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View Full Version : How big A Boat Can You Drive On A Regular Licence



Great White
03-05-2007, 06:23 PM
Hi guys, just got off the phone from a fellow AF member who was listing his dream boats when he cleans up power ball 12 million tonight :o We got talking about big boats and I mentioned he would not be able to drive a big 85 footer on his current licence. He said you could as long as it was for private use, what do you guys think , scary thought if that's possible but I am sure I am right in saying there is a size limit.

Your thoughts and comments :)

Marlin_Mike
03-05-2007, 06:26 PM
Ya mates dreaming Peter.................. i am winning the lotto tonight, not him :)


MIke

Great White
03-05-2007, 06:29 PM
LOL Mike but what size boat can he drive ;D ;D ;D

Kerry
03-05-2007, 07:29 PM
Recreationally! There really is not limit! Recreationally! Yes that's what is called private use.

RCG008
03-05-2007, 07:34 PM
I find it a bit hard to believe that a boat with a 25hp and licence can be the same as an 86ft. Mind you... If he wins and he is aloud to do this. Can I go for a fish... :-)

russ81
03-05-2007, 07:43 PM
Hi guys
This is what pisses me off when i did my license it was a recreational vessel upto 40ft and a commercial vessel up to 8M and my course was about 30 hrs long and qld transport doesnt recgnise this quailification even though it is an internationally regognised license it seems it is good enough for every other state bar Qld yet i can go and do a six hr cse and be licensed to skipper a monster
Doesnt seem right
anyways thats my two cents

ozscott
03-05-2007, 07:54 PM
When I did my boat license it was unlimited, however over 122 feet from memory you needed a pilot to bring you down the Brissy River!!! But apart from that you could literally train in a 13 foot tinny and get the license and then jump in a 100 foot monster and scoot around crushing the poor people.

seatime
03-05-2007, 08:34 PM
Provided the vessel is for recreational use, and not for "hire or reward" there is no limit to the size of boat you can drive with a Qld rec boat licence, or any other state to my knowledge.
Frightening thought isn't it, a few have come to grief trying to bring imported ex-workboats/trawlers back to OZ to resell.
Somewhere you'll reach a limit, unless you have good mates who are marine engineers or electricians, deckhands, navigators, all who will work for free (or cash) to help you run the thing.

Great White
03-05-2007, 09:04 PM
WOW :o anyone got an oil tanker I can borrow for the R2M, that will stop people anchoring in my drifts ;D


And it looks like my fellow AF member was right , mind you he does have quite a large boat :-X

rando
03-05-2007, 09:29 PM
Yeah
Depending to a certain extent on the design once you reach above about 60ft you need a crew to manage the boat , you just cant cover that much deck safely , especially during berthing manoeuvres

Chris53
03-05-2007, 10:42 PM
When I got my recreational ship masters licence I'm sure I read somewhere that it was up to to 50metres in length. But it has probably changed.

moparrob
03-05-2007, 11:06 PM
When I went for a tour through Riviera down at gold coast marina they told me the then new 58 footer they were building was that size because over 60 foot and you cannot drive it on a rec boat license and it wouldn't appeal to the broader market go figure
Rob

Poodroo
03-05-2007, 11:48 PM
From the licencing course I did it was mentioned that you can skipper anything so long as it was for recreational. Mind you however anyone that bought a boat like a 60 footer would have to be competent in handling such a vessel or things will go wrong very quickly and they would end up looking quite the goose stuck fast on a reef or something.

Poodroo

Lobster48
04-05-2007, 03:19 AM
Half of all the owners of these 60ft cruisers all look like geese anyway...particularly when they are all parked up behind the Pin sucking their chardonnays...get it out across the bar I say and get some blood on the thing...

seatime
04-05-2007, 06:27 AM
When I went for a tour through Riviera down at gold coast marina they told me the then new 58 footer they were building was that size because over 60 foot and you cannot drive it on a rec boat license and it wouldn't appeal to the broader market go figure
Rob

I'm assuming here that Riviera wouldn't consider too many rec boaters would be capable of driving 60+ footers. The majority of these size boats are for the charter market or are corporate owned and in survey for tax reasons. A 60' Riv or Maritomo with all the bells and whistles requires a high level of maintenance, and qualified crew to run it and understand the electronic systems. There's not going to be too many owners prepared to carry the expensive upkeep, berth fees, pay crew to assist, running costs, etc, without offsetting the expenses somewhere.
However, there's nothing to stop anyone with a wheelbarrow full of cash from purchasing one, registering it recreationally, and using it solely for recreational purposes.

