RYA CEVNI

The RYA CEVNI test is an online, multiple-choice check of your knowledge of CEVNI, the common code of rules for Europe's inland waterways (the name comes from its French title). If you want your International Certificate of Competence (ICC) to cover inland waters as well as the coast, you need to pass it. There's no course to attend: you study independently, then sit the test online in your own time.

There are no entry requirements for the test itself, but you can't apply for an ICC below the age of 16.

Who it suits

• Australians planning a canal-boat holiday or a river cruise in Europe on a boat that requires an ICC
• Skippers taking a yacht through inland routes, such as crossing France by canal
• Anyone adding an inland endorsement to an existing or planned ICC

What you'll actually do

You study the rules, usually with the RYA's European Waterways Regulations book (G17), which the RYA recommends for preparation. Then you sit a timed multiple-choice test online. Questions cover the signs, lights, sound signals, buoyage and rules of conduct used on European rivers and canals.

Key ideas explained

• Left and right bank — on a river, the banks are named as seen facing downstream. Many rules and marks refer to them, so it's the first thing to get straight.
• Signs — CEVNI uses a family of boards beside the waterway and on bridges: prohibitions (such as no entry, no overtaking or no mooring), mandatory instructions, restrictions such as depth, headroom or speed, recommendations, and information signs.
• Buoyage — marks are defined relative to the direction of flow. Going downstream, red marks the right-hand side of the fairway and green the left, which is not the same logic as sea buoyage entering harbour.
• Sound signals — broadly familiar from the sea: one short blast for altering to starboard, two for port, three for going astern, and a long blast for "attention".
• The blue board — a large vessel showing a blue board, sometimes with a flashing white light, is asking to pass starboard to starboard instead of the usual port to port.
• Small craft keep clear — pleasure craft are generally expected to give way to larger commercial vessels, which have limited room to manoeuvre in a channel or lock.

Where it fits

Getting ready

• Work through the G17 book and learn the sign categories visually, as flashcards help
• Pay special attention to anything that differs from sea rules, such as bank-based buoyage and the blue board
• Check with the RYA whether you're eligible for an ICC as a non-UK resident before you start
• Check what your hire company or the countries you're visiting actually require; rules vary between countries and waterways

Good to know in Australia

• CEVNI doesn't apply to Australian rivers or waterways, where state rules govern. This test is purely for European inland boating.