Newbie! Certification / Resume for Bareboat Worldwide?

[Leee]

If you wish to charter and sail internationally, an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) is required now. The ASA courses and their accompanying certificates, while worthwhile are not, in my experience of much value outside North America, while an ICC is not questioned. However, the more experience the better. A good way to gain experience is to join a site such as Find-A-Crew. I have found dozens of interested people to crew for me that way and they get to learn as much as they wish at the same time. Check references first though and if there are no references, it often means the skipper has had no references that he cares to post. There are also flotilla charters where a few boats are chartered bareboat led by one skipper on his boat who provides assistance and advice if required. A useful way to get your feet wet. If and once you own your own boat, these flotillas are to be avoided like the plague.

[Goodall_M1]

Originally Posted by grantmc

1) Is ASA recognized world-wide for the most part?
No not really, the more commonly recognized qualifications are issued by England's Royal Yachting Assn (RYA).

Be aware too that all the qualifications expire, usually within 10 years, some as short as 4.

Yes the ICC (International Certificate of (total in-) Competence) does expire but (to my knowledge) RYA Qualifications do not.

I have their Day Skipper and Yacht-master (Coastal), (it was called Coastal Skipper when I passed the RCA/RYA exam many years ago), qualifications, and all I need to do when my ICC is due to expire is to re-apply, and send them the money (which this reminds me I must do next year).

[Moana Bella]

I started sailing 3 1/2 years ago without knowing anyone who sails or owns a boat.
Now I have my first charter as skipper booked and paid for - Australia's Whitsunday Islands. Would have already been if it hadn't been for COVID shutdowns, and an accident my husband had. Charter is now booked for the 4th time in March 2021. Along the way I enquired with a charter company in Thailand as well.
Tahiti and the rest of French Polynesia is AMAZING, and you definitely need to go but it could be tricky to start there for a number of reasons. Have you considered Australia? The Whitsunday Islands are a fantastic place to explore the islands in protected waters and also the Great Barrier Reef and they don't require as much proof of experience and qualifications as many other places. And there are lots of charter boats to choose from. You can't come here at he moment of course because Australia is closed for COVID but you will need time to learn sailing anyway.
I found that in Thailand they would accept both ASA and RYA qualifications, with the ICC (International Certificate of Competence) being the main one - you get that for completing RYA Day Skipper.
BUT, they all want to know whether you can handle the boat and particularly as skipper - can you navigate? You will definitely need to demonstrate experience sailing. I strongly suggest you keep a log of all the sailing you do. Dates, type/size of boat, distance travelled, day/night hours, nights at sea, conditions, your role on the boat. This will be invaluable when compiling your sailing resume.
I found that in Thailand they were concerned about my lack of time as a skipper, even though I sail as crew 1-2 times a week for 3 years, but that is difficult to solve without having your own boat, or doing charters in places like Australia first where they are a bit more lenient.
I suggest you sign up as crew at a local yacht club and get experience on a few boats, and sail with different people to learn what they know. The old salts all have lots of knowledge they love to share. And you will learn something every time you go out on a boat.
Volunteer for a few deliveries to get your miles up and particularly to get night hours, and experience different things to racing.
Cruising is very different to racing but difficult to do until you either make friends with a boat owner, or buy your own.
I recommend some courses early on to learn good habits and learn quickly. I have done RYA Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Day Skipper Theory (navigation), Radio Operator, and SSSC (Sea Safety Survival Course). All very good and worth doing. But you need to practice all of what you learn in classes or it doesn't really amount to much on its own.
Good luck - hope you enjoy it and get the sailing bug.

[Uricanejack]

If you are British go get RYA

If you are American go get ASA, is it known and accepted world wide? Yes.
Maybe not in Afghanistan.

Any popular charter location will accept ASA. most of Europe will accept in Lui of ICC.
ICC is a Europe thing.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Uricanejack

If you are British go get RYA

If you are American go get ASA, is it known and accepted world wide? Yes.
Maybe not in Afghanistan.

Any popular charter location will accept ASA. most of Europe will accept in Lui of ICC.
ICC is a Europe thing.

I would not agree. In terms of “ brand “ recognition RYA is way out in front and it’s course development system has been exported to several countries etc. The commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster offshore is the pinnacle of leisure boat training worldwide

After that ICC has significant recognitIon , largely because of its dominance in the charter market

ASA is generally viewed as “ OK “ but most countries are not familiar with it. Many US sailors don’t have it and US is not a prolific sailing area

If you are able to access RYA training and certification then it’s the best . You don’t need to be British to access it.

I say this as a holder of ICC , various ASA tickets and the RYA Yachtmaster offshore cert

If you want a worldwide charter ticket , RYA day skipper is the one to aim at

[EclipseII]

My situation is a little bit different than yours, as I own my own smaller coastal cruiser. With that said, I had my ASA 101 and took my 103,104 at St. Augustine Sailing. We did the 103 on a 34' Jeanneau then 104 on a 41' Jeanneau. Their policy is if you pass the class, you can rent either of the boats for experience. I'm looking, when it opens up, to bareboat charter with Sunsail out of the BVI which has the exact same 41"er. I echo what many have said, hang out at the dock, get to know some sailers and before you know it, you'll be crewing. Enjoy!!

