What boating licence do I need for RIBs ?
Depending on the environment in which you want to use your RIB inflatable boat, you'll need to choose which boating license to take.
In fact, just as with car licenses, there are distinctions between boat licenses in France. How to choose the right one for the use of your RIB ? Orca Retail enlightens you !
Do you need a boating license to drive a RIB ?
Not necessarily ! In fact, it is possible to sail in France on any type of craft without a licence, as long as it makes less than 6 HP (i.e. 4.5 KW), enabling speeds of around 12 Km/h. However, as you'll realize, this is only possible for the smallest inflatable boats, and you'll soon need a license if you want to sail a standard RIB. This also means, for example, that jet-ski owners need a permit.
Note that the fine for driving a motorboat over 6 HP without a license is €1,500.
What are the different types of RIB boat licences ?
The coastal license
What is a coastal permit ?
As the name suggests, a coastal permit gives you the right to sail close to land, but to what extent exactly ?
The distance you can sail with a coastal permit is 6 nautical miles, or 11.11 kilometers. This makes it possible, for example, to get to small islands close to the coast, such as reaching a beautiful island at sea from Quiberon. But it's not enough if you want to get to the Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey) from the French coast. It is therefore important to study the geography of the area in which you wish to sail your RIB, in order to choose the right type of license ! Note that this distance applies whether you're on a closed body of water, a lake or at sea, but not on canals and rivers, but we'll come back to that later.
The coastal license has the following advantages :
- Accessible from age 16
- Navigation day and night
- Navigation on boats of all sizes and power
How much does a coastal license cost ?
The price of a coastal license is around 350 euros, plus 108 euros in tax stamps.
What are the prerequisites for the coastal license ?
To qualify for a coastal license, you must be declared fit by a doctor, join an approved training center, then complete the cerfa n° 14681 application form. You'll also need a passport photo and a photocopy of your ID.
What does the coastal license exam consist of?
The exam is carried out in two stages. First of all, you'll need to pass the theory test. It consists of a 30-question questionnaire. A maximum of 5 errors is tolerated to obtain the coastal license. The results of this test are valid for 18 months.
Then comes the technical exam, which lasts a minimum of 3h30. The examiner will examine the following in real-life conditions :
- Rescuing a man overboard
- Maneuvering the boat, inside or outside the harbor, going forward or astern (starting, following a course, stopping, dropping anchor ...)
- Knowledge of navigation beacons and signals
- Use of onboard means of communication
The offshore license
What is a deep-sea permit ?
It's quite simple ! A deep-sea license allows you to sail on the high seas, and therefore, unlike a coastal license, to go beyond 6 nautical miles from the coast.
The offshore license is actually an extension of the coastal license : indeed, the latter is required to pass the offshore license exam. Like the coastal license, the deep-sea license allows you to sail day and night, on boats of all sizes and powers. The offshore license is also available from the age of 16.
What are the prerequisites for a deep-sea license ?
To qualify for a deep-sea license, you must be declared fit by a doctor, join an approved training center, then complete the cerfa n° 14681 application form. You'll also need a passport photo and a photocopy of your ID.
How much does an offshore license cost?
The price of a deep-sea license alone (without lessons) is around 300 euros, plus 38 euros in tax stamps. And don't forget to buy the essential equipment you'll need to pass your license : compass, chart, ruler, pencil and eraser.
What does the offshore license exam consist of?
The huge advantage of the offshore license, and the reason it's cheaper than the coastal license, is that it doesn't involve a technical test !
In fact, it seems a given that you already know how to maneuver your boat following the coastal license. That's why the offshore license includes only one theory test, during which the following points will be assessed :
- Chart reading
- Navigation preparation, according to winds, currents, etc.
- Lighthouse recognition
- Navigation equipment knowledge
- Tidal and weather knowledge
- Sécurité
The pleasure boating license for inland waters
What is an inland water boating license ?
Or rather, what is considered " inland waters " ? In France, inland waters are made up of canals, rivers, and lakes.
This license therefore allows sailing in RIB boats in freshwater with models of more than 6 horsepower not exceeding more than 20 meters in length, well above the norm as far as inflatable boats are concerned. For boats over 20 meters in length, you'll need to take out an extension, the "grande plaisance eaux intérieures" license, available from the age of 18. Given the nature of RIB boats and their limited size, we won't cover this particular license in this article.
The inland waters boating license is independent of the coastal and offshore licenses. If you want to sail on the sea as well as inland, you'll need several permits.
What are the prerequisites for an inland water boating license ?
To qualify for an inland waters boating license, you must be declared fit by a doctor, join an approved training center, then complete the cerfa n° 14681 application form. You'll also need a passport photo and a photocopy of your ID.
How much does an inland water boating license cost?
For this license, you'll need to take a training course costing around €450, plus €108 in tax stamps. However, if you already have a coastal or offshore license, not only is the training no longer compulsory, but the cost of the tax stamp increases to €38 !
This makes it very attractive to take your inland waters boating license once your sea licenses are in your pocket !
What does the inland boating license exam consist of?
As the inland boating license can be taken without the granting of other boat licenses, it provides for a theoretical AND a technical exam.
The theory test is again a multiple-choice question, for which you have 30 seconds per answer.
The special feature of the technical exam is that it takes place throughout your training. Your skills are assessed progressively by your instructor. The points to be studied are the same as for other permits : environment, navigation rules, signals (sound, lights, beacons, etc.), equipment, engine, safety rules.
Sailing in international waters on a RIB: French boat licenses abroad
You now have the right permits to sail wherever you want in France. However, you should be aware that if you wish to sail abroad, additional steps are required. You cannot travel to Italy, Spain, England or elsewhere from France to use your Zodiac without special authorization.
To travel in international waters, you'll need to obtain the CRR, Certificat Restreint de Radiotéléphonie. This certificate will be systematically required abroad to use your boat or hire one.
The CRR exam is similar to the driver's license code. This is a multiple-choice questionnaire based on the syllabus in the maritime preparation manual. The Agence Nationale des Fréquences organizes and administers the exams.
Find more information on the subject on the ANF website.
Learn more about the boating license
- Just like your car license, your boating license can be withdrawn or suspended (drunk driving, speeding, failure to comply with regulations etc.).). If your license is withdrawn, you'll have to wait 3 years to retake it ! So don't joke about it.
- To prepare for the various boating license exams, you can study the Vagnon and/or Rousseau codes. These include a Code section and a Test section for practice.
You know all about which boating license to choose for your RIB ! Good luck to you !
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Read more about the world of RIBs:
- Why do we say Zodiac when we talk about RIBs?
- The best RIB boat accessories
- Preparing to winterize your RIB boat
- Why buy a RIB boat? Avantages
- Preparing to launch your inflatable boat
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