Don't need VHF radio licence

[sheridan]

HI all

Am a bit confused I thought you needed a marine licence/certificate . I have a VHF radio in my boat was there when i bought it didn't turn it on cause i have no licence .I was talking to a mate he said i didn't need one . Rang Australian Communication & media Authority in Canberra phone no 1300850115 they confirmed you do NOT need a licence anymore. I think it would be good to do a
course so i know how to use it properly but it is not against the law to use it
Attached hopefully is the email they sent me.


Geoff
Sorry it wont let me attach the email or im not doing it right

[Scott nthQld]

In Qld your are required to have a VHF licence, however, you are able to use a vhf in emergencies only. Details can be found on the Marine Safety Queensland website.

[Simmo2]

It would be interesting to read that email Sheridan. Can you scan it and attach it as an image?

http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1743

[sheridan]

Sorry Scott NTH QLD i am from Brisbane QLD and they told me i did't need one in QLD so the Australian Communication and Media Authority may have it wrong i will have to check it out further.

Geoff

[sheridan]

Not sure SIMMO2 will have a go.
Geoff

[sheridan]

HI Simmo 2

Scanned email see if this works hope you can read it

[Marlin_Mike]

I think you will find the email means you dont need a license for the RADIO UNIT, but still need one to operate a VHF radio

[sheridan]

Hi Marlin_Mike if you read the email it says opperate a radio.

Geoff

[Simmo2]

OK the confusion here is that yes the radio comes under a Class licence, but a condition of that class licence pertaining to VHF, is that the operator has a qualification to operate the radio.

[Brumby]

I'm with Mike on that, agree the e-mail is confusing but when you get into the detail it is saying you don't need to licence the radio installation as you did in the old days, when each station had its own callsign. What it should have gone on to say is that you still need an MROCP to legally operate one.

I did the course with Lloyd a while ago and although I already have an aviation radio licence, I learned a lot. It's a good day out and 'sides anything to try and keep some of the drivel you hear on 27mhz at bay!

[Oh Gee]

hmmm...The plot thickens...Wonder what would happen if i hit them with my Amature Radio Licence...Wonder how meny people out there can send and recieve CW...Wonder how meny people know what CW is.

g

Stir the Wallaby stew and make soup of the Kangaroos tail..

[QF3 MROCP]

OK the confusion here is that yes the radio comes under a Class licence, but a condition of that class licence pertaining to VHF, is that the operator has a qualification to operate the radio.

Simmo2 is right.. the 27meg & VHF radio ( as a transceiver & receiver) are issued in accordance with a "Class Licence", hence they do not have to be registered unlike a MF/HF which does. MF/HF is then allocated a call sign which is used in an transmission.

The confusion comes about with the operator of the VHF radio - generally the master or skipper or the person responsible for the safety of the ship. This person does require a "Certificate of Proficiency" commonly known as an MROCP (Marine Radio Operators Certificate of Proficiency" not a LICENCE - don't get them confused.

There are two types of certificates available: MROVCP for VHF radio use only and MROCP for VHF/MF/HF. VCP has a 25 question exam and the MROCP has 50 questions. Both are accepted Internationally.

Peter

[tigermullet]

.Wonder how meny people know what CW is.

Lots. Semaphore too. Phonetic alphabet - "Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, I'm as hard as a chocolate frog etc.";D

[QF3 MROCP]

Have a go at reading this...

http://www.amcom.amc.edu.au/handbook/amc.omc.mrohb.08.pdf

One would say it the the good book and should be carried on ever boat....

[QF3 MROCP]

.Wonder how meny people know what CW is.

Lots. Semaphore too. Phonetic alphabet - "Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, I'm as hard as a chocolate frog etc.";D


Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta...

Tango, India, Golf, Echo, Romeo, Mike, Uniform, Lima, Lima, Echo, Tango

[tigermullet]

I never did get around to learning that new stuff well.;D

[sheridan]

Hi ALL
I thought i was confused before now i am totaly confused i will ring those idiots at Australian Communation & Media authority on monday .

[QF3 MROCP]

Hi ALL
I thought i was confused before now i am totaly confused i will ring those idiots at Australian Communation & Media authority on monday .

Hi ALL,
Should we introduce Sheridan to VHF DSC - well that needs registration for a MMSI to operate, just like the 406 EPIRB ::) ;D

[Sea-Dog]

A couple of posts from the ACMA website:

What is a certificate of proficiency?

