Marcus Howarth

I need VHF license to go #sailing in Croatia – should have checked before I booked! Anyone offer a course in next few wks!? #RYA #course

— Marcus Howarth (@MarcusHowarth) February 26, 2014

Thank you Ofcom (and the Oban canoe club) – had my license within minutes – for free! 🙂

 Licences are FREE if done via the website: https://services.ofcom.org.uk/

Below shamelessly copied from http://www.obancanoeclub.org.uk/resources/8-sea-paddling-info/57-vhf-licensing-and-operating.html 

VHF Licensing and Operating

Researched by Rowland Woollven, January 2011

Background

I have done some research to clarify the position on ourselves and VHF licensing and operating. All of the technical detail can be found on the Ship Radio Licence part of the Ofcom website: http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radiocommunication-licences/ships-radio/?a=0

The site includes a lot of information and guidance. You may have to dot backwards and forwards, but the website is fairly user-friendly.

The Law

Licensing. The law is quite straightforward and unambiguous: your VHF set MUST be licensed (there are big penalties for failing to do this, and then getting caught.) Licences are FREE if done via the website: https://services.ofcom.org.uk/

(So, given that the process is free, relatively straightforward and gives you a T number (callsign for handheld VHF) and/or an MMSI number for a DSC set, it does not make a great deal of sense NOT to do it!). Note also that you do NOT have to hold a Certificate of Competence in order to obtain a Ship Portable Radio Licence.

Operating your VHF. The legal requirement here is perfectly straightforward and unambiguous (taken from http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/spectrum/ships-radio/of168a.pdf) :

13. Maritime Radio Operator’s Certificate

13.1 Whilst it is not necessary to hold a Certificate of Competence in order to obtain a Ship Radio Licence or a Ship Portable Radio Licence, a maritime radio may be operated only by or under the direct personal supervision of a holder of the appropriate Certificate of Competence and Authority to Operate (normally granted by the Secretary of State. This is to maintain operational standards and ensure knowledge of current distress, emergency and safety procedures. The certificate holder is required to produce these documents when requested to do so by a person authorised by Ofcom.

13.2 The minimum Certificate of Competence that is required for use of a ship radio is the Short Range Certificate. This certificate covers use of both standard VHF and VHF/DSC equipment under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System in sea area A1.

However, note also the exemption made under: http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/spectrum/ships-radio/of19a.pdf

4. Maritime Radio Operator’s Certificates

4.1 International legal requirement

Even if your radio is covered by a valid WT Act licence, you may not use it for general transmissions until:

• you have passed the relevant examination and possess a valid operator’s certificate and authority to operate; or
• you are under the direct and personal supervision of someone who has done so. (This requirement applies to all ports and marinas, as well as vessels, that use radio equipment with access to international maritime frequencies.) However, you can still monitor the radio for safety purposes or use it to summon assistance in a distress situation, without one. (My emphasis).

4.2 Why are operator’s certificates necessary?

As maritime radio exists primarily for the safety of life and vessels at sea, it must be used effectively. Operator’s qualifications have been agreed internationally to ensure that users:

• possess the necessary operational skills; and
• know the procedures for general calling, and especially the procedures used in distress or safety situations.

To obtain an operator’s certificate, you must prove that you:

• understand and can use the correct procedures for radio use; and
• will not cause a nuisance to your fellow radio users (including other vessels and HM Coastguard).

You must also show that you are familiar with the procedures required if you have to use your radio in an emergency situation. If you need to send, respond to or relay a ‘MAYDAY’, you will be able to do so effectively – this could save someone’s life.

Reality

Reflecting all the above:

a. You MUST licence your radio. Go to the website now! https://services.ofcom.org.uk/

b. You OUGHT to obtain your Short Range Certificate to operate it – but you are completely within the law to operate your VHF for distress and life-saving purposes with no training or certification whatsoever.

c. If you decide to operate under the legal exemption above, bear in mind that knowledge of the phonetic alphabet and the procedures for Mayday and Pan Pan calls may save YOUR life; so at the very least, buy a book and learn them! Also bear in mind that using the ship-to-ship channels for inter-group chat, or contacting the Coastguard for anything outside a Mayday/Pan Pan, is unlawful.

The reality is that the Coastguard would much rather hear from you than about you – so don’t be afraid to use your VHF when you need to. Ofcom do carry out inspections in marinas and similar locations, but their interest and emphasis is on licensing, not certification – so go to the website now and licence your radio! https://services.ofcom.org.uk

The RYA

The RYA are the nominated competent authority for delivering Short Range Certificate training and assessment to ‘the public’. Charges have two components: the training/assessment course fee (set by the organisation doing the training under the auspices of the RYA), and the RYA administration fee (which at £30 you may consider a lot to turn a results sheet into a certificate!). Course providers have no latitude over the administration fee, so it is worth checking to see if any stated ‘course cost’ actually includes the fee, or whether it is an additional cost…

Rowland Woollven

25 Jan 11

In August this year we headed to the Cyclades where we picked up Virgin Gorda II (A Bavaria 42) in Mykonos for a week.

