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VHF radio licence

Ssscrudddy

By Ssscrudddy
in Boat Equipment

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

I think there is some confusion here when people are saying "licence"

 

Once you have done and passed the course, you need a "Short Range Certificate" - there is a charge for this, but often included in the course fee.

 

The actual licence, (either for a boat with a fixed set, or for a portable licence where you can move the set between boats), can then be applied for on-line, and is free.

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George94 Experienced

George94

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The courses are a bit of a racket. You could learn what they teach you in 15 minutes, but at least you get the chance to try different bits of kit, and can pick the instructor's brains.

 

I did my course at Bispham Abbey. It's a superb setting, right on the Thames, and you could even go there by boat.

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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The courses are a bit of a racket. You could learn what they teach you in 15 minutes, but at least you get the chance to try different bits of kit, and can pick the instructor's brains.

 

I did my course at Bispham Abbey. It's a superb setting, right on the Thames, and you could even go there by boat.

Its the minimum hours of practice using a VHF set which makes the course so long.

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john6767 Veteran II

john6767

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A bit off topic, but I was thinking of doing the course over the winter.

 

Any recommendations of where in the Midlands is good for the course, preferably one that is more focused on canal/river usage rather than off shore, although I appreciate the syllabus is fixed there must be different slants taken by different trainers. I was thinking of Willow Wren Training in Rugby, are there others?

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I'm not convinced you will find anywhere that is very "Inland Boating" specific.

 

There is a whole swathe of material they need to cover, much of it largely irrelevant if you never venture further than Limehouse.

 

Interesting though it may be, few of us need to know about even DSC and GMDSS, let alone EPIRBs and SART. (Hope I have those abbreviations somewhere near correct!...)

However these all form part of the syllabus, and the fact that it is a "one size fits all" qualification irrespective of whether you are going coastal or always staying inland doesn't really allow them to leave chunks out.

Once you have the certificate, it is assumed you could use it at sea, even if you have no such intention.

I'd dispute the claim you can "learn all you need to know in 15 minutes", but it is certainly true that most of what you are taiught and tested on over the day you will never need to use on most of our inland navigations.

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howardang Influencer

howardangDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted (edited)

I'm not convinced you will find anywhere that is very "Inland Boating" specific.

 

There is a whole swathe of material they need to cover, much of it largely irrelevant if you never venture further than Limehouse.

 

Interesting though it may be, few of us need to know about even DSC and GMDSS, let alone EPIRBs and SART. (Hope I have those abbreviations somewhere near correct!...)

 

However these all form part of the syllabus, and the fact that it is a "one size fits all" qualification irrespective of whether you are going coastal or always staying inland doesn't really allow them to leave chunks out.

 

Once you have the certificate, it is assumed you could use it at sea, even if you have no such intention.

 

I'd dispute the claim you can "learn all you need to know in 15 minutes", but it is certainly true that most of what you are taiught and tested on over the day you will never need to use on most of our inland navigations.

Alan is quite correct; there is only one certificate which is mainly aimed at coastal/estuarial users although a minority use it on some commercial waters inland, and therefore no short cut in the same way that there is no short cut to getting a driving licence just because you only drive on country lanes at no more than 20mphbiggrin.png It isn't difficult and the content/test can easily be completed in one day.

 

Howard

Edited by howardang
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john6767 Veteran II

john6767

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Thanks Alan, I appreciate there is a single certificate and that the same syllabus has to be covered, it was more the slant and practical use inland that I was hoping for. There are many training establishment around the Southampton area that probably give the best choice of dates, but I think I would feel a bit out of place there!

 

Last winter the Willow Wren trainer did a course at Longwood Boat Club on the BCN, which I was thinking of attending, but the dates did not work in the end. I would hope that in that environment you would get at least some relevant discussion around inland use, at least with the other attendees.

 

So irrespective of the content, and recommendations in the Midlands?

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George94 Experienced

George94

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Its the minimum hours of practice using a VHF set which makes the course so long.

 

Hours? More like minutes.

 

And there's a limit to the number of times you can say "Roger, over and out", without going iinsane.

 

Yes, I know it's over OR out.

Edited by George94
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Posted

 

Hours? More like minutes.

 

And there's a limit to the number of times you can say "Roger, over and out", without going iinsane.

 

Yes, I know it's over OR out.

I think an EDIT may have saved you there!

 

Hours? More like minutes.

 

 

This will probably not impress you then!

 

(Don't know any more - its what a bit og Googling just turned up...)

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