A certificate of proficiency attests that the holder has the skill to operate certain types of radios.
Currently, five different certificates of proficiency and one certificate of endorsement are issued to operators of marine radios. They are:

Marine Radio Operators Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP)
Marine Radio Operators VHF Certificate of Proficiency (MROVCP)
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) General Operators Certificate of Proficiency (GOCP)
GMDSS First-Class Radio Electronic Certificate (1st-Class REC)
GMDSS Second-Class Radio Electronic Certificate (2nd-Class REC) and
Marine Satellite Communications Certificate of Endorsement (Satcom). What qualification do I need to operate the radio on my vessel?

The qualification you need depends on the type of equipment carried on your vessel (see table below).
Equipment carried on vessel
Minimum operator qualification
VHF, MF/HF and Inmarsat satellite radiocommunications equipment fitted in accordance with the requirement of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and the Australian Navigation Act 1912
GOCP


VHF marine radiotelephony ONLY*


MROCP or MROVCP


http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1743

The following relates to the licensing of the radio itself:

Licensing of ship and coast stations

Class licences authorise the operation of a number of devices commonly used on vessels. These include:

27 MHz and VHF marine radio equipment;
mobile and satellite phones;
Inmarsat communications equipment;
marine radar;
low power on-board UHF equipment;
EPIRBs; and
Citizens Band (CB) radio equipment. Class licences are open, standing authorities that allow anyone to operate particular radiocommunications equipment provided that the operation and the device are in keeping with the condition of the licence. Class licences do not have to be applied for and no licence fees are payable. If any condition of licence is breached (for example, operating on a frequency not mentioned in the Class Licence), the operator is no longer authorised to operate under the Class Licence. In this instance, the operator would be liable for prosecution.
Individual apparatus licences from ACMA are required for vessels carrying MF/HF marine radio equipment (Maritime ship licence - Ship Station Class B), trading vessels under Commonwealth survey (Maritime Ship licence - Ship Station Class C) and all coast stations. Applicants for individual ship and coast station licences should complete an Application for apparatus licence(s) form (R057) (http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310172/r057-application_for_apparatus_licence%28s%29.pdf) and, for assigned stations, the Additional station information form (R077). (http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310172/r077-additional_station_information.pdf) Licence fees (http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1614) should be included with the licence application.




Operator qualifications

VHF and MF/HF marine radio equipment and Inmarsat (A, B, C) Satellite communications equipment carried on board a vessel must be under the control of a qualified operator at all times. All coast stations must also be under the control of a qualified operator.
Most operators choose to obtain a Marine Radio Operators Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP), which covers the operation of both VHF and MF/HF equipment. The Marine Radio Operators VHF Certificate of Proficiency (MROVCP) has a somewhat simpler syllabus, but only covers the operation of VHF equipment. The Marine Satellite Communications Certificate of Endorsement (Satellite Endorsement) may be added to either the MROCP or the MROVCP if use of Inmarsat equipment is required.


http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_2749



So in a nutshell...... The apparatus (the radio) doesn't need to be separately licensed. (Just like you don't need a license for your TV anymore). It is covered by a blanket agreement (class licence) between operators and the governing authority (ACMA)

The terms of the agreement for the class license are that the operator of the apparatus MUST be appropriately qualified. (See qualifications above) Or else the class license doesn't apply to that operator. IE you're not allowed to operate the equipment.

I hope this makes it a little clearer.

[garman1]

I agree with OH GEE, have had an amateur licence since the 80.s, vk2cgl. But found the vhf course excellent.

Used to enjoy cw a lot and used it on 80 mtrs of a night....back when valves were popular watching them glow as u tuned em up.

[reddybayfisher]

This debate will never be settled...people that don;t have a 'Certificate of Proficiency' won't others to tell them they don't need one for piece of mind......do the course if you want to....don;t do it if you don't want to....stop trying to settle your guilt about using the VHF radio by getting someone else to say you can use it in a non-emergency situation....

[garman1]

Sorry but two reasons I did the course, for me ........ and secondly because it is the law to use one. Settling my guilt didn't come into it, put the radio in the boat and wanted to learn how to get the "most" from it. Not into guilt trips for anyone else who hasn't ................

Last post for me on this thread.........

