Licenses for Americans sailing in Europe

[De.windhoos]

Originally Posted by Pyxis156

Does anyone have first hand experience with presenting a USCG Master's license with Sailing Endorsement to foreign authorities? I noticed in the link to the list of credentials accepted by the Croatian authorities that they were all recreational. How is a US issued commercial license viewed?

You should be Ok, but if I were you I would print something from an official website explaining what it is and keep that at hand.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by parrotsailor

Before signing up for a bunch of overpriced BS ASA courses why not just get a 6pack and be done?

ASA courses are overpriced and pure BS, agreed. But, unlike the 6-pack, you do the ASA "and be done. No drug tests, no TWIC, no documenting sea time, none of that headache. The 6pack, you never stop doing it. It's far more time and money to get the 6-pack, and that's just the first time. The 6 pack requires periodic (and not inexpensive or simple) renewal - the ASA requires a 5 year, $100 renewal by mail. In fact, the ASA can be renewed at any time, so if you don't need it for 10 years, you can just ignore it for 10 years.

Harry

[surf_sail]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

ASA courses are overpriced and pure BS, agreed. But, unlike the 6-pack, you do the ASA "and be done. No drug tests, no TWIC, no documenting sea time, none of that headache. The 6pack, you never stop doing it. It's far more time and money to get the 6-pack, and that's just the first time. The 6 pack requires periodic (and not inexpensive or simple) renewal - the ASA requires a 5 year, $100 renewal by mail. In fact, the ASA can be renewed at any time, so if you don't need it for 10 years, you can just ignore it for 10 years.

Harry

Seems to me there are really only 2 good options:
1. Take your chances
2. Fly to the U.K. and take the weekend ICC test for a few hundred euros as linked to earlier in the thread.

Flying from the US isn't worth it. But since you only need the ICC in the med. it's likely easiness just to wait until you get there and then hop on a cheap flight to the U.K. I think you could get an flight to London for less than 100usd RT from most ports in the med.

6pack makes sense too if you want to take on charter guests, but it doesn't allow you to do that out of the US anyways so it's not really relevant vs. the ICC.

[Pyxis156]

Originally Posted by surf_sail

6pack makes sense too if you want to take on charter guests, but it doesn't allow you to do that out of the US anyways so it's not really relevant vs. the ICC.

I agree / understand on the 6-pack, but does anyone have any first hand knowledge of how a USCG Master's license is viewed by authorities in the Med? Or anywhere else in the world for that matter?

[royalstar]

Why you are taking ICC and other crap when you can go to Croatia and take "voditelj brodice B kategorije" that will cost you 20 dollars and you will get certificate equivalent to, let say, RYA coastal skipper and yacht master offshore, (something in between)and it is recognised all around the world (including Greece) why it is 20 dollars, because you do not have to go through those crap agencies that no one in Croatia goes, you just go to first harbour master office and ask them when they have next exam for "voditelj brodice B kategorije" or in English "Boat skipper (B)", they have also "A" and "C". "C" is sort of "RYA yacht master ocean", "A" is for boats less then 7 metres in local waters.

to take exam you will only need two small photos (driving licence size) and vhf/dsc radio operator’s certificate. if you already in possession of vhf/dsc radio operator’s certificate you will have to pay only for exam and licence and that will cost you all together 20 maybe 30 dollars and you have life long skipper licence.

[Stakaman]

Royalstar please lighting me with some info ..
Is that way you describe a way to make any existing sailing license valid in med? or is a way for anybody (who haven't any been to boat before ) to become Captain Hook ?

[royalstar]

Originally Posted by Stakaman

Royalstar please lighting me with some info ..
Is that way you describe a way to make any existing sailing license valid in med? or is a way for anybody (who haven't any been to boat before ) to become Captain Hook ?

You have to have experience at least 3 (THREE) years in "navigation" before taking exam for "B" licence, and you have to prove that. otherwise anyone could go to harbour master office and tell them that he is admiral of the fleet. for licence "C" you have to have at least 3 years in "navigation" as a skipper with licence "B" to take 7 day (obligatory) course plus medical exam to take exam for "C" licence and you can work commercially with that licence if you wish, it is renewed every 5 years.

there is plenty of harbour master offices in Croatia so send them e mail, something like "I would like to take test/exam for skipper B category", I am American or whatever you are and they will give yo information what and when you have to do.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by royalstar

You have to have experience at least 3 (THREE) years in "navigation" before taking exam for "B" licence, and you have to prove that. otherwise anyone could go to harbour master office and tell them that he is admiral of the fleet. for licence "C" you have to have at least 3 years in "navigation" as a skipper with licence "B" to take 7 day (obligatory) course plus medical exam to take exam for "C" licence and you can work commercially with that licence if you wish, it is renewed every 5 years.

there is plenty of harbour master offices in Croatia so send them e mail, something like "I would like to take test/exam for skipper B category", I am American or whatever you are and they will give yo information what and when you have to do.

Nothing is as simple as it first appears.. or as cheap..

