RYA Level 2 for launching on Wirral beaches

fish_tank · 24 March 2012, 21:41

Hi
I was wondering if anyone on this forum could help me.

To launch boats on the Wirral using the launch ways you need a council permit and to gain this permit you need RYA level 2 powerboat.

Would you need to have this permit if you were launching a 2.6m SIB with a 4hp motor from the beach? I have insurance, VHF radio, GPS, life jacket etc and am quite aware of the tides and safety aspects needed when going out, to be fair I wouldnt be going that far out anyway (just fancy doing a bit of fishing a few hundred yards from shore) Would probably be going out around the Leasowe Bay, Meols, West Kirby area.

I dont really fancy spending the £200 on the course to gain the permit if I dont really need it, but then again I dont wont to get pulled by someone for not having it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

thestig1973 · 24 March 2012, 21:49

I think you need this to gain access to the slipway, I also want to launch from the same area but like you don't have pb2 certificate

Poly · 24 March 2012, 21:58

I don't know anything about the local rules in the wirral and of course the council can impose whatever rules they want on land/slipways that they own. I'd have thought they were most interested in protecting people close to the shore so the fact you aren't going far will be of little interest.

If you already have all the background knowledge and skills needed for pb2 you can do a direct assessment (half day?) Which should be significantly cheaper. Of course you need to be good enough to pass without extra training!

shaunholland · 24 March 2012, 22:00

evening all, it might be worth while looking at details again, council run slipways offer a discount if you have a pb2, with regards to launching a 2.6 with a 4hp i beleave you only pay for launching with anything over 9.9hp ?

Andynw · 25 March 2012, 23:23

The Wirral require slipways need RYA level 2 to launch are apparently managed by subcontractors, Safewater Training, who can offer a full range of power boat proficence courses.

Seems a cosy agreement. I have used Moels of of season, had my first outing of the year today. Flat calm and blue skys.

Three days training before you can use the slip seems excessive, North and Mid Wales public slipways need registrations but no qualifications.

Cant bleive all the day fishing boats that use New Brighton all have the quals.

bingosucks · 26 March 2012, 00:16

i wouldn`t divulge that you have a vhf radio ,a mobile phone should be sufficient though i wouldn`t care about any licences if i needed to use one in an emergency.. an anchor and a coupla life jackets may be more sensible that close to shore

Boats&Outboards · 26 March 2012, 09:21

Sounds like your not the only one in the area who may need the PBL2. Why not post on Ribnet and try to get a group together to take the course at the same time. It may get you a further discount on a group booking, especially if as Polwart says its for the half day option with no additional training.

It's not just about getting the permit. You'll get discount on some insurance which may well come in handy if you decide to upgrade

Trailer Guy · 26 March 2012, 10:43

my old man runs a school - may be worth comparing prices?:

North Wales Power and Sail - North Wales Power and Sail

all the best

sarge · 03 April 2012, 13:52

Don't forget the club membership that you must have to launch. It's a nightmare. I just go to N Wales instead.

Launching at New Brighton | Safe water Training

dava2451 · 23 April 2012, 16:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boats&Outboards

Sounds like your not the only one in the area who may need the PBL2. Why not post on Ribnet and try to get a group together to take the course at the same time. It may get you a further discount on a group booking, especially if as Polwart says its for the half day option with no additional training.

It's not just about getting the permit. You'll get discount on some insurance which may well come in handy if you decide to upgrade

the sailing centre at west kirby offer the course and is council run, you can get discount if you have the wirral passprt, even those who live outside wirral can get a cat c one which gives 10% off, when i did mine 2 years ago it was £160 full price, we did the sat all day and the sunday was little over half day

the discount you get is 50% if you are in a recognised club, nothing to do with pbl2, and its a requirement - no pbl2 no permit, and if the lifegurads are at the 3 slipways that you can use arround the wirral... no access to the slipway and they are strict!

dava2451 · 23 April 2012, 16:30

oh i forgot, safewater have their own club you can join for the permit discount, 25 quid to join and 10 a year to renew, cash only....

