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Old 15-10-2022, 23:09   #1
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Australian licensing

I'm looking into buying a cruising yacht and I want it registered to Australia as its where I'm from but I don't have any understanding about what licensing I would need to operate the vessel.

I know I would need a VHF operator certification but what else do I need License wise?

Cheers.

For background I'm a weekend racer out of swan River Western Australia and have been for 11 years but I don't know much if anything about cruising.
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Old 15-10-2022, 23:21   #2
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Re: Australian licensing

In Victoria, You need a motor boat licence if the boat has a motor, Thats it, Size is irrelevant,

2 miles off shore its compulsory to have an Epirb. Licenced or registered to you thru AMSA, and a VHF, Licenced to operate,

Registered boat, with all current Safety gear up to date,
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Old 15-10-2022, 23:35   #3
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Re: Australian licensing

As Mr B said. I'll add If WA hasn't changed then their boat license is one payment for life unlike most states that require a monetary renewal every year.
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Old 15-10-2022, 23:52   #4
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Re: Australian licensing

amplifying what the others have said : licencing in australia depends upon what state you are in

eg in nsw you do not need any licence unless you wish to drive a motor vessel in excess of 10kts (iow it might be 1000hp scarab, but provided you keep under 10kts = no licence required. also no licence required for any recreational sailing vessel.

but it does depend upon which state

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Old 16-10-2022, 00:18   #5
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Re: Australian licensing

Do you know about requirements for a life raft?
Thanks.
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Old 16-10-2022, 01:00   #6
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Re: Australian licensing

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oracle136 View Post
Do you know about requirements for a life raft?
Thanks.

Look on AMSA site, It will give all details on Life rafts, Etc Etc,

Look on your states marine regs for every thing,
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Old 16-10-2022, 01:08   #7
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Re: Australian licensing

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Originally Posted by Oracle136 View Post
Do you know about requirements for a life raft?
Thanks.
For recreational boats in Australia - none (in any state).
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Old 16-10-2022, 01:15   #8
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Re: Australian licensing

You do not need Australian registration unless you are going to clear out of the country for an international voyage. However all the states except the Northern Territory have vessel registration requirements.
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Old 16-10-2022, 01:19   #9
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Re: Australian licensing

In south Australia you must have a license to drive any powered vsl plus vhf license,if over 60 ft you must carry a certified life raft plus al safety gear ,we have verry little sheltered waters,off shore next stop is Antarcia.⛵️⚓️
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Old 16-10-2022, 02:28   #10
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Re: Australian licensing

I am from WA too. And all the above said is true, but I didn't know about boats over 60 ft in South Australia.

In WA for you as operator:
If boat has an engine larger than 6HP , then you need a recreational skippers ticket (RST), an once-off only exam, some theory and some practical in a 4 or 5 mt 14-16 ft) boat generally, but you can do the practical in your your own boat. Cost of such RST course is $150 to $250, generally 5-10 hours.
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...have-a-rst.asp


For you as a skipper in WA:
If you venture offshore more than 5 Nm, then the boat must have a VHF radio, and at least one person on board must have then a VHF radio operators licence.
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/medi...mentMatrix.pdf
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...-do-I-need.asp
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...ine-radios.asp
https://www.acma.gov.au/marine-radio...and-procedures


For any recreatinal boat in WA:
If the boat has any engine, or can be fitted with an engine, that it must be licenced/registered in WA. Cost is yearly reoccurring, cost is by length, going up in increments ?$120 upto $?480 per annum (sorry, can't not remember what I pay, as I got a couple of boats)
Only exception is a tender to a boat if that tender is 3.1 mt or less and engine is smaller than 5HP, no need to register it then.
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...gistration.asp

For a boat in Australia:
You can have any boat listed on the Australian shipping register, an once only cost of $1500 to $2000. This is in addition to any state registration. This Oz shipping register is only required if you were to sail to another country, not within, or around Australia. Note: the owner of the boat must be an Australian citizen.
https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-oper...p-registration

For recreational boats:
As far as I know, there is never a requirement to have a liferaft on board, unless maybe in SA and boat is over 60 ft. Note: most offshore races the organising club may and usually demand a liferaft, and that to be 'in service'.
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Old 16-10-2022, 03:53   #11
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Re: Australian licensing

Quote:
Originally Posted by HankOnthewater View Post
I am from WA too. And all the above said is true, but I didn't know about boats over 60 ft in South Australia.

