Can you work with the PER?

One of the most frequently asked questions regarding nautical qualifications in Spain is whether you can work with the PER. Sailing a boat requires certain training, knowledge that must correspond to the size and characteristics of the ships to be handled.

To answer this question, it is advisable to delve into the type of knowledge it offers, what boats it allows to sail and how this learning can be applied in the professional field. 

For now, we inform you that You can work with the PER as long as you have other complementary training.

What is PER?

The PER (Pattern of Recreational Boats) is a nautical title defined in Spanish legislation - specifically in Royal Decree 875/2014 -, which determines the different training required to navigate in our country depending on the type of boat that you want to manage.

In this case we are referring to the Pleasure Boat Skipper qualification, although there are different qualifications with greater or lesser relevance within the context of navigation with pleasure craft.

Initially These types of degrees do not allow professional navigation or the performance of any type of professional service, however there is the possibility of being able to work with the PER after acquiring new complementary training.

Is it possible to work with the PER?

A priori, Current legislation tells us that you cannot work with the PER alone, but that complementary training is required to do so.. As we explain below, these add-ons are mainly related to security, although other extensions related to boat characteristics and sailing time are also useful.

Thus, there is the possibility of increasing nautical training beyond the title of pleasure boat skipper, obtaining the necessary knowledge to perform navigation in the workplace. But, What are the legal requirements needed to work with the PER?

Necessary requirements to work with the PER

In order to work with the PER, it is completely mandatory that you obtain a Basic Maritime Safety Training certificate. Even so, in the professional field it is only possible to work at a maximum distance of 5 miles from the coast and as long as the boat does not transport passengers under any circumstances.

In addition to this essential training, It is also essential to have the relevant extensions to be able to work with the PER, like the 24-hour practices for navigation to the Balearic Islands -which allow the distance from the coast to be exceeded 12 miles-, the extension to 24 meters in length -the basic PER allows 15 meters- or the authorization of sailing navigation -16 hours driving a sailboat-.

What can you work on with the PER?

When all these qualifications are obtained it is possible to work with the PER, although the legislation also determines which professional powers you could access. However, as we say, this performance can never exceed five miles away from the Spanish coast and must always be carried out on jet skis or pleasure boats, but in what activities is it possible to apply it?

These tasks range from the management of lifesaving vessels, the provision of maritime transport services between ports and ships, crewing on pleasure vessels or carrying out specific maneuvers in port waters. 

Finally, With the PER you can work as a skipper in maritime tests. As you can see, in no case does the transportation of people exist.

What type of boats can be navigated with the PER?

When you obtain the pleasure boat skipper qualification, it is only possible to navigate boats indicated in the sixth and seventh lists, which correspond to pleasure boats - whether for profit or not. 

Nevertheless, With the aforementioned extensions, you will also be able to handle administration, defense and rescue ships, included in the eighth list of the classification of boats and ships.

Thus You can work with the PER as long as the ships are owned by public entities, or to organizations and associations dedicated to scientific, humanitarian or security functions.

Some examples of these institutions would be the Red Cross, Civil Protection or some NGOs dedicated to maritime rescue, in addition to the State Security Forces and Corps.

The role of the PER in certain civil servant oppositions

This last point leads us to one of the most interesting aspects when working with the PER. In many coastal towns, the PER is required to compete with bodies such as the civil guard, firefighters or police, since in many cases they are dedicated to these defense and rescue tasks. In locations where the PER is not mandatory, it can add points in the opposition.

Why train as a pleasure boat skipper?

The title of pleasure boat skipper is a training that attracts attention in itself, as it allows those who hold it to operate boats large enough to enjoy sailing on the high seas. If we add to this that With the PER you can work in certain cases, it seems evident that it is worth obtaining.