Sportseeschifferschein

The Sportseeschifferschein (SSS), is a German advanced yachting certificate for the command of pleasure craft in near-coastal sea waters. It forms part of the German system of recreational nautical qualifications and is issued for yachts with engine propulsion or with engine propulsion and sail.

Legal basis

The legal basis of the Sportseeschifferschein is the German Sportseeschifferscheinverordnung (Ordinance on Sport Coastal and Offshore Certificates). The ordinance distinguishes between the Sportküstenschifferschein (SKS) for coastal waters, the Sportseeschifferschein (SSS) for near-coastal sea waters, and the Sporthochseeschifferschein (SHS) for worldwide navigation.

According to the ordinance, the area of validity of the Sportseeschifferschein comprises near-coastal sea waters up to 30 nautical miles from the mainland coast, as well as the entire North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the English Channel, the Bristol Channel, the Irish and Scottish Seas, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea.

Function

The Sportseeschifferschein is an official German certificate for advanced seamanship in near-coastal waters. It is required for the operation of commercially used sport boats in the area covered by the certificate and is otherwise generally a voluntary qualification in recreational boating.

Requirements

To obtain the Sportseeschifferschein, an applicant must have reached the age of 16 and must already hold the Sportbootführerschein See for the relevant propulsion type. In addition, the applicant must prove at least 1,000 nautical miles sailed on yachts in the area of application of the certificate after acquisition of the Sportbootführerschein See or on the basis of another recognized qualification.

Examination

The examination for the Sportseeschifferschein consists of theoretical and practical components. Under the ordinance, the theoretical examination covers navigation, maritime law, weather, and seamanship, while the practical examination tests the applicant's ability to command a yacht safely under power and, where applicable, under sail.

Official examination subjects include:

• navigation
• maritime law
• meteorology
• seamanship

The practical examination includes mandatory manoeuvres and safety-related tasks on board a seagoing yacht.

Administration

The Sportseeschifferschein is administered on behalf of the German federal authorities by the Deutscher Segler-Verband (DSV) and the Deutscher Motoryachtverband (DMYV). Examination procedures for the SSS are handled through the central administrative structures designated for the SSS/SHS certification system.

Position in the German certification system

The Sportseeschifferschein forms part of a tiered German qualification structure for recreational boating. Related certificates include:

• Sportbootführerschein See (SBF See), the basic official sea licence for certain motorized recreational craft on German sea waterways
• Sportküstenschifferschein (SKS), intended for coastal waters
• Sporthochseeschifferschein (SHS), intended for worldwide navigation and requiring the SSS as a prerequisite

Comparison with the RYA certification system

The Sportseeschifferschein is sometimes compared with advanced certificates in the training system of the Royal Yachting Association. In terms of its position as an advanced qualification for command in waters beyond the coastal level, it broadly corresponds to the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore. The two certificates are not identical in legal structure, but both occupy an upper-intermediate to advanced position within their respective national systems, below the worldwide-navigation level represented in Germany by the Sporthochseeschifferschein and in the RYA system by the Yachtmaster Ocean.