In WA for you as operator:
If boat has an engine larger than 6HP , then you need a recreational skippers ticket (RST), an once-off only exam, some theory and some practical in a 4 or 5 mt 14-16 ft) boat generally, but you can do the practical in your your own boat. Cost of such RST course is $150 to $250, generally 5-10 hours.
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...have-a-rst.asp


For you as a skipper in WA:
If you venture offshore more than 5 Nm, then the boat must have a VHF radio, and at least one person on board must have then a VHF radio operators licence.
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/medi...mentMatrix.pdf
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...-do-I-need.asp
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...ine-radios.asp
https://www.acma.gov.au/marine-radio...and-procedures


For any recreatinal boat in WA:
If the boat has any engine, or can be fitted with an engine, that it must be licenced/registered in WA. Cost is yearly reoccurring, cost is by length, going up in increments ?$120 upto $?480 per annum (sorry, can't not remember what I pay, as I got a couple of boats)
Only exception is a tender to a boat if that tender is 3.1 mt or less and engine is smaller than 5HP, no need to register it then.
https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...gistration.asp

For a boat in Australia:
You can have any boat listed on the Australian shipping register, an once only cost of $1500 to $2000. This is in addition to any state registration. This Oz shipping register is only required if you were to sail to another country, not within, or around Australia. Note: the owner of the boat must be an Australian citizen.
https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-oper...p-registration

For recreational boats:
As far as I know, there is never a requirement to have a liferaft on board, unless maybe in SA and boat is over 60 ft. Note: most offshore races the organising club may and usually demand a liferaft, and that to be 'in service'.
Thanks heaps mate. Just out of curiosity in case you or anyone else knows. Do you have to be state registered and Australian registered for travelling north and out of Australian waters?

Cheers to all who have answered.
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Old 16-10-2022, 04:28   #12
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Re: Australian licensing

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oracle136 View Post
Thanks heaps mate. Just out of curiosity in case you or anyone else knows. Do you have to be state registered and Australian registered for travelling north and out of Australian waters?

Cheers to all who have answered.
Each state has different rules around registration that is not in their state, but practically you can sail around Oz with your own state registration. Often you only stay in another state for a limited time ie three months, but no one is really checking, but if you hang around the same area, you might get noticed, and you have to pay for that state registration as well.

You can sail to the coast of Antarctica and back in theory without an Australian registration, and just a state registration.
In theory you can even sail to Christmas Island or Cocos (keeling) Islands without a Australian registration but that is very much frowned upon, not having Oz rego.
To go to Indonesia, New Zealand or Malaysia or anywhere else, your boat needs an Australian registration in addition to the state registration.
if you were to stay overseas for a long time, you can let lapse your state registration, and start paying your state registration again when you come back, well that is the case for West Australia.
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Old 16-10-2022, 10:21   #13
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Re: Australian licensing

to recap hank's excellent summary ;

any vessel needs to be registered in a state, and you can then travel all around australia (and it's territories). just like a car, there may be some legal time limit to stay in another state without registering there, but it's rarely enforced

in theory you can register in any state where you can claim residence ie if you live in wa, and have a holiday home in qld, you could register in qld. this becomes interesting for those of us who live-aboard ie no land home...

a tricky wrinkle is that state boating laws differ from state to state and it is entirely possible that a boat which is legal in one state is not entirely legal in another (same can happen with road vehicles). again this is not usually a problem, but can be and is something to be aware of

to leave australia (or any country) you need national registration ie in your case australian registration. usually you need to be a citizen of the country in which you register although there are ways around this. in our case we could register in australia, uk, sweden or germany. we chose germany, for insurance and tax reasons.

cheers,
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Old 17-10-2022, 03:46   #14
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Re: Australian licensing

Don't tell anyone. We spent nearly a year in WA waters and never registered the boat. Kept low profile, no marina etc. In fact were told by someone who did the the same for years, that it's cheaper to pay the fine than the yearly rego. We then did the (inter) national registration (still in WA, but choose different home port) then left for overseas.
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Old 03-03-2023, 17:53   #15
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Re: Australian licensing

>I,ve been sailing since 1952 (first GP14)
Sailed UK till '72 then brought my 32fter from UK to South Australia. Sailed/lived/worked from There up to N.Territory (Darwin) Sailed round the Island (Aust) twice. Only licence I ever had, was Trawler (fishing) Skippers ticket in UK (Good for 100ft) and a "Boat drivers licence for over 6hp in Aust (on my driving licence ID)
Across to Strahan, Tassie. about 30 times. (Always bloody bumpy that trip).
NZ x 3 and New Guinea. But had her registered for those trips.
Never had a piece of paper for me or my "skills/experiences??",
and the first thing we did when out of harbours and offshore was turn the bloody radio's off. (Chatter. Chatter. Chatter)
You take yourself out. YOU fix and bring yourself back. DON'T go asking others to risk their lives for you. YOU put yourself out there. Nobody else.
Just make sure you good for it and boat a safe Seaworthy for anything vessel with spares (and the skills) to fix it.
NOT a plastic lightweight racer "converted" for offshore.
All a piece of paper proves. Is that you've had a coupla lessons and have a memory. NOT that you can sail or read a chart/Sextant.
Modern day. Your electrics or GPS die on you. you dead. Everybody that goes offshore should have, at least a plastic Davies Sextant. Aviation Tables. Accurate watch and instructions for them. It's easy. Pick your Target in sky. PRESET Elevation on Sextant. point in right direction. Pick up Target and read watch. Then go to Tables and start your brain up.
Practice on land first. THEN go. Have fun.
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