We work 5 days to enjoy 2 with the kids and fishing, enjoy

Gaz

[QF3 MROCP]

Hi ALL
I thought i was confused before now i am totaly confused i will ring those idiots at Australian Communation & Media authority on monday .


How did the phone call go with ACMA?

[sheridan]

Have been very busy this week havn't realy thought about it received a letter on monday from mainroads saying they may resume our home for the new pacific motorway and bikeway between Daisy Hill and Loganholme . Have had meetings with them supposed to have another today but they canceled until next tuesday.
Just finished work 2weeks ago had my long service up taking 10 weeks off to renevate, paint and render our home great timing will have to see what happens. Will try to ring ACMA tomorow.
I don't have a guilt trip nor have i used the VHF radio in my boat i put information i was given by ACMA and asked for your oppinions as i too agreed you need a licence/certificate of compentancy .

Geoff

[Sea-Dog]

.....received a letter on monday from mainroads saying they may resume our home for the new pacific motorway and bikeway between Daisy Hill and Loganholme . Have had meetings with them supposed to have another today but they canceled until next tuesday.
Just finished work 2weeks ago had my long service up taking 10 weeks off to renevate, paint and render our home great timing will have to see what happens. ......

Geoff


Jeez, that's the rough end of the pineapple. :(

I hope they give you a decent price for your home if they do happen to take it.

[sheridan]

Hi all again
Rang ACMA again today spoke to someone different they comfirmed you need a certificate of compentancy to use a marine VHF radio And also my 40 channel UHF handheld radio if used on the water but not if used on land.They did say it should have been explained better the first time i rang.Will be doing a course soon as one is available with in a reasonable distance to home

Geoff

[Simmo2]

UHF CB TOO?? Far out.... more study to do on the class licence!!
Off the cuff, the UHF CB thing is bullshit!???

[sheridan]

YEA Simmo2
Told them i was going to use my UHF in the logan and down the pin to talk to my mate in his boat they said once i was on water i would need a certificate of compentancy funny thing is they said we can't tell you you have to get one only recommend you do as we cannot monitor it

Geoff

[QF3 MROCP]

Geoff: send SUBZONE a PM and get on his course. He's in your area.

Peter

[sheridan]

Just a thought if i was standing on one bank of the logan river and my mate was on the other bank on the other side we can use a uhf radio legally to talk to each other but two boats between us cannot without a certificate of compentancy because they are on the water HOW STUPID

Geoff

[Sea-Dog]

Geoff: send SUBZONE a PM and get on his course. He's in your area.

Peter

I think you mean subzero (Lloyd)

[QF3 MROCP]

I think you mean subzero (Lloyd)

glad someone is awake... it was a long day.. as will this weekend with midnight to 06:00 radio watch

[Hamish73]

Was out on the water today, as usual had the vhf on 16 and the 27 meg on 88, and some retard started playing music on 88. Another reason whay a licence is ideal IMO

[midcoast learner]

Can a passenger using the VHF be fined for calling for help if the certified operator is injured and unable to use the VHF.

[Horse]

Can a passenger using the VHF be fined for calling for help if the certified operator is injured and unable to use the VHF.

No. You have always been able to use it in an emergency

[gunna]

So when you are checked offshore by water police for safety gear - do they also check you have the required radio certificate ??

[2DKnBJ]

Subzero (Lloyd) isn't doing the courses anymore,someone else from Viccy point VMR has taken over.

Cheers Dazza

[oldboot]

I think some of the confusion is in the detail, and the use of the words.

The VHF radios at a time in the past were individually licenced under "Aparatus licences" as was just about every thing else including, radio microphones, CB radios and your radio and TV recievers at home.

Aparatus licencing has pretty well gone by the board except for specific uses.......The concept of a "Class Licence" was introduced in the late 70's early 80's I think.
This allows the use under certain conditions of day to day radio transmitting and recieving equipment.

BUT, those class licences do have conditions of use.

CB and marine 27meg and VHF marine operate under class licences, there is no longer any Aparatus licences, fees, applications or registering of most equipment.

All land bassed marine radio installations must still be licenced and you must have a valid reason..all the VMR installations are individually licenced and are alocated call signs, likewise places like tug boat and trawler basses.

you can not legally use marine radios on land unless they are specificaly involved in the launching or retreeving marine craft...unless you are specificaly licenced to do so.