dava2451 · 23 April 2012, 16:35

just seen you have 4hp, well you only need 6hp as a minimum before you need a permit, so you have a choice

either 1/. park up and carry your boat down onto the beach set up put your engine on and drag into the water

or

2/. get the permit and drive onto the beach and launch.. up to you

want to know anymore pm me and ill divulge my experiences instaed of using up thread space!!!

thestig1973 · 23 April 2012, 16:38

I'm considering doing PB2 course sometime this year, wondering if there's a few people interested if we could negotiate some discount

Divertris · 23 April 2012, 16:48

Not sure of your personal policy fish tank but my boat insurance also states the coxswain must be at least RYA L1 for the insurance to be valid. Seems to an increasing amount of companies and slipways etc requiring boaters to have an RYA Qual.

I'd just do the course and then you will have no future issues and in the event of any future incident you will have a qualification that proves competence.

I know its additional cost you dont want to pay but it is the way it seems to be going everywhere now, and in honesty if everyone on the water held a nationally recognised benchmark level of training that has to be good for all of us?

Sharkbyte · 23 April 2012, 17:12

Sounds like a complete racket to me.

Should keep the anoraks in work, though.

Chris Caton · 23 April 2012, 18:14

to be fair, safewater training are a good bunch of lads and i doubt they make much, if anything, out of running the council registration, in fact they are prbably doing anyone who does register a favour, just imagine how much it would cost if the council did it themselves

as for the "club" safewater run, they are doing it to help YOU out, as if you belong to a local club you get the discount, and how many of us belong to a club?
during the season all of the local slips are manned by the beech patrol, who have to follow the council policy, so everyone needs a permit, including the fishing lads, if they launch or recover during the beech patrol hours. new brighton is a bit of a free for all out of hrs. if you are launching with a small sib/rib with upto 9hp (i think), then as long as you can launch without your motor you will be ok, even better if you just have the launching wheels on your transom as you won't need to find room to park your trailer

but, to be brutally honest, why would you want to in the 1st place? as someone else has already said, get yourselves to nth wales, there's loads of places to launch, much better scenery and better fishing too. i've lived on the wirral all my life, it's a great place, but i do my boating in the menai and surrounding area, much better

you won't get this view from the wirral:

thestig1973 · 23 April 2012, 18:21

I travel all over the wirral with my job and most of its nice, but agreed the sea/beaches are not a patch on Anglesey, some photos taken in north Wales could be mistaken for the Med in spain

Sent from my xoom using Rib.net

Andynw · 26 April 2012, 17:11

The lads at Safe Water do seem like a good bunch did my VHF course yesterday, and I am doing my PB2 in two weeks.

Will be able to launch from Wirral slips but getting some training can't be a bad thing. Hopefully will pick up some local knowledge as well as have a fun few days.

Andy

Chris Caton · 26 April 2012, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andynw

The lads at Safe Water do seem like a good bunch did my VHF course yesterday, and I am doing my PB2 in two weeks.

Will be able to launch from Wirral slips but getting some training can't be a bad thing. Hopefully will pick up some local knowledge as well as have a fun few days.

Andy

Natalie123 · 26 April 2012, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by fish_tank

Hi
I was wondering if anyone on this forum could help me.

To launch boats on the Wirral using the launch ways you need a council permit and to gain this permit you need RYA level 2 powerboat.

Would you need to have this permit if you were launching a 2.6m SIB with a 4hp motor from the beach? I have insurance, VHF radio, GPS, life jacket etc and am quite aware of the tides and safety aspects needed when going out, to be fair I wouldnt be going that far out anyway (just fancy doing a bit of fishing a few hundred yards from shore) Would probably be going out around the Leasowe Bay, Meols, West Kirby area.

I dont really fancy spending the £200 on the course to gain the permit if I dont really need it, but then again I dont wont to get pulled by someone for not having it.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Not sure which side of the River you are on but I did my RYA 2 with Safewater at New Brighton and also procured the Wirral permit. I later found out that I could have taken the RYA 2 at Liverpool Sailing club - much nearer, convenient and membership fees extremely reasonable. Oh and a great facility

Liverpool SC

(Based on the north shore of the River Mersey near Liverpool Airport - it is a family club open to all types of watersport activites)

(very reasonable membership - you can launch onto the Mersey anytime....within reason of course!! )