[JoeRobertJr]

EcslipseII, to the forum

[muttnik]

Originally Posted by traveler73

2) What do boat owners and charter companies look for in approving individuals to charter bareboat for multiple days away?

Generally evidence that you are competent and that, if a licence is required in the place you're chartering and those laws are enforced, that you have what is legally required. Charter companies usually state on their web sites what is required for a particular charter so google is your friend. Some companies may ask for evidence of greater competency than the minimum required by law for charters in particularly challenging areas but if it's down to the company rather than law, they'll probably be flexible in the evidence you provide them.

An *ability level* of RYA dayskipper / ASA 104 (disclaimer: I have no experience of ASA qualifications) is enough for most places, but what pieces of paper are required will vary by country. The ICC previously mentioned is the closest thing to an international recreational sailing licence but only 22 countries (according to wikipedia), mostly european, have signed up to resolution 40. Many that accept the ICC will also accept other qualification (including ASA). Some that haven't signed up to resolution 40 will accept the ICC. Legally acceptable qualifications aren't always clear cut. Dayskipper always used to be fine for Greece but a couple of years ago there were reports that port police were sometimes refusing to accept it whereas they would accept an ICC which doesn't require such a high level of competence. A bit of research seems to indicate the Greeks have clarified that dayskipper *is* now acceptable:
https://www.sailionian.com/blog/rya-day-skipper-acceptance/
.

Originally Posted by traveler73

1) Is ASA recognized world-wide for the most part?

Not universally but I'm not sure you should worry about that (see below).

My advice would be learn to sail via the most convenient path available to you where you are. There is no universally accepted recreational sailing licence (not even the ICC) and there's no point jumping though hoops to get a certificate you never need to use. If you take ASA qualifications these may well be accepted where you intend to charter. If not, minimum qualifications are generally not hard to get. The ICC assesment is pretty simple but the RYA will issue one to members who hold a dayskipper certificate (which is harder to get) without further assessment (£45 for non-members). The ASA do something similar for holders of ASA 104 with their "IPC":
https://asa.com/international-proficiency-certificate/
.

Remember everyone wants your tourist dollars so if you have basic competence, they're not going to make it difficult to charter.

You should of course be aware of the difference in buoyage between region B (the americas and some american-influenced parts of the pacific) and region A (most of the rest of the world).

In some cases a VHF licence is required, but that's not hard and should be one of your first priorities anyway.

The ICC is valid for 5 years. RYA certificates don't expire. STCW/commercial endorsements do need renewing but you don't need those for recreational chartering.

Originally Posted by traveler73

3) What creative ways can you suggest for me to gain the experience, confidence and resume without owning my own boat?

Everyone will tell you to do what they did. If you're starting later in life and want the fast route to safely chartering a 12m cruising boat, skip the 10 years of dinghy sailing those who've been sailing since they were kids will tell you is essential and pay money to a sailing school to teach you to sail the kinds of boats you want to sail. Racing is also not an optimal path to cruising competence. Many race skippers want crew for a particular job. After a couple of years you may be superb at the particular job you're assigned and have no clue about navigation or sailing outside of your one or two race roles.

Getting training first and experience second may sound like the wrong way round to some but a couple of qualifications makes you more attractive as crew. Top tip: The yachty environment can seem intimidating to outsiders but turns out boaters are mostly human. Do have the confidence to walk right into your local yacht club or marina office to ask if they know of anyone looking for crew or have a notice board for your "crew available" card.

[SV Trillium]

Great plan (I'm an ASA instructor so I am arguably biased ) In reality, the big three that I am aware of are RYA, ASA, and US Sailing - all very good organizations.

To gain the experience, join some clubs and volunteer to crew. Crewseekers.net is way to gain some passage-making experience - just vet opportunities carefully to ensure that they are properly equipped boats for offshore passages. Ask a lot of questions about expectations, role, costs, etc. Never send money in advance... I crossed a few oceans that way and made some really good friends. The paid service is really the only way to go with Crewseekers.

Best of luck on your journey - keep a good logbook to look back on later in life - enjoy every minute!

[Uricanejack]

Originally Posted by muttnik

Generally evidence that you are competent and that, if a licence is required in the place you're chartering and those laws are enforced, that you have what is legally required. Charter companies usually state on their web sites what is required for a particular charter so google is your friend. Some companies may ask for evidence of greater competency than the minimum required by law for charters in particularly challenging areas but if it's down to the company rather than law, they'll probably be flexible in the evidence you provide them.

