Radio operator course for recreational boats

In order to be a fully certified boat operator and to be able to legally operate on Romanian and foreign waters, you will also need a general boat operator certificate, which allows you to communicate via radio with the borders or with other sailors on the waters.

This course must be completed in order to obtain the General Operator Certificate for Recreational Craft - Maritime Mobile Service and Maritime Mobile Satellite Service GMDSS - LRC (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System - Long Range Certificate).

The certificate is required when sailing in Romanian coastal waters or the coastal waters of another state, within 6 nautical miles (Class C), within 24 nautical miles (Class B) or in the open sea (Class A). The certificate belongs to the person and not to the vessel.

It can be used when travelling in your own boat, when accompanying someone or when renting a motor or sailing boat. In any case, the certificate is requested by the Border Police and/or the NRA when leaving the country and must be on board the boat.

In the riparian states, including the EU member states, the rental of boats is conditional upon presentation of the GMDSS - LRC Radio Operator Certificate.

The LRC course ensures the acquisition of knowledge, methods and best practice skills to meet standards in accordance with ANCOM regulations on maritime communications.

Duration

The course lasts 8 hours and takes place over two consecutive days, usually Thursday and Friday. It has a theoretical training module and a practical training module to fix the knowledge in the use of GMDSS radio equipment and radiotelephony. For the theoretical part, each trainee will receive a course booklet.

Exam

To obtain the Certificate, an examination is held at the navigation school. The examination involves the correct answering of a grid test and a practical test.

Required knowledge

Minimum knowledge of English is required for the course. Ability to use English, both written and spoken, is mandatory for communications related to safety of life at sea. Communication is specific, in an established language based on standard phrases.

Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP) are a set of key phrases, in English (which is the internationally recognised and used language at sea), endorsed by the international community for use at sea and developed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

In the main, these are: 

• external communication phrases - ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication 
• on-board communication phrases - communication within the ship

The SMCP was adopted by the 22nd IMO Assembly in November 2001, in a resolution which also promoted the wide circulation of the SMCP to all potential users and all maritime authorities. The SMCP includes phrases that have been developed to cover the most important and frequent situations related to safe navigation, from land to ship (and vice versa), from ship to ship and on board. The aim is to reduce the problem of language barriers at sea and avoid misunderstandings that can cause accidents or even disasters.

Each learner will receive a free app that can be downloaded to their phone or tablet and will be used both during the course and afterwards to practise as often as they feel necessary to fix the knowledge gained from the GMDSS - LRC practical activity.

We consider that practical Experiences are the essence of great memories so we invite you on our blog to read about the advantages of purchasing an experience rather than a material gift.

Details of experience:

• The experience is held in Bucharest and at Marina Fluviala, Calarasi.
• The certificate is issued by ANCOM and is valid for pleasure craft skippers classes A, B, C and D and is valid for a period of 5 years
• The course lasts 8 hours and takes place on 2 consecutive days (usually Thursday and Friday)

Important to know:

• The experience is available subject to availability (advance booking is required)
• The voucher is valid for 12 months for 1 person