RYA Advanced - MCA Boat master

[MikeL]

Hello,

I have only been operating boats at work for the last 8 or so years and now getting back into RIBS for fun and commercial work away from my normal job.

I have a PB Advanced but not yet the commercial endorsement. I have been looking or a venue on the South coast to get a day or so with an instructor then onto the assessment.

I keep spotting MCA Boat Master on forum threads. Is this another course / qualification or an endorsement you apply for?

I am looking to operate large RIBs days and night and in bad weather within 20 miles of safe harbour etc..

Sorry if this is a stupid question!

[gjepson]

Originally Posted by MikeL

Hello,

I have only been operating boats at work for the last 8 or so years and now getting back into RIBS for fun and commercial work away from my normal job.

I have a PB Advanced but not yet the commercial endorsement. I have been looking or a venue on the South coast to get a day or so with an instructor then onto the assessment.

I keep spotting MCA Boat Master on forum threads. Is this another course / qualification or an endorsement you apply for?

I am looking to operate large RIBs days and night and in bad weather within 20 miles of safe harbour etc..

Sorry if this is a stupid question!

If im correct with my thinking

Boatmaster is a separate qualification.

Depending on when you did your advanced course, will determine whether you can comercially endorse your adv. PB cert. or whether you need to do the cert. of competence to then endorse. Youll need other bits to endorse medical, vhf, sea survival etc

Check the RYA site for specific and correct info

[MikeL]

I did my PBA back in 2009 and I have the other bits, first aid, sea survival, medical etc.. I am going to do the PBA commercial exam but do I then need to submit it all to the MCA to get this Boat Master qualification as well?

[gjepson]

Id find out if you need the boatmasters for what you want to do, then contact mca to find out whats involved. Not up to speed with boatmasters stuff. Use to have one, completely seperate to my rya stuff, just had a test on the boat i needed it for with an mca examiner

[Poly]

When you do the Professional Practices and Responsibilities course do the commercial requirements/rules not become clearer?

[Tim M]

Originally Posted by MikeL

I did my PBA back in 2009 and I have the other bits, first aid, sea survival, medical etc.. I am going to do the PBA commercial exam but do I then need to submit it all to the MCA to get this Boat Master qualification as well?

If you did the advanced course in 2009 then you do need to do the advanced exam (some years prior and you could apply for the commercial endorsement off the back of just the advanced course - no exam required).

You'll also need:
ML5 or ENG1 medical
Applicable first aid certificate (usually the RYA or STCW first aid)
RYA PPR exam pass certificate
VHF short range certificate
Sea survival certificate (also covered by STCW if you went down that route)

Once you've got all of those, plus your advanced exam certificate you send it all off to the RYA with the appropriate fee, passport photos and application form, and they'll send you back a commercially endorsed certificate.

Depending on your skill level you might want to look at doing the advanced course again, with the exam immediately after it. Most people do it this way so everything is fresh in their mind - particularly some of the more complicated elements of night navigation etc. That said, what you have suggested regarding getting some additional one on one training prior makes a lot of sense.

The MCA Boatmaster's licence is a totally different thing, designed for skippers of large passenger boats (class 4 and 5) - very popular on the Thames. There's no crossover with the RYA advanced course, and for the purpose of driving small boats (up to 24m) with 12 or less passengers onboard you don't need to worry about it

[Tim M]

Originally Posted by Poly

When you do the Professional Practices and Responsibilities course do the commercial requirements/rules not become clearer?

Have you done this course?

[MikeL]

Originally Posted by Tim M

Have you done this course?

Hi, yes. I have my level 2 endorsed. It's the jump upto pba I am looking at so.i can work at night.

[MikeL]

Originally Posted by Tim M

If you did the advanced course in 2009 then you do need to do the advanced exam (some years prior and you could apply for the commercial endorsement off the back of just the advanced course - no exam required).

You'll also need:
ML5 or ENG1 medical
Applicable first aid certificate (usually the RYA or STCW first aid)
RYA PPR exam pass certificate
VHF short range certificate
Sea survival certificate (also covered by STCW if you went down that route)

Once you've got all of those, plus your advanced exam certificate you send it all off to the RYA with the appropriate fee, passport photos and application form, and they'll send you back a commercially endorsed certificate.

Depending on your skill level you might want to look at doing the advanced course again, with the exam immediately after it. Most people do it this way so everything is fresh in their mind - particularly some of the more complicated elements of night navigation etc. That said, what you have suggested regarding getting some additional one on one training prior makes a lot of sense.

The MCA Boatmaster's licence is a totally different thing, designed for skippers of large passenger boats (class 4 and 5) - very popular on the Thames. There's no crossover with the RYA advanced course, and for the purpose of driving small boats (up to 24m) with 12 or less passengers onboard you don't need to worry about it

Thank, that makes sense. I was thinking of a days 1 to 1 then the exam but I will look at cost and it might be the same to just do the course again. I did the course in the solent last time which was great fun. Might look at somewhere different this time.

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by Poly

When you do the Professional Practices and Responsibilities course do the commercial requirements/rules not become clearer?

It certainly doesn't cover the Boatmaster side of Quals

[MikeL]

Originally Posted by Poly

When you do the Professional Practices and Responsibilities course do the commercial requirements/rules not become clearer?

Hi, it was a while ago but I don't remember anything the MCA Boatmaster - it was all RYA qualifications. I will dig out my book and check.

Tim M - thanks that was what I was after.

[isleofwight]

I passed my MCA Boatman's licence in 1983. I had to get a boat owner to want me to drive his boat and then, an MCA surveyer had a chat in an office with me and off I went.
Now with navigation not nessasary( chart plotters) Boats easy to drive( twin screw and bow thrust)
Collision avoidance easy ( radar and AIS). Weather forecast reliable and engines reliable, the whole thing is easy and yet getting a ticket to drive a boat for money is harder.. It's stupid!
Just a comment!!