I have been on an expensive Royal Yacht Association sailing course to learn how to sail 😳. Why? To get a bit of paper that says I am competent 🙄. The last time I was checked by the police I was hassled because I did not have a captains license, in Spain and many other countries, you need a license or certificate of competence to be in charge of a boat. However, a foreign flagged boat with a foreign captain comes under international law, not national law. This states that home port rules apply, in my case UK which does not require a captains license. But you try explaining that to the police who want to enforce national laws on you. 😲. I have heard that in Italy, the police are even worse. So, to avoid future hassle, I decided to get my International Certificate of Competance (ICC) and the simplest way to get that was by taking the RYA day skipper course. I did this in Palma last week, I passed the course and my ICC should arrive in the next few weeks.
On the plus side, I did learn a few things, practiced some manoeuvres like man overboard, I got to sail a bigger boat (a Bavaria 46) and met some new people.
It’s going to be a busy month. Next week a friend flies in to spend a week in Alcudia and we will spend a lot of time together. I will continue working on somebody else’s boat and, spolier alert… I am planning a road trip.. but not in Spain 🤔. More on that another time.
👏🏾👏🏾🎉🎉🧭🧭⛵⛵