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I am the holder of a Boat Master Grade 3 ticket from the the MCA/ Department of Transport, the boating equivalent of a PSV or HGV license for road users.
The course was surprisingly hard even for a very experienced professional boat skipper - not the boat handling aspects- but the wide range of legislation to get to grips with.
Following changes in MCA- Maritime and Coastguard Agency Regulations- skippers now need to be Boat Master qualified for vessels carrying less than 12 passengers -which used to be the threshold for the MCA rules kicking in.
Due to my involvement with the Saltisford Canal Trust- I am the Chairman- I sometimes get called upon to skipper their new broad beam boat Saltie Two when it is used as a trip boat.
For details on the trust or using Saltie Two click on this link www.saltisfordcanal.co.uk
Its width- 10.5 feet gives it a certain challenge on a fairly poorly maintained section of the Grand Union Canal in Warwick and Royal Leamington Spa- too many overhanging trees.
It has been great fun to get back on the tiller and share in the enthusiasm of passengers of the delights of simply getting afloat.
Saltie Two is equipped with a hydraulic lift so it can carry wheelchair users.
Recent trips I have skippered for include:
Visitors to the Leamington Canal Festival
Helen Ley House- Multiple Sclerosis Society
Adults with learning difficulties
Warwick Women’s Institute
Steering Saltie Two
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
