Dear Martin,

Just been looking around your web site and I think it is very good, especially the Video's.
Having watched your video's and read other info on your site, and the fact that you are an RYA training centre I wonder if I could pick your brains regarding what my Wife and I are contemplating.

We are looking at buying a boat to live aboard (45-50 feet, second-hand), and are thinking of living around the Greek islands. We would like to offer private skippered charter for 2 people at a time, and also scuba diving. We both have RYA Dayskipper theory, I am booked on RYA Dayskipper practical in August, and can then get the ICC endorsement. I believe I would also need a commercial endorsement for chartered skipper?

We both have 4 years non-Tidal Riverboat experience, (single engine outdrive), and although we realise that the Med is total different to a river, we are both committed to emigrating to Greece to fulfil our dream and are prepared to take on the necessary training.

I would like to progress to the Ocean skipper level once we are comfortably settled in Greece.We would be grateful in the first instance for any words of wisdom you may be able to offer, and I would also be interested to know if you offer boat moving facilities (what would be your price?), within the Med, we don’t know as yet from where we might end up buying, but we would like to end up somewhere in Greece, Could we use the time moving a boat for me to progress to Ocean Skipper? We are going to look at 3 or 4 boats in Istanbul this week.

Thanking you in advance, Nigel Hughes.

Hello Nigel,

Thanks for your email; I am sorry that I have taken a couple of days to reply. Your plans are exciting and I see no reason why you should not be able to realise them having taken a series of steps. I will do my best to answer your questions and also straighten out some slight misconceptions that you have. Firstly the ICC is not an endorsement, it is a licence to skipper a boat that is valid anywhere in the world. As you quite rightly say the ICC can be issued to you once you have completed your Day Skipper practical course. You are quite right in saying that you need a commercial endorsement in order to do skippered charter, however a commercial endorsement can only be added to either a Yachtmaster Coastal or Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate, these qualifications must not be confused with either a Coastal Skipper Practical course completion certificate or a Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster theory certificate.

It is not necessary for you to think in terms of becoming 'Yachtmaster Ocean', the 'Ocean' endorsement can only be attached to a Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate, so you would need to become a 'Yachtmaster' first anyway. Prior to taking the Yachtmaster exam you would need to complete a Yachtmaster theory course. I will attach an article that I wrote recently for 'The Algarve Resident' about the Yachtmaster Exam. You will see from this article as to what the pre course requirements are for this exam. All you actually need to do skippered charter is the Yachtmaster Coastal Skipper Certificate of Competence with a commercial endorsement, the pre exam requirements are as follows: A VHF operators licence, a first aid certificate, 30 days at sea, 2 days as skipper, 800 miles and twelve night hours. If you have done an RYA Coastal Skipper course and have been awarded a course completion certificate the sea time requirement is reduced to 400 miles and twenty days living on board. The other requirements remain the same. Having got your Coastal Skipper Certificate you can get it endorsed with a commercial endorsement by completing a one-day 1st Aid course and a one-day sea survival course, details of the centres that are approved by the RYA for these two courses can be obtained by telephoning the RYA on 02380 604100 or by looking at their web site which is  www.rya.org.uk

Regarding my assistance in moving a boat with you within the Mediterranean, I can certainly help you by skippering the boat for you and would be able to give you some tuition en route. My fee for this would be 300 euros per day plus of course my travelling expenses which I would expect you to pay. The only certificate that I would be able to give you at the end of such a trip would be a non-tidal Coastal Skipper Practical Course completion certificate. In order for you to reach the required standard we would have to spend three days doing various exercises in addition to the actual delivery passage. Whilst I am an RYA examiner I would not be able to examine you for the RYA/MCA Coastal Skipper certificate, because I am not allowed to examine someone who I have sailed with or to whom I have given tuition. You would have to get another examiner to do that. There may well be an examiner living in Greece, which would save you a lot of money on examiners travelling expenses.You do need to bear in mind that a minimum of 50% of your mileage requirement should have been done in tidal waters.I hope that your search for a boat in Istanbul is going well. Please use me for any advice that you need, either email me or telephone me on 00 351 965 800702 at anytime.

Best wishes, Martin Northey.