But all this is covered in the marine radio courses.

On the matter of UHF CB.....I have not read the class licence for that, but it is intended for land bassed communication, so it would not surprise me if there is a funny clause in the licence prohibiting or restricting the use of UHF CB at sea.

Remember there are UHF radio systems used at sea, but they are generally not publicly accessable.

cheers


One of those conditions of use is that to operate VHF marine radio you must hold an appropriate certificate of proficiency.

The certificate is not a licence.

[gunna]

So when you are checked offshore by water police for safety gear - do they also check you have the required radio certificate ??


Anyone ???

[PinHead]

I doubt it gunna..would not worry about it. They don't even check if you have a license to drive the boat.

[oldboot]

I've had them ask if I have a licence to drive a boat......I doubt that they would ask about a radio certifcate....for two reasons.

1. because the radio is not a required item of safety equipment.

2. because radio licencing is a commonwealth matter.

The only time I recon the state police would have something to say about radio matters would be if it was causing some sort of neucance or recless endangerment or was part of some sort of criminal act.

cheers

[Noelm]

Anyone ???

Yes, they can and sometimes do, I am not too sure why such a simple thing can go for three pages, it is pretty clear, that you need a "licence" whether you call it an MROP or anything else, and of course if there is a genuine emergency, a passenger or not certified person can use your radio if you are not able to!

[Back In Black]

My wife & I did the MROCP course with Noosa Coastguard a year or so ago, & we were told quite categorically by the Coastguard the main reason you need to have it is for insurance purposes. If you have a marine incident, where damage, injury or loss of life occurs, & you do not have the MROCP, you will not be covered by insurance.
Tony

[Noelm]

My wife & I did the MROCP course with Noosa Coastguard a year or so ago, & we were told quite categorically by the Coastguard the main reason you need to have it is for insurance purposes. If you have a marine incident, where damage, injury or loss of life occurs, & you do not have the MROCP, you will not be covered by insurance.
Tony

nope, quite wrong that bit. The radio licence is a requirement by the relevant authorities, nothing to do with insurance companies, it is in pretty plain English if you care to read it.

[Back In Black]

NoelM,
As I said, we were given that info by Coastguard. I did not clarify by saying they were right or wrong, as I don't know, just that this was Coastguard Noosa's slant on it. More than likely it was just one individual with that idea, but as an instructor he is obviously perpetuating that concept in his students minds.
Tony

[oldboot]

I doubt that there would be an insurance issue surrounding a radio certificate on a recreational boat.......on a commercial boat may be.....and the coastguards own boats may require certified operators on board.... but that is a different thing.

As for emergency use.....it is a central principle of radio spectrum regulation that....under a genuine emergency and within reasonable bounds.....anybody can fire up on any frequency regardless of licencing or regulation of use..

For instance most radio amateurs have the ability to transmit on frequencies that they are lit alocated or licenced for and under normal circumstances thay could get in a heap of trouble for transmitting outside their alocated space.
But there have been cases where they have fired up on emergency service or marine frequencies and saved lives......under genuine emergency circumstances.

cheers

[ThePinkPanther]

Another point already mentioned is the word "operate".

So if you bought a boat with a VHF already installed you don't have to rush out get a licence simply because it is on your boat.

To take it to the extreme, if you leave it disconnected it is simply a piece of superfluous radio apparatus. Likewise, if your newly purchased boat had a HF set on it again you don't have to suddenly get a HF licence.

For info, there are no VHF monitoring stations anymore! The last one at CAPALABA was shut down yolks ago.

Now if you made a call on a VHF radio that you had no licence to operate you could theoretically be booked, but it wont happen and eve the Water Police have no authority over this issue of marine radio licensing.

Of course if you want to be a professional and responsible skipper, you will contact VMR Victoria Point or some of the AVCG units who run these courses for a few bucks after which you get a licence.

[Noelm]

no VHF monitoring stations?

[ThePinkPanther]

Yeh many years there was a full time marine and maybe even civil monitoring station runny the Govt of the day, based in. CAPALABA Brisbane who listened into all radio comma and could follow up you call sign andthen maybe see if you had a licence, I also think that Brisbane Radio on the old Bribie Island had a similar function before the morons inpower cllosed down a great 24/7 listening station.