[conachair]

Originally Posted by royalstar

Why you are taking ICC and other crap when you can go to Croatia and take "voditelj brodice B kategorije" that will cost you 20 dollars and you will get certificate equivalent to, let say, RYA coastal skipper and yacht master offshore, (something in between)and it is recognised all around the world (including Greece)

Interesting, which countries have you had the license accepted in?

And what medical cert did you use?

The link says exam fee of 905 Kn, which XE converts to Euro121, where are you changing money?

[royalstar]

Originally Posted by conachair

Interesting, which countries have you had the license accepted in?

And what medical cert did you use?

The link says exam fee of 905 Kn, which XE converts to Euro121, where are you changing money?

I have RYA Yachtmaster offshore so I did not took any exam in Croatia for any licence but I am very well informed about Croatian maritime licencing and certifications. I am not Croat but I speak good Croatian, (and Spanish and Italian)

You need medical cert because that is for "C", for "B" licence you do not need medical.

Medical test is test that normally you should take if going to work on foreign going vessels as a AB seaman or Mate or on commercial fishing vessels. (eye sight, hearing, color blindness) and that stuff.

Are you sure that it is 905 Kn for exam/test or that is included course.

For "B" licence you do not need to go to any course, as I said before just bring your VHF/DSC certificate proof of 3 years "navigation" to the harbour master office (on the day that they have exams) and take exam.

This is from 2016 and it say....


400 Kn for course

400 kn for exam

40Kn for "state tax"

2 photos (driving licence size)

Croatian ID or Passport (for foreigners)



Trajanje tečaja Voditelj brodice B kategorije: 6-8 sati
Uvjerenje o osposobljenosti za voditelj brodice B kategorije se izdaje bez vremenskog ograničenja.
Cijena priprema za ispit za Voditelja brodice B kategorije: 400,00 kn
Cijena ispita 440,00kn
Na pripreme je potrebno donijeti potvrdu o uplati izvršenoj u korist “Diverso Impex d.o.o.”
HR8425000091101040989
Na ispit za Voditelja brodice B kategorije je potrebno donijeti:
* potvrdu o uplati izvršenoj u korist “Državni proračun RH”
HR1210010051863000160
Model 65 Poziv na broj: provjeriti prema mjestu polaganja ispita!
*osobnu iskaznicu
*2 fotografije
*40,00 kn državnih biljega
Prijavite se na na e-mail*diverso@diversoimpex.hr*ili telefon 021 453 040.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by royalstar

Are you sure that it is 905 Kn for exam/test or that is included course.

Came from a google result..

Priprema za ispit Voditelja brodice B kategorije

- Government fees - abnormalities in the amount of 40 Kn
- the payment form in the amount of 440 kn Croatian citizens, foreign citizens 860 Kn
(these amounts are paid the Port Authority when confirming the application for examination)

[Polux]

I am almost catching my airplane to the boat but while checking out my insurance I come out over this:

"Excluded from the insurance are:
.....
2. Liability claims if, at the time of the event giving rise to liability, the vessel is a) operated by a person who does not possess the necessary license required by the relevant authorities, whereby the Insurer's duty towards the other insured persons continues if the Insured or owner had reasonable grounds to believe that the operator of the vessel had the relevant license or if an unauthorised person operated the vessel."

The relevant authorities seem to be the ones in what the boat is sailing, the rest i leave to you. I decided to post since it seems important to know specially for the ones that sail without a licence on countries that require one.

The company is Pantaenius but normally this exclusions are all alike between insurance companies.

[Epicurean]

The term “necessary” is interesting. If the law requires paper A, which few have, so the authorities wink at someone who presents B, as many here have said happens, which is necessary, B or only A? If they check you in and don’t ask for anything it seems to me that there aren’t any necessary papers. Perhaps Pantaenius could be asked to explain what they mean? And I didn't understand who "other insured persons" refers to.

[Stakaman]

About the same terms in my incurance also ...(tricky terms)
I call my incurance broker which Is close ftiend and ask him more info and the answer I get is that :my boat is register to me and my wife (I have rya yatch master and my wife has offshore sailing license from Greek authorities)and our license were approved from the incurance company for global coverage.. but he didn't know what kind of license requires a third person to nav my boat by him self..
There isn't also any paragraph in my policy for that occasion !!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Epicurean

The term “necessary” is interesting. If the law requires paper A, which few have, so the authorities wink at someone who presents B, as many here have said happens, which is necessary, B or only A? If they check you in and don’t ask for anything it seems to me that there aren’t any necessary papers. Perhaps Pantaenius could be asked to explain what they mean? And I didn't understand who "other insured persons" refers to.

I have some professional experience with insurance law.

What the Pantaenius policy language cited by Polux means is that the insurance will not cover damage caused when an unlicensed person was operating the vessel, unless the unlicensed operator was also unauthorized, or if the owner of the vessel had a reasonable belief that the person he allowed to operate the vessel had a license.

"Necessary", legally will mean the letter of the law, so if you have a license which is informally tolerated but which does not fulfill the letter of the law, and you have an accident, and the insurance company wants to deny the claim, they will have a pretty good basis upon which to do it.


It's good that Polux brought up insurance. It would really suck to be denied a claim because of not having the right license. My own insurance is with Pantaenius and I will re-read my policy. It's amazing how much there always is to learn.