PADDLES
04-05-2007, 07:56 AM
if i had enough money to buy a 100 foot boat, there's no way i'd be driving the bugger, i'd be out the back sipping rums. whilst my chaufeur drives.

STUIE63
04-05-2007, 08:11 AM
Yeah But He Would Only Need A Rec License As Well
Stuie

bootyinblue
04-05-2007, 09:54 AM
Not sure if this is a spin off from the licence thread that was done a couple of days ago.

But as long as you are not conducting any commercial activity with your vessel, then a person with a current recreational marine drivers licence can drive anything they choose on the water.

Obviously the insurance companies of some of these floating apartment blocks might take a dim view of a 16yo who has held his licence for 2 weeks, taking Dads boat out for a spin with the mates, but according to law as long as he obeys all the waterways signs then he is entitled to be at the helm.

Scary huh, seeing as when I first got my licence you could have got it without ever setting foot in a boat before....

gunnabuild1
04-05-2007, 09:12 PM
Hmmm dont think it will be an issue for me somehow!
Except when I am bouncing in its wake

rando
04-05-2007, 09:47 PM
I beg to differ Gelsec,
Take a run around RQYS marina some day and have a look at some of the floating hardware in there , most are privately owned , these blokes have a serious quid behind them.
I only know of one boat in there with a full time skipper. A 68 fter from memory, in full survey and spends a lot of time on the reef .
Ive had the priviledge of being on board quite a number of them.
On one occassion recently I was on a 50 fter that had a big screen (and I mean really big) TV that came up out of the back of the sofa hydraulically.
We watched Jimmy Buffet live in concert on DVD with the sound from state of the art Bose sound system, turned up loud while we got gloriously P!$$#@ .
The boat itself was the skippers "spare" and cost $1 mill.
Like I said some of those blokes a heavy hitters.
Ill try to post a photo of one of the boats I do log events on if i can work out how to resize it.

Cheers
rando

Shazbanger
04-05-2007, 10:26 PM
i could most probably drive the almighty 'titanic', doesn't nessacary mean i should ;)

rando
04-05-2007, 10:31 PM
Sorry guys I'm shite at driving a computer, had a couple of tries to resize it but it kept coming out all out of proportion.I give up.
rando

seatime
04-05-2007, 11:23 PM
I beg to differ Gelsec,
Take a run around RQYS marina some day and have a look at some of the floating hardware in there , most are privately owned , these blokes have a serious quid behind them.
I only know of one boat in there with a full time skipper. A 68 fter from memory, in full survey and spends a lot of time on the reef .
Ive had the priviledge of being on board quite a number of them.
On one occassion recently I was on a 50 fter that had a big screen (and I mean really big) TV that came up out of the back of the sofa hydraulically.
We watched Jimmy Buffet live in concert on DVD with the sound from state of the art Bose sound system, turned up loud while we got gloriously P!$$#@ .
The boat itself was the skippers "spare" and cost $1 mill.
Like I said some of those blokes a heavy hitters.
Ill try to post a photo of one of the boats I do log events on if i can work out how to resize it.

Cheers
rando

G'day rando

OK then. sounds like you had a great day out. :)

cheers
Steve

mitch92
06-05-2007, 06:21 AM
Hey guys,

This is the picture that rando was speaking of that his mate owns, I am just posting it for him.

goldfish
06-05-2007, 07:23 AM
there are a few idiots on our waterways but when these get into big boats it can be very funny but sometimes scary.. just watch as some try to anchor up in the anchorage. i drive a 30ft and am still learning but i have worked my way up over the years, but i know of guys that have bought 40ft as thier first boat.. now thats scary...
cheers
rick

PinHead
06-05-2007, 07:57 AM
the boss has now decided that next year will be time to upgrade....will be another idiot (me) on the water with a bigger boat.

goldfish
06-05-2007, 07:54 PM
the boss has now decided that next year will be time to upgrade....will be another idiot (me) on the water with a bigger boat.
at least you have some experance in boats and you know how the wind & currents affect what you do. same with big boats only more effect:) . what sort of boat are you thinking of upgrading to. as we are/will be looking at changing ours again soon.
cheers
rick.

PinHead
07-05-2007, 06:06 AM
at least you have some experance in boats and you know how the wind & currents affect what you do. same with big boats only more effect:) . what sort of boat are you thinking of upgrading to. as we are/will be looking at changing ours again soon.
cheers
rick.

the boss wants to go to about a 35' sports cruiser...will be having a keen look at Sanctuary Cove boat show.

catchthemall
07-05-2007, 05:18 PM
im two young you could give me a share of the money