As far as I know there is no official body "listening" out or monitoring VHF calls for the purpose of improper radio usage on HF or VHF.

Maybe some old guys on Ausfish might have a clearer memory on these stations.

I went to the official closing of Brisbane Radio at least ten years ago.

[oldboot]

Yes the regulatory system have very much changed from a focus on possession of equipment to the operating of equipment.

And most of the monitoring stations...yes monitoring stations....and mobile detection vans and inspectors are a thing of the past.

Back in the 60's and 70's we had quite a number of "monitoring stations" that were there to monitor transmissions on a variety of bands for regulatory purposes.
There was also quite a number of "radio inspectors" in fully equiped mobile vans out there tracking down illegal users of radio equipment.

these facilities were use to detect and track illegal and unlicenced radio transmissions.
Remember 27Mhz CB was originally completly illegal, even when it was made legal, there were still cowboys and pirates abusing the system.
Back then if you were regularly swearing on the CB, you had a pretty good chance of being prosecuted.
These days, they simply don't even care.

The authorities have a hard time prosecuting serious spectrum abusers.

Back when I was installing TV aerials, I had a couple of ocasions to report situations where dodgy equipment was wiping out reception on certain channels for streets arround.

In both cases the inspectors came and spoke users of the dogy equipment, the offendors more or less told the inspectors to piss of.

Back in the day, the inspectors would have had the police break down the door, and the item and anything related would have been confiscated and the person given a very large fine.

Ah those were the days :)

cheers

[charleville]

hmmm...The plot thickens...Wonder what would happen if i hit them with my Amature Radio Licence...Wonder how meny people out there can send and recieve CW...Wonder how meny people know what CW is.

g



Ha! Next you will be telling us to go and read "Radio and Hobbies" magazine to find out what it is. :-?

I started in the electronics industry in the mid 1960's and recall that the only blokes who knew what it was then were the old dinosaurs who bored all of us then BC108 and Fairchild IC bred up-and-comings with a certain smugness about their being able to communicate at the speed of a flu ridden, disabled, aged snail. ::)


'Tis good to know some dinosaurs are still out there. Maybe, there is still a market for the batch of 12AU7's that I have around here somewhere. Could be handy on your boat, I reckon. ;D;D;D


Now let's see, getting back on topic ...

The management of wireless communications policy is a Commonwealth matter. It has nought to do with state authorities nor the state police.

Do the Feds monitor such things? You betcha they do. I am not sure if it still operates, but at Capalaba there was a little old hut surrounded with lots of radio antennae that monitor the airwaves for misuse and some blokes inside whose whole jobs were to listen to wireless communications all day long and initiate the prosecution of people and impounding of equipment for misuse. The hut was originally a monitoring station of Japanese radio communications in WW2 but in later years was deployed to catch people doing wrong things with CB radios and other wireless types. Indeed, when I visited there many years ago, they were deploying impounded wireless sets and antenna in their work. Call it recycling if you like. :D

Having said that wireless comms is a federal issue, I suspect that the misuse of such for mischief, especially in relation to life endangering matters or wasting of authorities' time would still prompt a visit by State Police but it will not be regarding having a licence to operate the thing.





.

[Noelm]

Ha! Next you will be telling us to go and read "Radio and Hobbies" magazine to find out what it is. :-?

Maybe, there is still a market for the batch of 12AU7's that I have around here somewhere. Could be handy on your boat, I reckon. ;D;D;D




.
I might be able to dig up some 6CM5's and maybe a couple of 1S2's to go with them, the 12AU7 was some sort of amplifier?? i think it was used in the sound and tuner circuits, is my failing memory correct?

[charleville]

I might be able to dig up some 6CM5's and maybe a couple of 1S2's to go with them, the 12AU7 was some sort of amplifier?? i think it was used in the sound and tuner circuits, is my failing memory correct?



Ah yes, but do you know what CW stands for? ;D;D;D



(PS. Yup - the 12AU7 was just a triode.) 8-)



.

[oldboot]

My father-inlaw can still bang out a fair stream of morse, he was a radio officer on oil tankers most of his working life and ya had to be able to send and recieve morse at a fair crack to keep ya job at one time.

The 12ax7 and the 12au7 are both twin triodes ( bread and butter amplifiers) and still very much used in high end studio mic preamps and in the preamp section of valve guitar amps, still being made and still easy to get hold of.

