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A skipper license — do you need it?

This is a reasonable question. Let’s just say that in most countries you need licenses if you charter a yacht. If you own a yacht, then in many cases no one will ask you for a license: you can manage your boat without it, though most likely you will not be able to insure it. In this article, we will consider the first option when you need a license to charter a yacht.
 

The categories of licenses

Yacht licenses are somewhat similar to car licenses — there is also a gradation into different categories. However, in practice, it’s more important not what category of license you have, but what your practical experience is and how many miles there are in your logbook.

In fact, Bareboat Skipper (IYT) / Day Skipper (RYA) license may be enough to charter a yacht in Europe and anywhere in the world.. You have the right to sail 20 miles offshore in the daytime in fine weather. 

The next category is the Coastal Skipper / Offshore Skipper. With this category, you can sail at night 60 miles offshore, also in fine weather.

The highest category of yacht skipper is Yachtmaster / Master of Yacht. Having a license of this category, you can go on difficult sailing expeditions, for example, across the Atlantic. This license is the most honorable among yacht owners.

 

IYT vs RYA: Differences

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  • IYT operates more yachting courses with more Government approvals through more schools, in more countries, and in more languages than any other yachting organization in the world including the RYA.

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  • IYT is a professional Yachting organization, run by professional mariners, for professional mariners whereas the RYA is a recreational sailing organization run by recreational yachtsmen for recreational yachtsmen.

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  • IYT Courses have multiple Government approvals, the RYA’s do not.

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  • IYT Certificates are internationally accepted and a growing number of countries no longer accept RYA certificates (even with a commercial endorsement) as they believe that a recreational sailing organization should not have the authority to issue ‘commercial’ certificates, and especially those that do not comply with STCW regulations.

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  • IYT does not allow ‘direct entry’ into its examination system whereas the RYA allows candidates to ‘challenge the examination’ to get an RYA Yachtmaster certificate without any formal training. The RYA does not require either a theory or practical course to be attended. IYT requires attendance of both theory and practical parts of the course and candidates are subject to continuous assessment during the whole course as well as the final practical exam.

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  • All IYT Master of Yachts Examiners are professional Mariners whereas RYA examiners are not required to have had a career at sea or hold any nautical qualifications other than RYA. Oftentimes, professional yachting students (those who work on yachts) have considerably more experience at sea than their RYA examiners.

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  • All IYT shore-based Master of Yachts certificates are numbered, controlled, and issued from IYT headquarters whereas any RYA Yachtmaster school can issue RYA Yachtmaster shore-based certificates with no control from RYA head office.

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  • IYT operates more yachting courses with more Government approvals through more schools, in more countries, and in more languages than any other yachting organization in the world including the RYA. IYT is a professional Yachting organization, run by professional mariners, and IYT Master of Yachts courses have multiple Government approvals, and IYT’s Master of Yachts theory and practical courses have been audited and approved for content by a number of Flag State Authorities including the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands, the United States Coastguard. Marshall Islands Yacht Registry and several others. IYT is approved by the MCA, the US Coastguard and the Marshall Islands Shipping Registry to issue STCW Basic Training certificates and IYT courses are available in multiple languages and operate in 56 different countries. IYT Certificates have become the certificates of choice throughout the world for both the Professional International Yachting Community and the serious recreational yachtsman.

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In general, you need to understand that even charter companies will sometimes look at the miles in your logbook, indicating your experience. So, start your logbook as soon as you seriously think about yachting. But most importantly, of course, responsibly approach the choice of training courses. The study system or what abbreviation will be displayed on your license is not so important, it is important who your teacher will be.

With Sailing Munich, besides getting the right licence, you will also get real practical experience.

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