Greetings,
In Belgium,there are now rules to.
If the vessel is under 12 meter,and does not run faster than 20 Km/H,you still dont need a licence.
If it's bigger than 12 meter,than you need a licence.
A speedboatowner need allways a licence,however the boat is most of the times smaller than 12 meter,but it goes faster than 20 Km/H.
I'm pro,for the licence,but here in Belgium they dont make a difference between the vessels.Example:Even when you buy here a small speedboat,you still have to learn to navigate in open seas.This means the whole stuff,with breton-plotter,and GPS.Which is most of the time not even onboard this kind of vessel.
I realy can understand that a owner of a real sail-boat,should do this stuff,because they want to cross the Northsea,when they have enough practice.
Also,the lessons are very expensive to follow,and the exams,well you have to pay them separate.
They should work on a system,that catagorise these different vessels,like they do with cars and trucks.
Now we have,some kind of wildgrow of (schools)or cources,all around the country.
So if you have passed all the tests,you can start to give lessons to.
I've seen prices of 250 euro,and more just for the course,and 50 euro and more for the exams.
Lucky for me,i've got my coastal-navigation to.So i dont have to follow these expensive lessons anymore.
Regards
Marc