Rectifier valves are common as muck because all but the purists replace them with semicondictor diodes.

There is still something going on down at Capalaba..don't know what...most of those who put in at the wello pt ramp will drive past the gate.

There are still radio inspectors, but they are a rare and illusive breed and hardly ever seen these days.

cheers

[Bazzawookooka]

So excuse me for being blunt, but what the f##k does CW stand for????????????????????????????????

[oldboot]

Continuous Wave.....it is morse transmitted by a contunuous carrier, in the early days of radio it was an interupted unmodulated carrier.

These days most of the blokes still trasnmitting morse will do it with either a tone modulated carrier, or amplitude modulated tone on a contunuous carrier.

CW.....is used to mean morse code.

cheers

[Richo1]

Believe it or not but morse code it is still part of the "AMSA Deck Watchkeepers and Master <500GT" course, we had to learn it in 2009. Have not used it since, but comes in handy sometimes. One example is some special marks around have a yellow light sequence of Morse U . . - (dit dit dah) meaning you are running into danger.

[Noelm]

not to be confused with SB, SSB,FM,AM,RF, UHF, VHF,HF. . . . .

[charleville]

so excuse me for being blunt, but what the f##k does cw stand for????????????????????????????????




LOL



Heheheh!


.

[charleville]

not to be confused with SB, SSB,FM,AM,RF, UHF, VHF,HF. . . . .


Nor time division multiplexing, phase division multiplexing, space division multiplexing, frequency division multiplexing, nor ....


I reckon that mine is still bigger than any of yours!


Heheheh!



.

[charleville]

What it all comes down to is this ...


https://img.skitch.com/20110812-r7antd2nwg4t9bxiwwih8phcna.preview.jpg (https://skitch.com/charleville2/fqhtn/energy-timeline-electricity-maxwells-equations-event-view)Click for large view (https://skitch.com/charleville2/fqhtn/energy-timeline-electricity-maxwells-equations-event-view) - Uploaded with Skitch (http://skitch.com)




(ie Maxwell's equations - which define electromagnetic radiation)


(See - mine is bigger than yours!)


;D;D;D



PS The sad thing is that in the mid 1970's I once knew what all of those hieroglyphics meant. Gee - I am glad that I am past all that!



.

[Oh Gee]

Wow, it took 3 years 5 months or so for somone to ask the CW question...lol

g

[Noelm]

so then, it seems like we have a techno jargon war to be had!

[Noelm]

so then, when i had my super hetrodyne, on the amplitude modulated, continuous wave, triode cross heptode, and added the 3 phase 415V fixture. . . . . just being silly, sorry

[charleville]

so then, when i had my super hetrodyne, on the amplitude modulated, continuous wave, triode cross heptode, and added the 3 phase 415V fixture. . . . . just being silly, sorry



That would be what they call "steam radio." ;D

[Daggs666]

Hi Guys I went to the website and went into the document and it says

Operator qualifications

(1) A person must not operate a maritime ship station on frequencies in the VHF band unless the person:
(a) is qualified to operate the station; or
(b) is operating the station under the supervision of a person who is qualified to operate the station.
(2) A person is qualified to operate the station if the person holds:
(a) a Restricted Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency, Marine Radio Operator’s Certificate of Proficiency or Marine Radio Operator’s VHF Certificate of Proficiency; or
(b) qualifications recognised by the ACA as being equivalent to the qualifications mentioned in paragraph


My reading of this is that in order to operate the VHF unit you must be have completed the approved proficiency.

The definition of maritime ship is means any kind of vessel used in navigation by water, however propelled or moved, and includes:
(a) a barge, lighter or other floating vessel; and
(b) an air-cushion vehicle, or other similar craft, used wholly or primarily in navigation by water; and
(c) an off-shore industry mobile unit within the meaning of subsection 8 (3) of the Navigation Act 1912.

If you want to read the document it can be found at: http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2009C00052

If anyone else reads it differently please let me know. I thought it was a bit confusing


Cheers


Daggs

[ThePinkPanther]

Think you are spot on with the legislation bit though at day's end it all boils down to safety on the water.

Any Boatie who wants to be responsible and demonstrate top seamanship carries and uses a VHF radio.

Superior and more reliable communications are associated with VHF though being line-of-sight it can occasionally be a problem if you are behind an island or such.