Buying and berthing a boat

[beachbabe]

Correct Sid.

In Spain you are obliged to take an exam. That makes the lunacy of jetskiing lager louts even worse.

[fearless nige]

I need to check my certificates before I drive a friend's boat then! I have the Powerboat level 2, Dayskipper and Coastal Skipper (equivalent to yachtmaster? - not sure). I did a whole week around the Solent in a single screw Grand Banks called Jumna. One of the weeks of my life!

Assuming that none of these will count for much here - can anyone tell me how to go about getting the cert's needed here? Cheers.

[beachbabe]

Well I've asked around the english sailing schools (Fuengirola, Sotogrande, Duquesa etc) and none of them do the spanish test - just the RYA quals. So you'd have to go to a spanish sailing school and I would imagine the spanish is quite challenging (fathoms, chains, sheepshank anyone?).

The schools I spoke to all seemed to agree that most of the port Capiatanias would provide a 'convalidacion' of UK qualifications. Then you'd be OK.

I looked at a spanish site (lost the link now) that showed the 'equivalence' of UK quals in Spain. I am sure if you google it enough you will find it. Show that to the capiatania and or police if subsequently stopped.

As all my UK quals are in sailing craft I am going to one of the UK schools and do my RYA powerboat quals, then look for convalidacion or credits to the spanish quals.

The aim to buy 'el Barco con atraque' at Caleta in say April 2011 when hopefully the economy will have dived so much that they'll pay me for taking it off their hands. Otherwise i'll look at chartering...

[Colinm]

I dont know if you ever went ahead and bought, but have a look at this article on the shortening of berthing leases.
http://www.sailingnetworks.com/news/read/23441