| Spanish Qualifications & Professional Skipper Training |
LICENSING FOR SKIPPERS IN THE CANARIES
Following a recent meeting with the Maritime Authoritries in Santa Cruz, it is confirmed that the ICC will will continue to be accepted by the Spanish Authorities for Skippers of Spanish Registered vessels where an authorization by the Capitania Maritima is provided. The ICC will apparently restrict the user to within 3 miles of the Coast.
If you have a need to go further than 3 miles, want a Professional Boating Qualification or would just like to obtain a Spanish Qualification, the P.E.R. is the place to start. Courses are three hours, one evening a week for 10 weeks plus a practical element.
Academia Nautica del Sur have put together a course programme aimed at assisting Boat Owners obtain the Spanish Licence. Training will be in English or German and coaching will be given to prepare the candidate to take the relevant Examination in Spanish.
Evening Classes are held in our Classroom in Puerto Colon
For the Course Programme: Click Here
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COURSES FOR PROFESSIONAL SKIPPERS
NEW COMMERCIAL QUALIFICATION
PATRÓN PROFESIONAL DE EMBARCACIÓN RECREO
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Holds Title "CAPITAN DE YATE"
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Has completed STCW 95 Basic Week & Has Radio Licence
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Has completed 5O Days at Sea, 2500 Miles, with 5 Passages over 60 Miles
There are only two Spanish qualifications that should reasonably be considered by those wanting a Professional Qualification to run a small commercial vessel, whichever is chosen, there is also the requirment to complete the STCW 95 Basic Week or "Formacion Basica":
Patron Portuario (Local Boatman of the Port)
This qualification takes about three months to obtain, following which you are required to serve aboard a commercial vessel for a year, six months in the engine department and six months on the bridge. Only then do you obtain your full certificate. You are then qualified to Skipper a vessel with up to 150 passengers, three miles from land.
Patron Profesional de Embarcacion Recreo (Professional Skipper of a Pleasure Craft)
This qualification allows you to take up to 12 persons (including crew) on a vessel up to 24m in length, in the area covered by your Navigation Certificate. This is probably the most useful qualification and could be obtained in about 9 months with our Fast Track Program. See the article below written by our Principal, John Williams.
For further details call Barbara: 922 85 76 11 or 699 987 405
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SO YOU WANT TO BE A PROFESSIONAL SKIPPER?
A layman’s guide to the Spanish system and how to become a Professional Skipper of a Recreational Yacht, by John Williams, the Principal of Club Sail Sea School based in Los Gigantes Marina.
Here at Club Sail Sea School we are frequently contacted by Skippers or would be Skippers of recreational boats complaining of the unfairness of the Spanish system when it comes to them driving a small boat commercially. When we ask them about their qualifications we often find that the qualifications held would not allow them Skipper a commercial vessel in the UK, where we have had a Small Commercial Vessel Certificate for many years. It should therefore come as no surprise that the Spanish authorities do not allow Skippers to take out clients when perhaps they only have very basic training on a boat.
A professional Skipper is responsible for the safety of those on board his boat, which must be properly registered as a commercial vessel, carry the correct equipment and have commercial vessel insurance. The Skipper must know how to deal with any emergency that may arise, be it a problem on the boat or a medical emergency. It therefore follows that Professional Skippers are highly trained on the type of vessel, have undergone training in first aid, sea survival and the operation of the equipment on board the vessel and are experienced professional Skippers.
Some individuals seem to believe that using a 7a Private vessel for commerce “is quite alright”, well it’s not. It would not be acceptable in the UK where the rules governing use of vessels are very similar to here. Apart from being illegal, the clients on board would almost certainly not be insured. Insurance for commercial List 6a vessels costs more and normally includes Public Liability insurance. So many times I hear the old chestnut “I only take friends out” or similar excuses for not complying with local laws. The same phrases were used in the UK when the Small Commercial Vessel Certificate was introduced in the early 90s. If you take money from someone who goes out on your boat, even if you say it is for fuel, it may be construed that it is a commercial venture. Of course if you are not stopped by the Guardia Civil, or the trip is uneventful, you may get away it. But what if someone on board has a medical emergency, probably the Guardia will attend in order to check documentation and to gather information for their report. It’s not worth the risk, if you operate commercially, your boat must have List 6a commercial registration, and it’s a simple process which only takes a few weeks. Our licensing and registration department can assist you with this.
Once you have your List 6a commercial vessel, whether it be a Dive RIB, Sailing Yacht for Charter or Excursions or Fishing Boat, the next consideration is the boat’s equipment. There is now a new Navigation Certificate issued by the authorities, rather than the old system which relied on Zones of Navigation, the new certificates are in accordance with the CE Category for the vessel. Therefore if your boat is CE Category “B” the vessel is permitted to go a maximum of 60 miles offshore, however, the amount and type of equipment to be carried depends on the distance offshore that you will be operating. The onus for having the correct equipment is now placed firmly on the shoulders of the Skipper.
The final consideration is the Skipper of the commercial vessel and as you would expect, he needs to be highly trained, after all, would you be happy going on a commercial flight knowing the pilot had only undergone a two day basic course in a glider, of course not. There are a number of ways in which you can become commercially licensed but most require that you speak Spanish and attend long courses as well as qualify with sea time. The Spanish authorities have introduced a certificate which in many ways is similar to the requirements for a Small Commercial Vessel Code in the UK. It is called the “Professional Skipper of Recreational Yachts”. This commercial qualification allows a Skipper to take a maximum of 12 persons on board, including the crew in the area covered by his Navigation Certificate.
The Professional Skipper of Recreational Yachts Certificate can be obtained if you have the Spanish “Capitan de Yate” Certificate and have obtained the STWC 95 basic certificate in Fire Fighting, Sea Survival, Social Responsibilities and First Aid, you must also hold an internationally recognised VHF Short Range Certificate. The sea time requirement is 2500 miles and 5 passages over 60 miles during which you must have acted as Skipper for more than 48 hours. This is very similar to the requirements for RYA Yachtmaster. The Capitan de Yate Certificate is equivalent to RYA Yachtmaster Ocean.
There is no short cut, if you want to be a professional Skipper you need to learn the theory, do the courses and the sea time. It takes most students about two years to reach Yachtmaster, however, Fast Track programs can reduce this to a number of months. Here at Club Sail we are currently arranging Fast Track and progressive learning programs specifically for local residents who wish to become Professional Yacht Skippers. This can either be sailing or motor cruising and the starting point can be absolute novice or quite experienced. There will be plenty of sea time including ocean passages to complete the requirements in as short a time as possible.
For further information on becoming a Professional Skipper or other services offered by Club Sail:
Contact Barbara on 922 85 76 11 or 699 987 405
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