Additional requirements: £30* licence fee and passport photograph must be provided on the day.
This course is vital if you have a marine VHF radio fitted to your boat or you are going to use a handportable to communicate with other water users. It is a legal requirement that both the operator and the equipment are licenced. Successful completion of this course, which concludes with a short written test paper, qualifies you for the Marine Radio Short Range Certificate of Competence and (if over 16 years of age) the Authority to Operate. You will use real marine radio equipment adapted for training, not computer simulators, and have plenty of opportunity to practice your radio technique.
Course topics include:
- Features of VHF radio equipment
- Rules, regulations and conventions
- Understanding and using radio language and procedures
- Making routine voice calls
- Using digital selective calling (DSC) to call other vessels
- The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
- GMDSS equipment including EPIRBs, SARTs and NAVTEX.
- Sending a distress alert and message
- Receiving distress, urgency and safety calls
For an example of a typical course programme, click here.
It helps to have knowledge of the phonetic alphabet before you come. For a printable copy, click here.
*The RYA notified Centres in January 2010 that the licence application fee will rise from 1 April 2010 to £30.