My Bulgaria: Forums

walkage · Super User! Joined: Nov 01, 2008 Posts: 1440

With regard to small rowing boats up to 14' what's the rules for using them for beach coastal trips i.e. going from cove to cove etc - not actually out to sea. Any rules?? as i seem to remember somewhere that various documents were required Question

seathrift · Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:56 am Post subject:

You need at least an International Certificate of Competence and third party insurance. The former, if you do not have one, is best obtained from the RYA in the UK. In BG you will have to take the BG test in Bulgarian. If you are going to trail it, you will need a separately BG registered and insured trailer.
Any form of boating on the Black Sea, while it can be a lot of fun, is not a simple matter. The BG coast is a lee shore and quite savage winds can get up very quickly, without any warning. What was a pleasant beach to launch from can become an impossible landing place in just a few minutes. For a small boat, selecting a launch site that is protected from winds with any North or East in them is quite important. Selecting a site that it is even possible to launch from is equally critical. Not all beaches are useful for such purposes.
To invest in an RYA course would be a good way to get a little knowledge to start such a venture.
If you want to chat more about it, pm me for my telephone number or skype address

walkage · Super User! Joined: Nov 01, 2008 Posts: 1440

Seathrift thanks for all that ..when living in the UK I had my own 26' motor Cruiser off Exmouth and also used to crew with friends on their 30' yacht and another friend in a sailing dingy and his 26' yacht. So have some experience but am certainly not a fountain of knowledge. Confused

My idea here is for a sailing/rowing dingy that I would make myself..but --but -- it is very much in the thought process at the moment and may never lead to fruition..
I miss the sailing a bit, but my wife has never sailed.

seathrift · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:02 am Post subject:

Walkage, I have sailed in the Exe many times and was at one time a sort of honourary member of the Exe Sailing Club. My kids sailed a Mirror in their first ever race, at an open event at Lympstone. From there one went on to World level and the other National.
I much prefer to have an cooker, a fridge and a bed on board with room to stretch out! Maybe you would like to crew for me sometime? At the moment I am a bit tied up with matters other than sailing, but shall be taking to the water in August to make up for the lack of it.

walkage · Super User! Joined: Nov 01, 2008 Posts: 1440

Seathrift - small world Smile

By the way a met a man on Exmouth docks who was telling everyone that a shark had just swum past his boat moored in the Exe moorings - he said his boat was 4m and so was the shark. Never validated though..

Thanks for the offer re crew - will see how our time works out.

OldHolborn · Senior Member Joined: Jul 23, 2011 Posts: 117

I'll take the crewing option up, gladly!!

I only have a RYA Day skipper (land based) but would like to get the practical skills to do the ICC, with a view to having a boat in the harbour at Fanari in Greece (I'm Southern Rhodope based)