Each, even the smallest sailing under the guidance of a professional skipper, adds to the practical experience of a beginner yachtsman. Finally, being confident in his abilities, he begins to think about going to sea on his own. But the management of any type of transport, which includes water transport, requires a license issued after completing the course training in special specialized centers. The list of such schools, quite extensive, advertising education in various programs, except for obscure abbreviations (IYT, RYA, ISSA, etc.), do not provide any detailed information.
Those wishing to receive "crusts" that allow them to operate a yacht (with the corresponding certificate attached), it is necessary to know which schools are distinguished not only by the excellent quality of training, but also are respected by the companies involved in chartering of marine vehicles. There is no significant difference in the disciplines studied in the schools for training navigators, since the training of captains is regulated by a separate STCW (Standards of Training and Certification of Watchkeepers) convention. Although some, not cardinal, but important features are inherent in every school.
RYA - The Royal Association of England, an organization that has vast practical experience in the training of navigators in the commercial fleet. Highly professional instructor training and strict certification of training centers have made RYA schools very popular. Documents on the completion of a training course in this organization are considered legitimate when making contracts on yacht rental through specialized companies around the world ...
Russian yachtsmen also have the opportunity to study at RYA, but fluent English is a must. Acceptable fee for the exam is pleasant because, as time has shown, rarely anyone succeeds in passing the first time, so have to pay for the exam again. Meeting the wishes of the students, the Royal Association made some concessions, changing the basic rules of teaching. So, schools that have a certificate for conducting practical classes were allowed to teach in any language (including Russian).
IYT (International Yacht Training) is a private capital company with a wide network of licensed schools covering the territory of the Russian Federation and all CIS countries. Due to the fact that the presentation of the program is made in the national language of the country where the IYT schools are located, sailing training is very popular. All branches of the company and their instructors are closely monitored from the central office located in Canada. European companies issuing freight, favor IYT certificates, recognizing them as quite reliable.
GIMS - The State Inspectorate for Small Vessels, issues the rights considered in the state to be the most common and legitimate document for the right to operate motorized floating craft. The bilingual (Russian-English) certificate of the State Inspectorate for Information and Communication is obligatory for walking on the inland waters of the Russian Federation. The certificate is valid for 10 years.
It is characteristic that those wishing to open a sailing category can do this only after teaching sail in other training centers, since the Russian inspection does not have its own developed methods of sailing training. The documents issued by the inspection are for the most part used on Russian territory, and they are little familiar to charter foreign companies.
The development of technology made it possible to learn yachting online. Yachting rights, or, as they are also called, Skipper's rights, can be obtained by studying at the BB Yachting school, which is a representative of the famous yachting schools in Europe and England. Cooperating with RYA and ISSA, the Kiev office offers theoretical or distance learning courses. The rights received after completing the course have international status, and their owners can be found in all waters of the world. But it's worth knowing that ISSA (International Sailling School Association) is a somewhat dubious public organization operating in Europe. Charter companies have little confidence in the students of this organization. This is due to the fact that under the ISSA brand there are often schools that, for good reasons, could not pass certification in RYA and IYT. The registration and operation of schools with a dubious reputation in the ISSA has badly affected the latter's reputation.
VFPS (All-Russian Sailing Association) is a Russian school that was the first to develop and implement its own unique training system for crew members of a sailing yacht several years ago. The only state organization in Russia has a well-developed training program for sailors, steering sailing yachts, coastal sailing skippers. The Federation representatives taking the exam require yachtsmen to show their practical sailing boat handling skills. Particular attention is paid to safety. Sailing on a sports yacht and taking part in competitions is only possible with the rights of the VFPS. The status of the only Russian federation teaching sailing ship management and the issuance of bilingual rights did not bring VFPS fame among charter companies abroad.
The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation also issues navigator's rights, but they are of interest to those who have firmly decided to link their profession with the sea, engaging in commercial activities.
The legislation of the European Union obliges every seafarer who is going to sail on a yacht in European waters to have a corresponding document of a single sample confirming the competence of the skipper. According to Resolution No. 40, adopted by the Economic Commission for Europe in 1998, a uniform model of the International Certificate was adopted, giving the right to operate pleasure craft. The new certificate was named ICC (International Certificate of Competente). This document has become a additional certificate attached to the basic skipper's license and, in isolation, cannot be considered as a right to sail in the inland and coastal waters of the EU member states. Although Russia has not signed Resolution 40, domestic sailors can obtain an ICC certificate. To do this, you must complete a training course at an authorized IYT school that is licensed to issue ICC certificates. The cost of training is 100 - 150 euros, but this amount ensures the automatic receipt of the ICC certificate and free swimming in the waters of the EU countries.
Practice has shown that companies abroad, dealing with the chartering of boats, pay special attention to IYT and RYA certificates, trusting them as proven and reliable training systems.
When choosing a place to study, it is worth carefully weighing the pros and cons of each association and private company licensed to issue certificates. To get started, you can get a certificate for the right to operate a yacht in coastal waters (Inshore Skipper). A distance of 20 nautical miles from the coast is a perfectly acceptable distance for obtaining classroom handling and boat maneuvering skills in coastal waters.
As noted by the experts 2yachts, it is also worth deciding how widespread your personal plans of sea voyages are. This will help to avoid additional retraining, and, accordingly, save money.