ICC Exam Only — Liquid Edge

The ICC Exam Only option at Liquid Edge Sailing School in Balmain lets experienced skippers be assessed for the International Certificate of Competence without doing the full training course. The school issues the ICC under the accreditation of International Yacht Training (IYT), which is approved by the Irish Government to issue ICCs to applicants of any nationality. The ICC is the certificate charter companies in much of Europe and some other destinations ask bareboat skippers to hold, on both inland and coastal waters. There is no Australian equivalent, which is why Australian sailors planning overseas charters seek it out.

What you'll be assessed on

The ICC checks that you can safely skipper a charter-sized boat. It is not about racing or offshore passages. The assessor wants to see a skipper who plans ahead, briefs the crew and stays in control.

• Safety brief and passage. You deliver a safety brief and then skipper a short, pre-planned passage.
• Pontoon work. Leaving and coming alongside a pontoon under control, the part most candidates find hardest.
• Man overboard. Returning to and recovering a person in the water.
• Buoys and anchoring. Securing to a mooring buoy and anchoring.
• Close-quarters handling. Turning the boat in its own length (360-degree and three-point turns) and handling under both power and sail.
• Theory. A one-hour multiple-choice test on the collision regulations and pilotage, plus safety and general knowledge.

How Liquid Edge runs it

The exam takes about four hours in total. The practical test takes two to three hours per candidate. You can bring your own yacht or arrange to hire one of the school's. If you are sitting the exam alone you need a competent crew member with you. Study notes are supplied when you book, and the school recommends the RYA ICC Handbook as a reference.

Who it suits

This is for sailors who already skipper confidently and want the certificate rather than the training, such as boat owners planning a European charter. If you are unsure whether your pontoon work or man-overboard recovery is up to standard, the school's one-day Docking, Berthing and Man Overboard course is a good preparation step. IYT requires ICC applicants to be at least 16.

Where it leads

The ICC opens the door to bareboat charter in much of Europe. For a fuller qualification, the IYT International Bareboat Skipper course includes the ICC. Skippers who hold it can work towards IYT Yachtmaster Coastal once they have the required sea time.

Full course guide

For the full standard, see the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) guide.