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| The Instrument Panel |
By Chris Jones
The most hazardous part of boating is getting in
and out of port. On the high seas, there is plenty of room and,
given clement weather conditions, there should be no problems. Winter
fog is a local problem and can be one of the most dangerous elements
faced by an unskilled navigator. Unlike with a motor car, people
can buy a boat and set forth with no licence and no formal training
whatsoever - this is not recommended. Many marinas offer training
in the skills needed to leave a berth and moor on return. Gibraltar,
for example, has a number of sailing schools which offer excellent
tuition.
The Spanish Direccion General de la Marina Mercante (The Merchant Marine Directorate) produces two excellent booklets,
one entitled 'A Practical Guide to Nautical Recreation' and the
other 'Safer Water Sports', both of which have English, German and
French translations. They are available at most marinas and at many
chandlers.
The Escuela de Navigacion (Nautical School), based
in Estepona Port, is one of a number of Spanish navigational academies
which offer a full range of courses, to equip skippers for both
local and deep sea work, in vessels from the smallest to the largest.
The most basic qualification is the Autorizacion
Federativa Nautico Deportiva (Titulin), which allows control over
motor boats of no more than six metres long and with engines of
less than 54CV, during daylight hours in controlled waters. Passing
a theoretical exam is also required.
Next up is the Patron de Navigacion Basica, self-explanatory,
which extends the limits to 8 metres for sailing boats and keeps
them at 6 metres for motorised craft. Passing the theory exam is
also accompanied by a 4-hour practical sailing test.
As we move on up the list, we come to the Patron
de Embarcaciones de Recreo (Pleasure Boat Skipper), which allows
control over motorised and sailing craft up to 12 metres long, for
use between the coastline and a parallel line drawn 12 miles offshore,
as well as for inter-island navigation in the Balearics and the
Canary Islands. Again, theory and practical exams are involved.
Patron de Yate (Yacht Skipper) qualification
takes the maximum boat length up to 20 metres, with the allowable
distance
offshore upped to 60 miles and, finally, the top rank is Capitan
de Yate, self-explanatory, which has no limits set on it.
Full details on all of these courses and exams are
available from any of the recognised nautical academies in Andalucia.
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