Renting boats in Ibiza without a boat licence
Sailing the crystalline waters of the Pitiusas islands, smelling the foam off the sea and bronzing yourself in the sun, is an achievable dream. Islamarcharter offers a variety of options for you to enjoy this privilege, whether or not you have nautical qualifications.
What is a boat licence?
A boat licence or nautical qualification is a card or certificate that permits you to pilot marine craft. There are two types of licence, professsional and recreational; in this post we'll be focusing on the latter.
A recreational craft is basically one which is not used for commerical reasons, meaning you can't profit from its use. It must be between 2.5 and 24 metres long and hold a maximum of 12 crew members.
Certifications for recreational boating are issued by the relevant authority in each community, which may be the Autonomous Community itself or the Directorate-General for Merchant Shipping.
Can you rent boats in Ibiza without a licence?
Piloting boats without a licence has been possible since 2014. In Royal Decree 875/2014, of October 10th, which regulates nautical qualifications for the administration of recreational boats (link to the RD), the conditions which must be met are set out. They are:
1. If it is a motor boat, it must be less than 5 metres long.
2. If it is a sailing boat, it must be less than 6 metres long.
3. It must have a maximum power of 15hp or 11.26 kilowatts
4. The boat can only be taken out in the daytime, between sunrise and sunset and always in weather conditions that do not significantly restrict visibility.
5. The person driving the boat must be over 18 years old.
6. The craft cannot be a jet ski.
7. The maximum permitted distance from a port, marina, or place of shelter is 2 miles
What kind of boats can I rent without a licence?
You can rent all types of boats without a licence, as long as they meet the above requirements.
At Islamarcharter, we offer boat rentals without a licence in Formentera and in Ibiza. The Selva 470 is a very comfortable model for this purpose. It has a spacious sun deck in the prow and a large bimini cover which can be used when desired. It also has spacious stowage lockers.
What kind of recreational boat licences are available?
Boating Licence:
This is a great option for those who aren't sure they like boating, but are curious and responsible and would like to try it. It is a federal licence, formerly called a "titulín" in Spanish.
It's easy to obtain: it requires only two hours of theory class and four hours of practical training, there is no exam and it is issued in a very short period of time. It permits you to pilot boats up to 6 metres in length, near the coast and during the day.
The qualifications outlined below are official and the exams are subject to announcement, which gives the date and content.
Basic Boat Pilot Licence (PNB in the Spanish acronym):
To obtain this qualification you must pass an official theory exam and complete eight hours of piloting practice and four hours of radio communications training. It permits you to pilot boats up to 8 metres long, up to five miles from the coast and at any time of day.
Recreational Boat Pilot Licence (PER in the Spanish acronym):
To obtain this qualification you must pass an official theory exam and complete sixteen hours of piloting practice and twelve hours of radio communications training. It permits you to pilot boats up to 15 metres long, up to twelve miles from the coast and at any time of day.
Yacht Pilot Licence
To obtain this qualification you must hold a Recreational Boat Pilot Licence (PER). It permits you to pilot motor boats up to 24 metres long and up to 150 miles along a line parallel to the coast.
Yacht Captain's Licence
To obtain this qualification you must hold a Yacht Pilot Licence. It permits you to pilot jet skis and boats up to 24 metres long with no distance limits.
Sailing permits
If the noise of the engine bothers you and what you really want to experience is handling a boat propelled only by the wind, you can do the specific training for this. This is a mandatory requirement if your craft is equipped for sailing.
As we have seen, each nautical qualification has a particular programme and number of hours of practical training on basic safety and navigation practices, which increases according to the level of the qualification you want to obtain.
The sailing permit covers all the aforementioned qualifications and you need a minimum duration of 16 hours. This means that if you get a sailing permit with a Basic Boat Pilot Licence, you don't need to redo the sailing training when you obtain the more advanced qualifications.
How long is a recreational boat licence valid for?
Recreational boat licences are valid for 10 years, or 5 in the case of people over 70 years old. After that time, the licence can be renewed by providing a new medical certificate.
