What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Recreational Craft Skipper (RD 875/2014): official theory exam (DGMM or region) + basic safety-and-navigation practice (16 hours) + radio practice.
- Endorsements: sail (16 h practice) and attribution extension with additional practice per the decree (indicative, verify).
- Age 18 (16-17 with consent) and psycho-physical medical; no prior title required.
Basic STCW
Not applicable.
Specific courses
- Exam syllabus: COLREG, buoyage, handling, safety, weather, chartwork
- Safety-and-navigation practice (16 h) at an approved school
- Radio practice (VHF/DSC use)
Indicative experience
No prior experience required: it can be obtained directly without LN or PNB. A passed PNB credits part of the syllabus (indicative per call).
Observations
Recreational, with no professional validity: for charter work the route is the PPER (after Yacht Captain) or the professional titles. It is also the title the explorer links from the buying guides: a mid-size buyer will sail on a PER.
What this role does
Spain's most widespread nautical title and the true centre of the recreational ladder: licenses motor craft up to 15 metres within 12 miles of the coast plus personal watercraft, with endorsements adding sail and, with extra practice, extending length and range (verify the extension's exact scope).
Typical watches
- Day and night navigation
Key responsibilities
- Government of motor boats up to 15 m in length.
- Navigation in an area between the coast and a line 12 nm away.
- Sailing up to 15 m (supplementary attribution).
Operational scope
- Motor boat ≤ 15 m
- Area ≤ 12 minutes from the coast
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.