Lifestyle Charters provide a wide range of vessels to suit most requirements and budgets and they are provided with a full crew and skipper so you and your party can relax and enjoy your trip exploring the wonderful Mallorca coastline to the full. However, if you have ever dreamed of skippering a boat yourself and wanted to know what the requirements are for doing this, here’s a quick guide to the various licensing and qualification requirements need to skipper a yacht charter in Mallorca.
To start with, if you thought skippering any seafaring vessel was simply a matter of steering it the right direction, think again! The varied coastlines and conditions around the island of Mallorca make sailing them challenging for even the most experienced of skippers.
As with driving vehicles on the roads, there are various types of licences available for sea travel, depending on the type of boat and the waters you will be sailing in. In Mallorca, you can obtain almost any type of boating licence, including the necessary test. The duration of the courses can range from a few days to a week or more, depending on the type of licence. English sailing schools are available in ports such as Palma, Port Adriano, Santa Ponsa, Puerto Portals, and Cala d’Or.
To obtain a boating licence, you will need to undergo both practical and theoretical training and pass a test. The theoretical test requires a significant amount of studying and covers various seafaring topics. In addition to classroom lessons, you will also receive practical training on a boat.
The Royal Yacht Association has a specific order in which courses and certificates must be completed. You must first decide whether you want to learn how to sail or obtain a motorboat licence. Absolute beginners can start with the ‘Start Yachting’ or ‘Start Motor Cruising’ courses, which teach the basics of boat steering and seamanship. The ‘Day Skipper’ course allows you to rent your own sailing or motor boat in Spain.
To safely steer larger boats, you should aim for the ‘Coastal Skipper’ course, which enables you to charter boats up to 24 metres long in Spanish waters up to 20 sea miles from the coast. Once you have obtained the ‘Coastal Skipper’ certificate, you can also obtain the ‘International Certificate of Competence (ICC)’, which is an internationally recognized boating certificate.
In addition to the boating licence, the captain must also have a radio certificate if there is radio equipment on board. Yachts with berths almost always have radio equipment, and you can choose between the Short Range Certificate.
Enjoying the freedom to skipper your party on your yacht charter yourself can be an amazing experience, but should not be entered into lightly. Even once qualified, it is recommended that you gain your experience gradually and always take expert advice on the conditions and you might experience depending on whereabouts in Mallorca you are sailing to. This includes weather and tidal conditions which can vary greatly as well as mooring or anchoring regulations and restrictions and what you can do once you have moored such as swimming, diving activities etc.
For more information about chartering a boat in Mallorca with or without a skipper, please contact our team today.