The laws that govern boat operation are a bit lax in the UK. You don’t need a license to operate a boat or take it out recreationally which seems very odd given the amount of rules and regulations you have to abide by when driving cars or other vehicles on the road.
If you want to be able to handle a boat responsibly, though, there are a number of training courses that can be booked through the website of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). These cover everything from basic handling and boat safety to night-time manoeuvres and man overboard procedures in stages ranging from Beginner to Advanced in level. While it’s not compulsory to complete these courses, it’s much easier to get into difficulty at sea than it is on the roads, so you need to know what you’re doing at all times.
However, if you want to be able to handle a boat, whether it’s yours or a company rental, in another European country, you’ll have to apply for the RYA ICC license which will involve you passing a course in order to qualify through showing competency with regard to sailing. Once you have the license you’ll be able to operate on coastal and inland waters in most countries, and the RYA qualifications include the option of going on to complete the ICC course if you so wish, though you can also pursue it independently.
Even though it’s not a legal requirement, powerboat training is a more than worthwhile endeavour, especially if you haven’t ever owned or sailed a boat before – you probably don’t want to be the latest tenant of Davy Jones’s Locker, so learn as much as you possibly can before leaving the docks!
If you want to be able to handle a boat responsibly, though, there are a number of training courses that can be booked through the website of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). These cover everything from basic handling and boat safety to night-time manoeuvres and man overboard procedures in stages ranging from Beginner to Advanced in level. While it’s not compulsory to complete these courses, it’s much easier to get into difficulty at sea than it is on the roads, so you need to know what you’re doing at all times.
However, if you want to be able to handle a boat, whether it’s yours or a company rental, in another European country, you’ll have to apply for the RYA ICC license which will involve you passing a course in order to qualify through showing competency with regard to sailing. Once you have the license you’ll be able to operate on coastal and inland waters in most countries, and the RYA qualifications include the option of going on to complete the ICC course if you so wish, though you can also pursue it independently.
Even though it’s not a legal requirement, powerboat training is a more than worthwhile endeavour, especially if you haven’t ever owned or sailed a boat before – you probably don’t want to be the latest tenant of Davy Jones’s Locker, so learn as much as you possibly can before leaving the docks!
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