SKIPPER LICENSES

In South Africa The Small Vessel Code lays out the different levels of competence that a candidate must achieve in order to obtain a certificate for the level desired.

To operate a vessel, smaller or equal to 9 meters with an engine larger than 15hp – jet skis included, on dams, rivers, sea and in harbours in South Africa, a skipper license is required More..

VESSEL LICENSING

Certificate of Fitness

A certificate of fitness is the vessel’s license and gives it the right to be on the water. The certificate is valid for 12 months and is issued by an approved SAMSA surveyor. More..

Buoyancy

Buyers of vessels should be aware that they are not only ill advised to purchase vessels from sellers unable or unwilling to underwrite and certify their vessels by producing a proper buoyancy certificate, but that it is illegal for any seller, to sell a vessel that does not comply. However, a seller may sell a non-compliant vessel if they make a full declaration of the non-compliance. More..

VHF DSC

To cruise further than 1 nautical mile from the coastline you will need a VHF Short Range Certificate (SRC)

Digital selective calling (DSC) was developed to replace a call in procedures. Because a DSC signal uses a stable signal with a narrow bandwidth and the receiver has no squelch, it has a slightly longer range than analog signals, with up to 25 percent longer range and significantly faster. DSC senders are programmed with the ship’s Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) and may be connected to the ship’s Global Positioning System (GPS), which allows the apparatus to know who it is, what time it is and where it is. This allows a distress signal to be sent very quickly. More..