Coastal & Inland Waterways Boat Licences

Prepare for your coastal and inland waterways boat licences in Paris and master the basics of navigation to make the most of your trips at sea, on lakes and on waterways.

Here’s how training works at our boating school:

1. Two compulsory parts
The coastal boating licence involves two separate courses:
·    Theory training (in the classroom)
·    Practical training (which must take place on board a boat)

You can take them in whichever order you prefer: theory before or after the practical training.

2. Theory training
·       Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes, either in one day (Saturday or Monday) or over two consecutive weekday evening classes.
·     Content: everything you need to know to navigate safely up to 6 nautical miles from a place of shelter (approximately 11 km from the coast): navigation markers, right-of-way rules at sea, vessel lights and shapes, weather, tides, reading nautical charts, VHF radio, the responsibilities of the skipper, and more.
·      Final exam: 40 multiple-choice questions on a tablet (similar to the driving theory test). A maximum of 5 incorrect answers is allowed.
·      You take the exam at an approved centre after completing your theory training.

3. Practical training
·       Minimum duration: 2 hours on board the boat
·      There’s no practical exam! This is training assessed by an approved instructor.
·       You’ll learn essential manoeuvres: setting off, coming alongside, picking up a mooring buoy, recovering a person overboard, and more.
·      At the end of the 2 hours, the instructor will decide whether you can operate a boat safely.
·      If you do not pass, you’ll be offered another lesson date free of charge.

4. Once you’ve passed both parts
·       We take care of the administrative approval with the prefecture.
·       You receive a provisional licence.
·       Your permanent licence (a plastic card) will be sent to you by post a few weeks later.

The coastal boating licence is valid for life and recognised internationally. It allows you to operate any recreational motorboat with an engine of more than 6 CV, up to 6 nautical miles from a place of shelter.

Why choose our boating school?
·      Our reputation speaks for itself (see our Google reviews)
·      Passionate instructors who know how to teach
·      Clear lessons with modern learning materials (including the Navicode manual)
·      A consistent focus on safety and respect for the environment

If you’d also like to obtain an inland waterways licence — which we recommend — you’ll need to complete an additional half-day of training (on a Sunday from 9 am to 2.30 pm) and pass an additional theory exam.

Training dates are available on our website via this link.
The list of documents you need to provide is available here.