If what you want is to sail yourself, with your family or friends, i.e. recreational sailing, you have different qualifications depending on the size of the boat and the distance from the coast to which you want to sail.

Without previous experience or qualifications you can access directly to three of these nautical titles:

·         Navigation License (Licencia de Navegación, LN)

·         Basic Navigation Skipper (Patrón de Navegación Básica, PNB)

·         Recreational Boats Skipper (Patrón de Embarcaciones de Recreo, PER)

To access the higher qualifications such as Yacht Skipper (PY) or Yacht Captain (CY), it is required to have previously obtained other nautical qualifications.

Without a permit or qualification:

You can sail without a license under the following conditions:

·         Motorboats up to 5 meters in length (15 hp max. power).

·         Sailboats up to 6 meters in length (15 hp max.power)

·         Up to 2 miles from a port, marina or place of shelter.

·         Day sailing only

·         Persons over 18 years old

Navigation License (LN)

The Navigation License (LN) is the most basic qualification, the famous "titulín". If you want to get your Jet Ski license or do day trips in small boats and go up to 2 miles away from the port of departure, this is your option. The course takes 6 hours and does not require an exam.

·         Motorboats and sailboats up to 6 meters in length with the power approved for the boat.

·         Jet skis without power limit

·         Up to 2 miles from a port, marina or place of shelter

·         Daytime navigation only

·         Persons over 18 years old (16 years old with parents’ permission)

How to obtain the Navigation License?

·         Course at a nautical academy, without official examination

o   If you are from the Tarragona area you can take the course in the nautical center of the Marina Cambrils, otherwise you can check if they have this service in your nearest Yacht Club.

·         2 hours of theory (notions of radio)

·         4 hours of practice on boat

Basic Navigation Skipper (PNB)

The Basic Navigation Skipper (PNB) is the title you are looking for if your plan is to go out on the weekend with family or friends, sail without losing sight of the coast, go from cove to cove avoiding the crowds on the beach or go fishing at night.

·         Motorboats up to 8 meters with the power approved for the boat

·         Sailboats up to 8 meters (complementary practices*) with the power approved for the boat

·         Jet skis without power limit

·         Up to 5 miles from a port, marina or place of shelter

·         Day and night navigation

·         Person over 18 years old (16 with parents authorization)

How to obtain the PNB?

·         Training and practices in nautical academies

·         Radio-telecommunications course (2h theoretical + 2h practical)

·         8 hours of practical training on a boat

·         Official exam and psycho-physical recognition

Recreational Boats Skipper (PER)

The Recreational Boats Skipper (PER) is ideal for you if you want to do coastal navigation with total freedom or if you want to sail to the Balearic Islands.

With the PER you can also obtain "professional attributions".

·         Motor boats up to 15 meters with the power approved  for the boat

·         Sailboats up to 15 meters (complementary practices+) with the power approved for the boat.

·         Jet skis without power limit

·         Up to 12 miles from the coast

·         Day and night navigation

·         Person over 18 years old

·         Navigation between islands within the Canary and Balearic archipelagos.

How to obtain the PER?

·         Training and practices only in nautical academies

·         Short-range radio operator course 12h (4h theory + 8h practical)

·         16h of practice

·         Official exam and psycho-physical recognition

IMPORTANT: If 24 hours of practice (minimum 4 at night) are completed, the PER is also enabled to sail between the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands and the length is extended to 24 meters.

The qualifications detailed from this point onwards require previous qualifications/licenses before being able to access them:

Yacht Skipper (Patrón de Yate, PY)

If you already have the PER, and you want more, with the Yacht Skipper (PY) you can venture to Sardinia or the Canary Islands, for example.

As with the PER, you also have the possibility of obtaining "professional attributions".

·         Motor boats up to 24 meters with the power approved for the boat.

·         Sailing boats up to 24 meters (complementary practices*) with the power approved for the boat.

·         Jet skis without power limit

·         Up to 150 miles from the coast

·         Day and night navigation

·         Person over 18 years old

How to obtain the PY?

Requirement: to have previously obtained the PER.

·         Training and practices only in nautical academies

·         Short-range radio operator course 12h (4h theory + 8h practical)

·         48h practical (36h navigation in voyage regime)

·         Official exam and psycho-physical recognition

Yacht Captain (Capitán de Yate, CY)

By finishing the chain of recreational nautical titles you will reach the top, Captain of Yacht (CY), and with this title you will be able to sail around the world in a boat.           

·         Unlimited length. Although the Royal Decree (RD) of qualifications limited the powers of the title of Yacht Captain to boats up to 24 meters in length, later the RD of mega-yachts removed this limit.

·         Jet skis with no power limit

·         No distance limit

·         Day and night navigation

·         Person over 18 years old

How to obtain the CY?

Requirement: to have previously obtained the PY

·         Training and practice only in nautical academies.

·         Short range radio operator course 12h (4h theoretical + 8h practical)

·         48h practical (36h navigation in voyage regime)

·         Official examination and psycho-physical recognition

Other considerations:

·         The specific sailing practices* are unique, they are valid for all qualifications. If they are done to obtain the PNB, they do not need to be done again. In case they are done for the PNB they will last 12 hours, but if they are done for the first time in any of the subsequent qualifications they will represent a total of 16 hours of sailing.

·         Every 10 years, a psychophysical recognition is required, but it is not necessary to repeat any examination. If you are over 70 years old, the renewal must be done every 5 years.