International Certificate of Competence Courses for skippering a Motor Cruiser of up to 24 meters in length
To see a google map showing the location of the Iberian Sea School's classroom at Olhos de Agua near Vilamoura click here
More detailed directions to find the classroom will be sent to you when you have booked a course
Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see details of the ICC syllabus and test
It is now necessary for British owners of Yachts, Motor Cruisers, Power Boats and Jet Skiis in Portugal & Spain to have a licence to operate their vessel. Marine Police in both countries are fining owners who do not have such a licence. The Iberian Sea School is authorised by the RYA to issue International Certificates of Competence for skippering Yachts, Motor Cruisers and Power Boats.
ICC certificates until very recently could only be issued to either British people or people who are resident in Britain, evidence of residence in the form of a fotocopy of an electricity bill or similar is required by the RYA. HOWEVER new rules from March 2011 state that citizens of non UNEC countries plus citizens of the US and Canada do now qualify to have an ICC.
For information on training and testing please email me, you will find the ICC syllabus at the bottom of this page in blue. Please note: All skippers of sailing and motor boats in Portugal and Spain are now required to have an ICC.
For information on ICC training and testing for sail cruising click here
To the right is a slide show of four clients who did an ICC Motor Cruising course with me in November 2011, one of the photographs shows us having lunch at a restaurant in Alvor. For people intending to skipper a motor cruiser of 10 metres or more and up to 24 metres in length I offer a five day course, the first day of which is spent studying theory in my classroom at Olhos de Agua near Vilamoura, There is a Raymarine C70 chart plotter in the classroom which clients can use for learning how to use a GPS chart plotter. The next four days practical boat handling in a marina and navigation at sea. The ICC Test will take the form of continuous assessment throughout the course. If you have completed an RYA theory course in the last 3 years then it is only necessary to do the 4 practical days of this 5 day course. If someone only wants to be tested and they do not require tuition, the exam will take half a day. In addition to my fee for conducting the test there is an RYA test fee of £40 which can be paid by credit card or by cheque made out to 'The Royal Yachting Association'. It is also necessary for candidates to supply a passport size photograph. |
|
Courses can be taken either on your own boat, or on a vessel supplied by The Iberian Sea School
4 & 5 DAY COURSES FOR SKIPPERING A MOTOR BOAT UP TO 24 METERS IN LENGTH
For four / five day courses on which I have a maximum of four people I use Lady Amber a Cranchi Endurance 41 based at Lagos Marina.
On these courses you will almost definately visit places described in the following articles: For general information on places that we will visit in the Algarve click here, and to see my article specifically on the Guadiana river by clicking here. Whilst it may not be possible to go as far as the Guadiana, we will definately go to Alvor, to read my article on Alvor click here. We will almost definately go to Ria Formosa, to read my article on Ria Formosa click here. Lunch will be provided by the school in a restaurant everyday except possibly one when we will do a long passage along the coast to Faro and have filled baguettes provided by the Oasis Café in Lagos.
Please note: If you have done an RYA theory course at any time over the last 3 years, then you will only need to do the four practical days of these 5 day courses.
The Iberian Sea School uses Lady Amber, a Cranchi Endurance 41 based at Lagos Marina for 4 / 5 day ICC courses. Lady Amber can also be chartered by the day or week, for more information go to http://www.all-boat-trips.com
Dates for 4 / 5 day courses in 2012: May 14th to 18th, 21st to 25th, May 28th to June 1st, June 4th to 8th, 11th to 15th, 18th to 22nd, 25th to 29th, July 2nd to 6th, 9th to 13th, 23rd to 27th, July 30th to August 3rd, August 6th to 10th, 13th to 17th, 20th to 24th, 27th to 31st.
I have a maximum of 4 people on these courses & when a course is fully booked the dates relevant to that course above will be deleted.
For a course on your own boat please email or telephone me to find out my availability
I am also available for ICC instruction and testing in your own boat
Please email or telephone me to arrange a course in your own boat
Below are some examples of courses that I have done with clients in their own boats
A 5 day ICC course on a Motor Cruiser of more than 10 metres with a client and his son on their own boat at Torrevieja in Spain.
In the photographs to the left we were practising lassooing a bollard on the quay, then motoring very slowly astern to tighten the rope, then with the starboard engine still in slow astern swinging the boat on to the quay where came to rest alongside the quay. This extremely useful technique should not be attempted without having had instruction.
A 5 day ICC course on a brand new Sunseeker Manhattan 50 from Vilamoura Marina in April 2007 with Michael and Catherine Guerin. 
This was a very enjoyable week with Michael and Catherine Guerin in their new boat. The first day consisted entirely of theory in my classroom at Olhos de Agua. The next day we spent the day in Vilamoura Marina practising berthing the boat, driving her astern (backwards) and turning around in a confined space. The third day we did a passage to Ria Formosa (15 miles to the east of Vilamoura) and were joined by Clair, Emma and Sarah who can be seen in the photograph to the right assisting with our pilotage up to Olhão and Faro. Michael's mother and father Mary and John were also on board for this day, but were below in the salooon during our pilotage. We had an excellent lunch of sandwiches whilst at anchor off Ilha Deserta and then returned to Vilamoura. On the fourth day we did more marina boat handling plus a passage down to Albufeira and back and finally on the fifth day a passage down to Portimão with some pilotage up to the town and then back to Vilamoura. Following an excellent Italian lunch in a restaurant in the marina, we completed the course with some intensive marina boat handling exercises the last one of which involved dropping me off on a pontoon so that I could take photographs and then returning to pick me up, as can be seen in the photograph below & to the right.