An *ability level* of RYA dayskipper / ASA 104 (disclaimer: I have no experience of ASA qualifications) is enough for most places, but what pieces of paper are required will vary by country. The ICC previously mentioned is the closest thing to an international recreational sailing licence but only 22 countries (according to wikipedia), mostly european, have signed up to resolution 40. Many that accept the ICC will also accept other qualification (including ASA). Some that haven't signed up to resolution 40 will accept the ICC. Legally acceptable qualifications aren't always clear cut. Dayskipper always used to be fine for Greece but a couple of years ago there were reports that port police were sometimes refusing to accept it whereas they would accept an ICC which doesn't require such a high level of competence. A bit of research seems to indicate the Greeks have clarified that dayskipper *is* now acceptable:
https://www.sailionian.com/blog/rya-day-skipper-acceptance/
.




Not universally but I'm not sure you should worry about that (see below).

My advice would be learn to sail via the most convenient path available to you where you are. There is no universally accepted recreational sailing licence (not even the ICC) and there's no point jumping though hoops to get a certificate you never need to use. If you take ASA qualifications these may well be accepted where you intend to charter. If not, minimum qualifications are generally not hard to get. The ICC assesment is pretty simple but the RYA will issue one to members who hold a dayskipper certificate (which is harder to get) without further assessment (£45 for non-members). The ASA do something similar for holders of ASA 104 with their "IPC":
https://asa.com/international-proficiency-certificate/
.

Remember everyone wants your tourist dollars so if you have basic competence, they're not going to make it difficult to charter.

You should of course be aware of the difference in buoyage between region B (the americas and some american-influenced parts of the pacific) and region A (most of the rest of the world).

In some cases a VHF licence is required, but that's not hard and should be one of your first priorities anyway.

The ICC is valid for 5 years. RYA certificates don't expire. STCW/commercial endorsements do need renewing but you don't need those for recreational chartering.



Everyone will tell you to do what they did. If you're starting later in life and want the fast route to safely chartering a 12m cruising boat, skip the 10 years of dinghy sailing those who've been sailing since they were kids will tell you is essential and pay money to a sailing school to teach you to sail the kinds of boats you want to sail. Racing is also not an optimal path to cruising competence. Many race skippers want crew for a particular job. After a couple of years you may be superb at the particular job you're assigned and have no clue about navigation or sailing outside of your one or two race roles.

Getting training first and experience second may sound like the wrong way round to some but a couple of qualifications makes you more attractive as crew. Top tip: The yachty environment can seem intimidating to outsiders but turns out boaters are mostly human. Do have the confidence to walk right into your local yacht club or marina office to ask if they know of anyone looking for crew or have a notice board for your "crew available" card.

Good advice,

One additional consideration.
if you take a course through a school associated with a particular charter company.
The charter company will be happy with your qualifications.
The sailing school I used to teach for.
Training charterers for the charter company, was part of the business plan.
They would happily charter there smaller boats to brand new graduates of their basic sailing program.
Repeat customers are good for business and is a record of experience gained.

They would ask more questions of a charter who did a course some where else particularly if it was a bit stale.

[riverwave]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

I have been sailing for 62 years, Sea Scouts, US Navy and so on. I want to take my US-flagged boat to Croatia in a year or two and Croatia demands a sailing license of a specific level. ICC is one license they accept.

I found that NauticEd would let me take the theory text online and then I had to make a six hour practical test with one of their examiners.

NauticEd's Bareboat license was on Croatia's list of required licenses. Cost me about a grand including the six hour charter of a boat for the practical.

I am also a member of the RYA, but their course for a Day Skipper (accepted by Croatia) was at least a six day practical training program plus a theory. It would have cost a lot more, especially if I tried to do it as an individual.

The whole process took me a week and one afternoon in Tampa Bay.

Neat, sweet and complete.

As a newbie here, I am reading as much as I can. I have a dumb question, If you you are a boat-owner and you want to sail your own boat in Croatia, are you required to hold a certificate of RYA or ICC?
Thx

[Bill Seal]

Originally Posted by EclipseII

My situation is a little bit different than yours, as I own my own smaller coastal cruiser. With that said, I had my ASA 101 and took my 103,104 at St. Augustine Sailing. We did the 103 on a 34' Jeanneau then 104 on a 41' Jeanneau. Their policy is if you pass the class, you can rent either of the boats for experience. I'm looking, when it opens up, to bareboat charter with Sunsail out of the BVI which has the exact same 41"er. I echo what many have said, hang out at the dock, get to know some sailers and before you know it, you'll be crewing. Enjoy!!

If I hang out at the dock in my marina, the only thing I'll learn is how to get stinkin drunk, cuss like a sailor (or in my case, a former Coastie) or, if I wander down the wrong finger, how to become a swinger.

[George DuBose]

https://mmpi.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/d...9%205-7_19.pdf

Here is a list from the Croatian government regarding which sailing licenses from which countries that they will accept.

...and yes, one must have a license even aboard one's own boat that is flagged to a country that doesn't require a sailing license.

Now that Croatia is officially the world's most popular sailing destination, the Croats have found many ways to take one's money.

[goboatingnow]

he ICC assesment is pretty simple but the RYA will issue one to members who hold a dayskipper certificate

just again for clarification , the RYA can only normally issue ICCs to residents of the UK, but can also ( along with the ISA, Irish sailing association) issue them to USA residents.