One for the Aussies - Recreation Skippers Ticket

[Seafari]

I have a confession..... "I've been a power boater all my life"



Of recent I have really been enjoying sailing and find myself looking at yachts, around the 40-45ft range.


I have a Recreation Skippers Ticket (RST) which is a theory and short practical boat handling test.



My question: Is the Australian RST (any my years of boating ownership/experience) recognised by any of the sailing certification authorities?


Thanks in advance.

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by Seafari

My question: Is the Australian RST (any my years of boating ownership/experience) recognised by any of the sailing certification authorities?

You're ahead of me on that one, Seafari.

QLD issues a QLD Marine Driver's License.

West Aus issues a WA Recreational Skipper's Ticket.

I've not heard of an Australian RST. Shows how little I know.

Neither the QLD MDL or the WA RST does anything for sailing: e.g. nothing about recovering crew over board under sail, nothing about sailing skills (using a sheet winch safely, navigating a sailing boat, etc etc). Both assume a person is learning how to drive a powered craft, although both do require learning the collision rules applicable to two sailing vessels (e.g. leeward/windward rule), etc.

So if you're comparing them to the US ASA certifications or the UK RYA certifications, the QLD MDL and WA RST are not in the same boat

Please tell us more about the Aus RST. Who grants it? What course of study and exams are associated with it?

[Fore and Aft]

If it’s anything like the QLD marine licence it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.
Cheers

[Seafari]

Originally Posted by Alan Mighty

Please tell us more about the Aus RST. Who grants it? What course of study and exams are associated with it?

Thanks Alan, my bad.....I was referring to the WA RST (which I'm told is recognised in other states). IOW, I can legally skipper a recreation craft in Qld on my WA RST.



I totally agree, the WA RST (and Qld MDL) are very much a power boat orientated accreditation, especially the practical side of the testing.


PS, I also have a Long Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency (LROCP) for marine radio which allows me to operate VHF and SSB marine radio.



Hence my question. If I enrol for an accredited yacht skippers course (RYA / ASA) do I receive any recognition (practical or theoretical) for 30 years of owning and skippering power boats?

[GILow]

I had to look that one up...

Seems to be a West Australian thing. But a bit confusing, some parts of the description make it sound national, others make it sound state based.

https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imar...ers-ticket.asp

As for other Australian jurisdictions... I have both a Victorian and South Australian license. Both were farcically easy to obtain, as is evident from some of the staggeringly bad understanding of boat rules I see out there on the water.

But neither, from memory, asked me if I held any other recreational marine license, but it was a while ago so I may have forgotten.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

If it’s anything like the QLD marine licence it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.
Cheers

Ditto Victorian and South Australian.

[Wotname]

AFAIK, there is no Australian RST. It is state by state thing but each state recognises the RST / MDL / MBL etc issued by the other states.

In Tas, it is called Motor Boat Licence (MBL) and once issued, you have to pay a small(ish) fee every three years to keep it current; unlike say WA where it is a once only fee.

I took my WA RST into a Tas Gov service centre and they gave me a Tas MBL once the money changed hands.

I was in WA when their RST came into being and I sorta remember it was some pressure by the Federal government to make WA comply with the process in the eastern states. I don't recall the detail but it had something to do with horse trading between the states and Canberra.

I dunno what NSW or the NT does but I'm sure they have something similar (well maybe not NT ).

The silly thing is one can command a say 50ft engineless sailing boat in crowded water without this ticket but cannot drive a 12 ft dinghy with a 9hp outboard with out it...

Not many sail boats around without engines though!

[Seafari]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

If it’s anything like the QLD marine licence it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on.
Cheers

Just as I thought
I'm guessing that this has been discussed many times on this discussion board but it begs the question. If one was to enrol on a yacht skippers course which course will be most recognised / accepted by insurance companies, charter boat operators and of course national overseas authorities who may (or may not) require the skipper to have some kind of accrediation?

[HankOnthewater]

I am not aware of an Australian RST; as far as I know it is a WA thing, that is recognised in all Oz states (to drive any recreational boat, any type, any size).
Yes, the training is purely powerboat based.
Bit of history: Before 2003-4 there was (in WA) a voluntary skippers ticket (called 'Boatsmart'), that included far more skills than the RST that replaced it. Yes, MOB drills was part of 'Boatsmart'

Gilow already posted a link to the RST course: it is reading a 120 page handbook (https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/medi..._Workbook7.pdf), then an 8 hour day with theory overview, theory test with MCQ (multiple choice questions) and finally a practical test on the water, generally in a 4 to 5 mt powerboat, but any boat with an engine can be used. Hmmm, some companies offer RST training and test in 2-3 hours..... they must be really good......

The AS (Australian Sailing) organisation offers courses for keelboat stuff (sailing boats), at 5 levels: crew, helm, skipper, spinnaker, racing. The majority of the training is done in boats without an engine.

As far as I know, RST is not a international recognised qualification. If one needs an international qualification see this guy (in Perth) here: https://successboatschool.com.au/ (no, I have no affiliation with this company).

[SV Fraser J]

We've been looking into courses and have found some local to us
at RYA Day Skipper Sail - Southern Cross Yachting - Manly, Brisbane- Southern Cross Yachting Sailing School and Charter Brisbane Queensland Australia
RYA Day Skipper Sail and higher are recognised internationally.
RYA Coastal Skipper Sail
RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail

[Seafari]

Originally Posted by HankOnthewater

If one needs an international qualification see this guy (in Perth) here: https://successboatschool.com.au/ (no, I have no affiliation with this company).

Thanks, I'll get in contact with this local company

[VP and the Fox]

Seafari, with the RYA courses you have to have a Logbook to prove you've done the distance, days, skippered, night hours etc just to qualify to sit the training. Then you have to do the online training and pass that to get the certification. Everything seems to be based on what's in your logbook. I'm currently doing the RYA Coastal Skipper preparation using the RYA Interactive Online program and it's great.

[UFO]

Personally I'd go for the RYA Day Skipper if I was you - Lots of Great theory and a 5 day liveaboard.


Talk to Gary at Oceanwest (Bunbury based) - I have done a couple of courses a few years ago with them and they are excellent.


https://www.oceanwest.net.au/

[Seafari]

Originally Posted by VP and the Fox

Seafari, with the RYA courses you have to have a Logbook to prove you've done the distance, days, skippered, night hours etc just to qualify to sit the training. Then you have to do the online training and pass that to get the certification. Everything seems to be based on what's in your logbook. I'm currently doing the RYA Coastal Skipper preparation using the RYA Interactive Online program and it's great.

Thanks! Most of the info and research (that I've done) is pointing towards RYA certification as the most widely accepted and recognised accreditation. I'd be keen to find out more about the logbook requirements. I sail mostly on friends boats so wondering who signs the logbook and what qualification are they required to have?

[VP and the Fox]

You can just get the dates you sailed, write them in the logbook, and get them to sign the page as "The Skipper". If you go out on the same boats regularly then this may not be too much of a hassle for you to hunt down their Skippers. I only enter the dates and the locations we go and the distance travelled which the Instructor said was sufficient. I only really venture around Moreton Bay anyway. I don't have any formal sailing qualifications as such but am still recognised as "The Skipper" of the vessel and therefore qualified to sign a logbook for crew.

I've been sailing consistently for four years now and the reason we are doing the formal courses is that we are moving to the Med to live on a catamaran next year and have to have an "ICC" to enter certain countries as a pleasure vessel (International Certificate of Competence). I think that the ICC is also given to people who do the Day Skippers certification.