Skippering

[tove]

Dear boat owners,

 

 

For the last few years I've been thinking about undertaking some sort of boat project as the craving to be on the water, which I'm sure many of you share, is overcoming all other considerations such as common sense and social acceptance.

I now fully intend to go through with this in the next year and a half.

However, up until now I have only really considered static houseboat or boat schemes. Now tales of cruises around the waterways of Europe and coastal areas of the UK are starting to get under my skin.

My question is this:

What sort of training qualifications would I need to say, motor around Europe? I tried googling but could only find narrow boat courses. As I already have 30 years of narrow boating experiencing and can practically make one jump through a hoop, I don't really want start here! I'm hoping that wielding a Dutch barge will be slightly similar just bigger, drier, with slower response times and more dire consequences.

Can someone point me in the right direction as I'm hoping to get this underway whilst I'm waiting to find the right boat.

I'm also living in Hampshire which I felt was probably a good place to find somewhere.

 

Your collective wisdom would be much appreciated.

Tove.

 

PS. If anyone out there has done this on a liveaboard I would so love to pick your brains!

[twbm]

You'll need an International Certificate of Competence for European waterways. Search 'CEVNI' for loads of options.

 

Edited to add: RYA at Hamble evidently do it on line now.

 

http://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/RYACevnitestgoesonline.aspx

Edited September 18, 2010 by twbm

[Guest]

You'll need an International Certificate of Competence for European waterways. Search 'CEVNI' for loads of options.

 

Edited to add: RYA at Hamble evidently do it on line now.

 

http://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/RYACevnitestgoesonline.aspx

 

Good idea but I wonder how they authenticate how the actual person is doing the certificate and you haven't just got Robin Knox Johnston doing it for you?? (and the sample test won't work with Google Chrome grrr)

[Neil TNC]

Good idea but I wonder how they authenticate how the actual person is doing the certificate and you haven't just got Robin Knox Johnston doing it for you?? (and the sample test won't work with Google Chrome grrr)

 

Do mean the new online CEVNI test, or the actual International Cerfificate of Competence (ICC) test?

I think anyone would be pretty dim to fail the CEVNI test, and as for the ICC, your "Certificate" (small laminated card) ends up with your piccy on it.

Again, certainly at Bisham Abbey, you would have to be pretty dim to fail the ICC. Mrs TNC did hers on their Dutch barge (of course she came top...as she noticed that the barge was hooked up on the lock side...while all the men were talking about boats!)....and she had never even been on a barge underway!

We also did out VHF DSC(and bar) a week later and both passed that....the trouble is, it don't help you with your French!

[Tam & Di]

You'll need an International Certificate of Competence for European waterways. Search 'CEVNI' for loads of options.

 

Edited to add: RYA at Hamble evidently do it on line now.

 

http://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/RYACevnitestgoesonline.aspx

 

Roy May at Bisham has one of the best UK schools, but on the Thames there are lock keepers to take your lines and you turn off your engine in locks, neither of which happen here in France. You also do not meet commercial craft of 2000 tonnes there. You need to do the barge handling training in situ - i.e. in France. The last time I looked at the on-line CEVNI test it included a couple of incorrect answers- it does not inspire confidence and certainly does not give the essential practical training. If you came over here before you buy your boat you will get a more informed idea of what sort of craft would best suit your requirements. Our site gives more info on what you need over here. I'm trying to avoid advertising, so the OP can send me a pm if there are specific points I can help with. I do unfortunately have crip internet reception where we are moored at the moment, but it works on and off.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Tam & Di

[Jim Jam]

have a look here http://www.cruisingschool.co.uk/home.htm can do the ICC, CEVMI and helms course

[Tam & Di]

have a look here http://www.cruisingschool.co.uk/home.htm can do the ICC, CEVMI and helms course

 

I don't know them, but I just had a look at their site. I'm sure their courses are excellent for handling craft on narrow canals, and they offer experience of the upper Severn. However they do seem to have the common problem of UK based RYA schools - they offer a test of the CEVNI rules (not CEVMI of course) which are the highway code for inland boating throughout the interconnected continental waterways, without sufficient experience of them to know what is right and what is wrong.

 

Knowledge of these rules is critical if you expect to cruise in company with the commercial shipping found in the north of France, Belgium, Holland etc. But their website gives 14 sample questions on the code, two of which are completely wrong - a speed limit sign gives alternatives of meaning 12 miles per hour or twelve knots, but somehow does not seem to know that in fact we use kilometres/hour over here. The other does not know the difference between a signal meaning there is immediate risk of collision and one which is a distress signal - hopefully not a situation one finds oneself in, but if you give the correct signal when collision threatens you will hopefully not then need to know the one for being in distress.

 

So how confident can you be that you will have the essential knowledge to keep yourself out of danger? Two narrowboats can play at dodgems without serious consequences, but you don't want to try that with even the smallest (39m x 350 ton) boat on continental canals and rivers.

 

 

I'm sure this topic would get a better airing under general boating though.

Edited September 22, 2010 by Tam & Di

[ditchcrawler]

Roy May at Bisham has one of the best UK schools, but on the Thames there are lock keepers to take your lines and you turn off your engine in locks, neither of which happen here in France. You also do not meet commercial craft of 2000 tonnes there. You need to do the barge handling training in situ - i.e. in France. The last time I looked at the on-line CEVNI test it included a couple of incorrect answers- it does not inspire confidence and certainly does not give the essential practical training. If you came over here before you buy your boat you will get a more informed idea of what sort of craft would best suit your requirements. Our site gives more info on what you need over here. I'm trying to avoid advertising, so the OP can send me a pm if there are specific points I can help with. I do unfortunately have crip internet reception where we are moored at the moment, but it works on and off.

Diana and I did three days with Tam and Di in France and it was great, so much so I would love to do it again. It really is the practical way to learn with people who have years of boating experience. I won't say a life time as I hope they both still have many years ahead of them.

[Boatgypsy]

Many years ago when I used to do voluntary work with homeless people, "Skippering" was the generally accepted term for sleeping rough!

 

I've often wondered where it came from.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Boatgypsy