UK commercial skipper quals

Coxswain · 04 May 2017, 17:27

I've been running RHIBS in Canada since 2002, and am thinking of looking for work as a skipper back in the UK. I've been doing SAR and wildlife tours over here, and I'm qualified by Transport Canada for boats under 5 tonnes with max 20 passengers up to 25 miles offshore. I'm unfamiliar with equivalencies in the UK though. I doubt there will be any automatic transfer of my Canadian quals (aside from the STCW stuff), so what courses/certs do I need to get to get similar work in the UK? And where do you get them?

Hf500 · 04 May 2017, 18:54

Probably the most comparable qualification would be an RYA advanced powerboat although you may need to up that depending on passenger numbers / boat size etc.
To do that commercially you need sea survival , a first aid qualification, vhf radio , a valid medical certificate , yacht master coastal theory knowledge before sitting your course and exam. You then need an RYA PPR certificate. Sounds a lot but you are probably there or there abouts already. Where in the uk are you considering ?

Hf500 · 04 May 2017, 18:55

There will be MCA equivalent qualifications such as boatmaster tickets but I'm not as familiar with them and I'm sure other members can advise

Coxswain · 04 May 2017, 19:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hf500

Probably the most comparable qualification would be an RYA advanced powerboat although you may need to up that depending on passenger numbers / boat size etc.
To do that commercially you need sea survival , a first aid qualification, vhf radio , a valid medical certificate , yacht master coastal theory knowledge before sitting your course and exam. You then need an RYA PPR certificate. Sounds a lot but you are probably there or there abouts already. Where in the uk are you considering ?

Open to ideas at the moment. Sounds like I have everything to take the RYA advanced course except for 'coastal theory'. I took a look at the RYA site though, and it says you need to bring your own boat. Makes the course a bit expensive doesn't it?

Hf500 · 04 May 2017, 19:19

If you go to a school that teaches it they will have a rib

Hf500 · 04 May 2017, 19:21

You can do theory online. You don't actually need the qualification , although it's often the best way , just that level of knowledge.

Coxswain · 04 May 2017, 19:38

Thanks for the info. Any recommendations on boat-owning course providers?

Hf500 · 04 May 2017, 19:49

Pm me

Hf500 · 04 May 2017, 19:50

Or chat by email hf500@hotmail.co.uk

Dauphin · 05 May 2017, 11:38

Send me a private message if you like. We run these courses in the most southerly (and therefore most sunny) part of the UK, and we run courses specifically for people looking to get their Advanced commercial ticket.

Dauphin · 05 May 2017, 11:40

Plus we run our courses on this, so it's always a good time

stevejprosser · 05 May 2017, 19:41

Ive just done the advanced power boat qualification
hopefully to gain some work with it.
very intense course with lots to absorb, wish i had done the Yacht master shore based course before doing the Advanced course.
2 of us did the exam about 8hrs for us both to do it, i passed the other guy failed with his lack of Nav experience, especially at night.

hobbit555 · 06 May 2017, 06:26

Over 12 passengers you will need a boat master licence.

https://www.gov.uk/boatmasters-licen...need-a-licence
Under 12 passengers you can go with Mca master 200gt
Most commercial operators are asking for this now

Alternatively you can go rya route advanced powerboat or yacht master. Yachtmaster is a pre requisite for master 200gt

Poly · 06 May 2017, 08:16

I suspect the biggest challenge in getting your experience up to the standard for the exam will be the bouyage being back to front.

Coxswain · 06 May 2017, 15:56

"I suspect the biggest challenge in getting your experience up to the standard for the exam will be the bouyage being back to front."

...funny, but that actually did make a difference when I came over to do some day training with the RNLI. I had to concentrate very hard about every red/green I saw out there :-) It's like switching from driving left/right. You're OK when there's traffic to remind you...

Coxswain · 06 May 2017, 16:02

[QUOTE=hobbit555;746497]Over 12 passengers you will need a boat master licence.

...isn't that just for inland waters and estuaries, up to 5 miles offshore?

Tim M · 17 May 2017, 20:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coxswain

I've been running RHIBS in Canada since 2002, and am thinking of looking for work as a skipper back in the UK. I've been doing SAR and wildlife tours over here, and I'm qualified by Transport Canada for boats under 5 tonnes with max 20 passengers up to 25 miles offshore. I'm unfamiliar with equivalencies in the UK though. I doubt there will be any automatic transfer of my Canadian quals (aside from the STCW stuff), so what courses/certs do I need to get to get similar work in the UK? And where do you get them?

You have your STCW, so I'm going to assume you also have an ENG1? Those take the place of the RYA First aid, sea survival and ML5 medical mentioned above.

As previously explained, your best bet in the UK would be to do an RYA Advanced powerboat exam. If you're already up to standard, you can simply do the exam (someone mentioned here 8 hours - I did it about 10 years ago and have forgotten but that sounds about right), if not, you'd probably want to do the Advanced course followed immediately by the exam to ensure a better chance of passing.

You would also need to be in possession of a VHF radio licence. The minimum qualification accepted by the RYA is the RYA Short Range Certificate (SRC) but there are others which are accepted, such as GMDSS etc - worth checking if what you've got might be sufficient.

Then its just a case of filling in the form and getting your certificate back from the RYA. That would allow you to drive a boat up to 24m LOA with up to 12 paying passengers up to 20 miles from a safe haven.

I don't know about Canada, but where I am currently based in Florida, there are quite a few RYA schools offering all of the above. You may therefore be able to get the ticket before you head across the Atlantic.

Coxswain · 20 May 2017, 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim M

You have your STCW, so I'm going to assume you also have an ENG1? Those take the place of the RYA First aid, sea survival and ML5 medical mentioned above.

As previously explained, your best bet in the UK would be to do an RYA Advanced powerboat exam. If you're already up to standard, you can simply do the exam (someone mentioned here 8 hours - I did it about 10 years ago and have forgotten but that sounds about right), if not, you'd probably want to do the Advanced course followed immediately by the exam to ensure a better chance of passing.

You would also need to be in possession of a VHF radio licence. The minimum qualification accepted by the RYA is the RYA Short Range Certificate (SRC) but there are others which are accepted, such as GMDSS etc - worth checking if what you've got might be sufficient.

Then its just a case of filling in the form and getting your certificate back from the RYA. That would allow you to drive a boat up to 24m LOA with up to 12 paying passengers up to 20 miles from a safe haven.

I don't know about Canada, but where I am currently based in Florida, there are quite a few RYA schools offering all of the above. You may therefore be able to get the ticket before you head across the Atlantic.

Thanks. I have a marine VHF qual and I have a Canadian Seafarer's Medical cert which I'm told is accepted in lieu of ENG1. I'll check out the RYA stuff.