Courses to apply to owners of smaller-engined boats

About 4,000 owners of small seacraft have attended courses organised by the Maritime Institute of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology to obtain a licence in line with a law which has been in place since the courses started in 2001.

At present, it is only compulsory for owners of seacraft powered by engines with a 100 hp capacity to obtain a licence. But according to Maritime Institute director Reuben Lanfranco, the engine capacity is expected to be reduced to 75 hp shortly.

"So anybody with a vessel over 75hp should be wise enough to apply for the Basic Seamanship and Safe Boat Handling Course in order to get a licence," Capt. Lanfranco said.

The lowering of the capacity was timed so that owners of seacraft would have the chance to attend the course during the winter.

At the moment the law specifies that a licence is required if a boater has an engine of 100hp or over or capable of exceeding 12 knots. Furthermore, no licence may be granted to a person under 18.

In effect, 12 knots was not an excessive speed - roughly 22 kilometres an hour - and many seacraft with a lower engine capacity could reach that speed, he said.

Capt. Lanfranco also touched on the increase in costs to run the course, including fuel for the practical test and materials. This had compelled the institute to consider an increase in the application fee which at present is Lm50.

After attending the course and subsequent test - held at Villa Portelli, Kalkara - the institute awards a certificate to be presented to the Malta Maritime Authority which issues the licence at an additional cost of Lm10. The licence is valid for10 years.

Capt. Lanfranco also discussed the initial public reaction to the introduction of the course, which was not too positive bearing in mind the cost. But as time passed the positive aspects of the course, mainly safety for boaters and to others, increased in importance.

"Today, apart from boat owners, people who do not have a boat but intend to buy one in future are applying to attend the course to obtain the licence.

"The results after three years can be seen by everyone. There is more awareness of safety and more public cooperation with the AFM and the ALE," Capt. Lanfranco said.

Dwelling on the background to the courses, Capt. Lanfranco said that the need was felt for regulations as early as in 1985 to check the behaviour of certain people who operated speedboats. Such regulations had become necessary in view of the number of accidents caused by this activity.

Courses had started at the Nautical School at Haywharf which is now the institute's shore training centre. At first the licence was not mandatory and only those who wanted to learn about navigation used to attend.

"We started operating 'on a wing and a prayer' using one lecture room at Villa Portelli which was being renovated," Capt. Lanfranco said.

Courses are now held over two weeks, with the first being devoted to theory, the second to practice while examinations are held in the third week.

With regard to foreigners who hire a boat when they are on holiday in Malta, Capt. Lanfranco said the institute insisted that they should be in possession of a boat driving licence issued in their country and they would only have to join a module on local regulations, a session lasting about three hours.

Boat hirers are obliged to ask those hiring a boat if they have a licence and familiarise them with local regulations, Capt. Lanfranco said. However, not everyone abides by the law.

He touched on enforcement, saying that although the police and the AFM did everything they could to enforce regulations, resources were limited and this made it impossible to bring about enforcement everywhere.

A helicopter would be more effective to patrol beaches but it was impossible for technical reasons and the huge expense involved, he said.

On the other hand, he added, enforcement could be stepped up through the services of wardens who may be carrying out duties by the sea. In case of abuse by seacraft, the wardens could note the registration number of the seacraft and report it to the police so that action could be taken against the offender.

Capt. Lanfranco said that ideally a system for on-site "ticketing" should be introduced to avoid taking these infringements to court.

A spokesman for the MMA said that 16,000 seacraft were registered with the Small Crafts Register, of which 14,000 were active registrations.

The number of owners who have obtained a nautical licence so far was 3,200, the spokesman added.

The Maritime Institute also provides young men and women with the opportunity to embark upon a career at sea as an officer in the merchant navy.