Since completing the course I have received an email from Michael in which he wrote "We really enjoyed the course and look forward to improving our skills over the summer months. Thank you for giving us such a great start and helping to build the confidence which should lead to many happy and safe hours cruising on the Algarve."
So we bought this shiny Cranchi.
With its gleaming chrome and leather.
And we filled it up with diesel,
And waited for good weather.
So then you seek an expert.
One who knows each trick and rule.
And one name, it kept recurring….
The Iberian Sea School!
He starts you in the classroom.
With a load of stuff to do.
Are tides “neaps” or “springs” you wonder,
And is that compass bearing true?
There are bowlines, there are bowsprings,
There’s a cleat, and clove hitch too.
There are flares and there are fenders,
There are flags of white and blue!
There are buoys and there are black balls.
There is anchor chain and rope.
And there’s how to check position…..
it’s all now within our scope!
And whilst much of it’s important,
And there is merit to each bit,
With his humour and his patience,
He makes sense of all of it.
Our first turns amongst the moorings,
Were not in whole devoid of fear!
And we had to learn quite quickly,
When we’re “in” or “out” of gear!
And I guess like many couples,
I was cocky , she was scared!
But it took her just an hour,
To do spins I’d not have dared!
And at times we lacked in judgement,
And got our knickers in a tizz,
But despite his swift instructions,
He still claimed the fault was his!
I’m not sure about my colleagues,
Who say “a bigger boat’s the game”.
‘Cos the diesel pump attendant,
Already uses my first name!
So now we’re proud and confident,
To use the expertise he gave.
And we can join the scores of boaters,
Who all greet him with a wave!
John & Julia, Bumbelady, Albufeira, June 2006.
International Certificate of Competence - Syllabus
Regulations
Should know responsibility for keeping a proper lookout.
Should be able to determine a 'safe speed'.
Can recognise a potential collision situation.
Can identify 'give way' vessel in a collision situation.
Should know what action to take as 'give way' and 'stand on' vessel.
Should know responsibility for a small vessel in a narrow channel.
Can recognise manoeuvring signals (1,2,3 & 5 short blasts).
Can make and recognise visual distress signals.
Should know rules relating to Traffic Separation Schemes.
Knows requirements for navigation lights and shapes to be displayed by own vessel.
Should be able to recognise the following from lights : - Power driven vessel, sailing vessel, vessel at anchor, tug and tow, fishing vessel, dredger.
Should know sound signals to be made by vessels.
Safety
Is able to use and instruct crew in the use of Lifejackets, Distress Flares, and Fire Extinguishers.
Can prepare a boat for use and take sensible precautions before setting out, including : - Engine checks, check fuel for range / duration of the trip, obtain a weather forecast.
Pilotage
Can recognise, by day and night, and understand significance of buoys of the IALA system.
Knows sources of information on : - local regulations, port entry and departure signals, VTS and Port Operations Radio.
Can plan a harbour entry / departure, taking into account possible presence of large vessels and avoiding navigational hazards.
Navigation (Chart & Plotting Instruments required).
Should be able to interpret a navigational chart, understand significance of charted depths, drying heights and can identify charted hazards.
Can plot by cross bearings and by Lat / Long.
Can determine a magnetic course to steer, making allowances for leeway and tidal stream.
Can use a tide table to find times and heights of high and low water at a standard port.
Can determine direction and rate of tidal stream from a tidal stream atlas or tidal diamonds on chart.
International Certificate of Competence - Test
CANDIDATES WILL BE TESTED ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THE NAVIGATION, PILOTAGE, SAFETY & COLLISION REGULATIONS AS SHOWN IN THE SYLLABUS ABOVE AND ON ALL THE MORE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF SEAMANSHIP COVERED AS FOLLOWS BELOW.
Give safety briefing including use of safety equipment.
Should have listened to weather forecast.
Should carry out pre start engine checks.
Start engine.
Check cooling.
Should know fuel range
Depart from Pontoon
Should understand use of Springs to depart from lee wall / pontoon.
Should have good communication with crew.
Fenders should be positioned correctly
Should be able to carry out 360º turn under engine in a confined space.
Securing to a buoy
Communicate effectively with the crew, prepare warps, choose correct angle of approach, control speed of approach, secure boat effectively, and depart from mooring safely.
Man Overboard.
Observe man overboard or instruct crew to do so, demonstrate correct direction and speed of approach, and make suitable contact with MOB.
Coming alongside pontoon.
Effective communication with crew, show awareness of other water users, prepare warps & fenders, choose correct angle of approach, control speed of approach, stop boat in place required and secure to pontoon, stop engine.
It is recommended that if candidates are not completely familiar with all of the above syllabus that they purchase 'The Skipper's Pocketbook by Basil Mosenthal and published by Fernhurst Books, it is also available from Amazon and Windward Marine. This one I strongly recommend as a book that will always be useful as it has in it everything you need to know all the way up to and including Yachtmaster standard. It should be available at any chandlery in Britain. Alternatively you can buy it through Amazon, or Windward Marine Ltd. Web Site: www.windward-marine.com Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by telephone on 0845 1300710 or by fax on 0845 1300720. I can supply copies of this publication at 15 euros each.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
