What you need, here, there and everywhere
Not sure what you need? Maybe you’re heading overseas to sail, or perhaps arriving here, or maybe you have a foreign certificate and want to know if it is valid in another country?
Here
So … you want to go boating in NZ.
Ok then. Just go out, buy a boat, and away you go.
Simple as that.
No complicated applications. No need to pay for Registration, no need for a licence or insurance … just get yourself a vessel, add water, and go.
After all, … how hard can it be? What could possibly go wrong?
There are some boring regulations you need to comply with. i.e. you must be aware of and have an understanding of the requirements for Recreational vessels contained within the Maritime Transport Act 1994, as well as the Maritime New Zealand Navigation Safety Rules Parts 22 and 91 and also the local council By-Laws for the area in which you intend to go boating. (Part 22 is the New Zealand version of the International Rules for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea). Seriously though, if you do not see yourself as a candidate for the next round of “Darwin Awards”, you may like to contemplate the idea of gaining some knowledge of the rules.
How do you obtain knowledge of the Rules?
Why, you simply contact me, and I will discuss the issue with you and provide you with recommendations according to your requirements and your existing level of knowledge.
This may be personalised training or perhaps a referral to a Royal Yachting Association Recognised Training Centre.
If you are a New Zealand Citizen and you wish to depart NZ on your own vessel you will need to satisfy certain conditions before you are able to obtain Customs clearance, one of which is to provide evidence to a Yachting NZ Inspector that you, your crew, and your vessel are capable of undertaking your intended voyage and that you have the necessary experience of ocean sailing to be competent to skipper your vessel.
NZ COMMERCIAL
Commercial tickets in New Zealand were many and varied until in 2014 Maritime New Zealand brought in a new Seafarer Certification System.
This system dictates the requirements for certification of seafarers depending upon the type of vessel they operate and the areas in which they intend to operate.
Generally speaking, the entry level Commercial seafarer’s ticket is known as the Skipper, Restricted Limits Certificate (SRL). This qualification allows a seafarer to operate a commercial vessel of up to 12m LOA and carrying up to 19 passengers within enclosed and restricted limits areas. These Restricted Limits areas are defined within the Rules and are within 12 Nautical miles of the Coastline.
Now for the complex bit.
If you wish to know how to go about obtaining a NZ seafarer’s certificate, then contact me and we can discuss your options.
There
In stark contrast to the laissez-faire attitude towards recreational boating present in New Zealand, most civilised foreign administrations require a person to provide evidence of their competency to operate a vessel through their having been trained and examined to a relatively high standard in both maritime theory and practical aspects of boat handling.
Simply put, you will need to provide an administration with a skipper’s licence of some sort. The NZ Day Skipper or Boatmaster do not , in general, meet these requirements as there is no practical examination involved with these certificates.
Contact me for more information on what may be required for the area you intend to sail in.
Everywhere
Although there may be many different qualifications required to operate a vessel depending upon the administration in which you intend to operate, there is one International requirement, no matter where you are; Yes, even in NZ.
A Radio Operator’s licence (if you have any kind of Marine transceiver on your vessel).
NZ recreational radio certificates (i.e. non-SOLAS & non-GMDSS certificates) such as the NZ VHF, MRROC, and MGROC are valid only with NZ waters or those of NZ’s protectorates.
Most overseas administrations will require a radio certificate which has been practically examined and which includes GMDSS capabilities, such as Digital Selective Calling.
The NZ Maritime Short-Range Operator’s certificate meets those requirements in most cases.
Contact me if you wish to know more about this and how to obtain one.
So, if you are heading overseas, or perhaps arriving here, or maybe you have a foreign certificate and want to know if it is valid in another country, contact me and I will do my best to accommodate your enquiry.
It may be a simple question which I can address immediately. However, the complexities of discovering the learning outcomes for foreign certificates will often require quite a few hours of investigation and research and any number of emails and telephone calls. Should this be the case a quotation will be supplied upon request.