Training

GOING FOREIGN AND NEED A TICKET?

Whether taking your own yacht out of British waters and to another country or whether going on holiday and seeking to charter, our increasingly bureaucratic world appears to tighten its grip every year. \Most countries now require some form of certification from the skipper of a yacht sailing or seeking to charter in their waters.

The internationally accepted British document is the International Certificate of Competence, issued by the RYA. Holders of any of the RYA Yachtmaster certificates from Coastal Skipper up can obtain an ICC simply by applying to the RYA. The Application form is here.

Competent skippers not holding an RYA certificate can obtain an ICC by direct examination, then send the completed test certificate duly signed by an RYA-appointed examiner to the RYA in lieu of their RYA Cetificate of Competence.

The test itself is straightforward and involves some simple boat handling exercises under both sail and power, and some navigation and IRPCAS theory questions. The test format and syllabus are on the application form.

The ICC

Send an email via this link to the CSO if you would like to do the test.

THAMES FIVE

We plan on running some RIB courses using Thames Five, and in particular are keen to widen the pool of members qualified not just to drive T5 but to take command of her for course-laying for our events. The skills required, in addition to merely driving, are a knowledge of basic navigation and how to set tidal offsets; how to run the GPS and Yeoman plotter; how to rig, lay and recover anchored marks in varying depths of water and sea states; how our own systems are set-up, worked and maintained. Click here for more information. You don't need to be a gorilla (the hydraulic winch takes care of the grunt) but you do need to be a good and sensible seaman (of any gender).

Send an email to the CSO via this link if you would like to become involved in running Thames Five.