required by British regualition. If you have a French flag you would need to have a license only for motor vessels not for sailing crafts, etc.
I don't know the regulations in the US. But theoretically you shoul comply with the regulations of the country your boat is register. Practically, nobody will ask you anything!
Good wind on your sails
and plenty of water under your keel!
SvNarese

Not our experience. We have been asked for out quals in Portugal and Italy and when i said i did not have a license a couple of phone calls were made and they waved it. In Montenegro they wanted one no questions asked. They accepted my asa sailing book with the stamps. I think Croatia did not ask for them as we sailed there from Montenegro and with a last port of call Montenegro the Croatians knew i had to have one.

[rivonia]

Any sailing qualification is better than No Qualification.

Better safe than sorry

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by nial

. I did once have a VHF call sign and permit but that was back in the eighties, very unlikely to find it now, but still required in Europe.

And still required by the US, if you sail internationally, i.e. both a ships station license ( thats gives you the MMSI and call sign) and an VHF operators certificate

[terra57]

We are a US boat.
Summer of 2014 we traveled to both Montenegro and Croatia. We were not ask for one in Croatia. In Montenegro we were asked but managed to get in without one. We understand a circumnavigator was turned away at Montenegro. The only reason we got by in Montenegro is because all our paperwork was complete, including upping our liability insurance to 800,000€. And I told the officer it was my 'dream' to see his country. You may not be as lucky. An ASA certificate is enough if you have one.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Polux]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

USA documented boat with 2 Americans aboard.

Turkey requires captains license or proof of competency. Yes; they required it from us the last time we renewed Transit Log. And denied entry to another American sailor at the same time who had no license or proof of competency. This was August 2013.

Greece requested copies of our captains licenses both times we cleared in; in Samos in May 2011 and in Kos in late April 2014.

Montenegro required captains licenses June 2014.

Croatia required captains licenses July 2014.

Italy required copies of captains licenses when cleared in at Manfredonia in September 2014.

And every one of those countries also required copy of our radio station license.

Others might report different experiences, but those were our personal experience in recent years. What happened with someone years ago is irrelevant. Things change. Another change is the amount of third-party insurance required in order to clear into several countries. Check each country carefully just prior to planning to go there so that you have time to buy the required insurance first. This insurance is closely inspected when clearing into all the countries I mentioned except for Turkey (when we were last there).
..

This is also my experience on the last years on those countries. Portugal and Spain will also ask for a licence of some sort, VHF too. Insurance is also required on most marinas and mandatory on some countries.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Thats different, I presume you are using Spainish registered charter vessels, in which case the rules for Spanish citizens apply

In what concerns a skipper licence theoretically the rules and demands of each country apply to all that sail on its waters even if everybody (authorities) tries to be as "liberal" as possible and accept almost any kind of licence.

Sailing a country registered vessel on its waters or another EC flagged boat has no influence in what regards needed skipper licences (I sail an Italian flagged boat) but has influence in what regards the safety equipment the boat has to carry according to where is sailing. In this case it has to comply with the country's flag dispositions on that matter (they are not all the same on the EC).