From 1st January 2005 there has been a change to the way in which ICCs for powered craft will be endorsed. All ICCs issued before January 1st 2005 are valid for either sail or powered craft up to 24m. However, from 2005 the powered craft category was split into two, this involves one certificate for up to 10m and another up to 24m.
ICCs issued from January 1st 2005 are being endorsed according to the applicant’s evidence of competence presented with the application form, for example:
- If a Powerboat Level 2 certificate is submitted with the application, the ICC will be valid for powered craft up to 10m.
- If a Day Skipper certificate is submitted with the application, the ICC will be valid for powered craft up to 24m.
- If a direct assessment is run, the length of the boat used for the assessment will determine which category of ICC is issued.
Anyone applying for an ICC for sailing craft will receive an ICC valid for sailing craft up to 24m and powered craft up to 10m, thus enabling the applicant to use their powered tender.
There is a fee payable to ‘The Royal Yachting Association’ to cover their administrative costs in issuing each ICC, currently 38 pounds payable by British cheque or if the application is made through The Iberian Sea School, by credit card.
The problem of counterfeit ICCs
The ICC is valid for just 5 years and it is necessary to renew it before the expiry date. The reason for a validity period of just 5 years is an attempt to reduce the problem of counterfeit ICCs which became endemic in Majorca a couple of years ago, where there was a Sailing School dubbed by the RYA ‘The Arthur Daly School of Yachting’ who for a substantial fee and a ‘test’ over a drink in a bar would issue an ‘ICC Certificate’. The perpetrators of this scam are still serving prison sentences!
Even in Portugal I have been offered a substantial sum in return for handing over 6 stamped and signed ICC application forms. This offer was made to me by a ‘lawyer’ from Gibraltar on behalf of some Spanish friends! Whilst the offer was substantial it was not anywhere near sufficient to compensate me for the prison sentence I would certainly have served and for the loss of my income for the rest of my working life which would have occurred as a result of the RYA taking away my qualifications and their recognition of my sea school.
The ‘dodgy’ lawyer was unwise enough to give me his business card which I sent to the RYA investigations branch.
An ICC is a legal requirement in Portugal
It is a requirement for everyone in Portugal to have a ‘licence’ to skipper either a Yacht or Motor Boat. The Portuguese system involves having to take evening classes twice a week for between one month and four months depending on the level that you are taking. For more information see the ‘Questions’ page of my web site. It is essential to understand and speak good Portuguese for these courses. The Portuguese licences only allow the holder to navigate within a certain distance of the coast, with the exception of their highest qualification ‘Patrao de Alto Mar’ which allows the holder to go anywhere.
The ‘ICC’ is a licence for ‘Coastal Waters’, it can only be given to British people or people who are resident in Britain. As a British person or resident there is no requirement in British law to have a licence to skipper a boat, therefore the ICC covers the holder for the coastal waters of any country and if you should be outside the coastal waters of a country you are therefore in International Water for which as a British person or British resident you are not required to have a licence. You are therefore effectively allowed to Skipper a vessel anywhere with an ‘ICC’.
Changes made to the ICC in March 2011
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. Please note: All skippers of sailing and motor boats in Europe are now required to have an ICC.
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