Whereas last year we were complaining of not enough wind, this year we discovered the Meltemi and sometimes felt we had too much!

The log (approximate wind & distances)

View Sailing 2013 in a larger map

Mykonos : North harbour We arrived in the afternoon and eventually found the charter contact and then the boat. It was still being turned around and ready at 5pm. The handovers and waivers etc took a while once onboard too, giving the kids a chance to check the steering. So with the sun going down we were here for the night. Across the road a restaurant beckoned.

Mykonos to South Naxos next morning keen to make some progress we set off after breakfast. In the harbour we were getting gusts of 25kn, I’ve had smoother departures, but we only had to push off the neighbouring boat a little bit as I got to grips with how much the boat could be blown off course!

The passage south from Mykonos made us wonder what the rest of the week had in store. 4-5 metre waves had our 12 metre yacht pitching back and forth. With the wind almost directly behind us I didn’t want to risk an unexpected jibe so running just the Jenny and motor we managed about 10-12 knots. This got us right down between Paros and Naxos where we hugged the coast in the lee of Naxos.

Seeing the anchorage on the charts we hoped for a taverna, we were not disappointed! And once we had put the anchor down the wind calmed enough for 3 adults and 2 children to feel confident enough to take the small inflatable tender to the beach we headed up for a well deserved beer.

Next morning there was barely a breeze. In Andy’s words “It’s an idyllic beach where your footprints disappear in the sand” – (or something like that, will update once he reads this and corrects me!)

Swimming off the boat, enjoying the beach, and again a trip up to the Taverna for lunch, we met a Greek family having a BBQ, watermelons keeping cool in rock pools.

Later in the afternoon however the wind started to pick up, even close to the shore in the anchorage. It was time for a little excitement as the wind caught the tender capsizing it, I saw the aluminium oar sinking and the wooden seat floating away. Not sure what Andy thought at first when I thrust the euros I had into his hand, but after diving in, I was passing back oars, seat, and trying to right the dinghy again. The outboard needless to say was not wanting to start after that and we were stuck on the boat unless we wanted to risk rowing and potentially being blown out to sea! It was pasta for dinner on the boat.

Irakleia

With others still sleeping below I brewed a coffee, lifted anchor and set the autopilot, we were heading due south in the lee of Naxos.

This started to feel like we were island hopping now. It didn’t take long to make the crossing, there was next to no wind so just motored at 2,000 rpm / 6-7 knots we were across in just over an hour.

The harbour in Irakleia had an excellent beach, a few cafes, market stores and restaurants.

Talking to a couple over brunch it turned out they had spent the whole summer here as they were both teachers, I started to worry about my crew abandoning ship and staying here! 

The children both managed to swim unassisted from the beach back to our boat (moored on the quay, left). It must have been 200m, and the salt water would have helped, but very impressed as Iris had never done anything like that in a pool at home.

Koufonisia

After some lunch we headed East…

…between the islands it got a bit choppy,

Until we found the marina. They even had an ATM on this island. For about €20 the boat was sheltered, water tanks filled and 240V electrics consumed. A lot of boats moored off from the beach, but without a working outboard (I now had a nice blister from trying) that wasn’t an option for us.

Next morning we set off West again

This was some of the best sailing of the whole holiday. With a good wind for the crossing between Naxos and Paros even the engine got a break. Plus I tested the outboard again (now on the stern of the yacht) and it fired up 🙂

It was on approach to Antiparos that 3 dolphins came jumping out of the water and diving through waves as they sped towards the boat. Of course no camera was at hand and everyone else was down below, so all I could do was shout “Dolphins!!“.

Antiparos

The anchorage was just around these out crops of rock.

We got there with plenty of time to drop anchor, take the tender in to the taverna for lunch, sample the fish (left), swim off the beach and then see another sunset from the boat before heading back for an evening meal (below).

Next morning we set off early to get as many miles in before the wind picked up. We did have sail up for half an hour before coming round the SW tip of Antiparos, but it came down pretty quickly as we turned the corner.

North Paros

We hugged the coast heading North East aiming for the harbour and anchorage, unfortunately this was pretty much straight into the wind and I (and the crew) weren’t up for an entire day tacking close hauled out into the open water. The coastline was rugged with rocks eroded by the seemingly constant elements.

After about five and a half hours motoring into the wind and waves we saw the light house on the hill to the West of the bay. Inside the bay we found anchorages all around, speed boats towing banana rides, Naousa harbour, and a sports resort that didn’t sell any food in the evening. They were happy however to sell us some beer while a cinema club watched something dubbed in Greek. Pasta for dinner on the boat tonight!

Back to Mykonos

Next morning, early start, keen to get the miles in and yet again having to plough on through the waves going directly into the wind. It was good to get the final leg back to Mykonos out of the way…

…then we had the chance to relax anchored off Platis Gialos beach. With tender tied up by a Greek fishing boat on the quay. We ate lunch and then had table service on sun loungers in front of the restaurant all afternoon.

Next day, back for 9am, then waiting for the diesel truck to come to us (we used 87 litres in the end), here we are unpacked and ready for the handover, next stop: our apartments on dry land!

Skipper and First mate enjoy well deserved beverage 😉