WELCOME TO BLUEWATER TRAINING, Antibes
On behalf of the instructors and staff of Bluewater Training in Antibes, we want to welcome you and thank you for trusting us with your training. With more than 30 years of experience in the training and certification of professional seafarers around the world, we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality training in the yachting industry.
Our instructors bring a wealth of practical experience and extensive maritime knowledge to the classroom. Please take advantage of this valuable resource whilst you are here. As you progress through your training, please let us know your thoughts. Our goal of continuous improvement relies on the feedback and experiences of our students. Training is a shared responsibility. Whilst we will provide you with the guidance and information required to be successful, it will be up to you to take the time and effort to study, engage and make every attempt to not only learn the material, but to develop the skills to integrate and apply these skills and knowledge to your careers. Do not hesitate to ask your instructor or any of the Bluewater Training staff for assistance. Our website has lots of information on courses, as well as upcoming schedules and FAQs. We are here to help you while you are taking your courses and guide you through your career path.
Sincerely,
John WYBORN
Managing Director
Bluewater Training
MEET OUR TEAM
If you have any questions before, during or after your course, you can contact any of our Training Coordinators by email, telephone on +33 493 344 773 or in person at the Crew & Training office at 7 boulevard d’Aguillon, Antibes.
Email the team
Lisa THATCHER
Training Manager / Examinations Officer
Vincent LÉVESQUE MARTEL
Chief RYA Instructor & Instructor Liaison Officer
Femke BOWMAN
Training Coordinator / Logistics Officer
Pippa WASTELL
Training Coordinator & PA to Training Director
Marjorie SHIK
Training Coordinator
Louise TUCKER
Administrative Assistant
Our facilities
The Crew and Training office is in the centre of Antibes (7 boulevard d’Aguillon) and opening hours are 08h00 to 17h00. Most of our courses take place at our training centre in Biot (73-95 Pré Catalan, 780 route de la Mer), open from 08h30 to 17h00.
Basic sea survival practical exercises take place in the Antibes public swimming pool. The advanced firefighting practical exercises take place at a purpose-built centre near Genoa. We will take care of organising transport for students to and from other offsite training venues. Bluewater Training Antibes also provides on-the-water practical training on board MV Lord Nelson.
No visitors are allowed in the Biot Training Centre unless authorized by the Training Manager.
- Classrooms with SmartBoard technology and video projectors
- Training simulators for radar, navigation, communications and bridge/HELM control
- Engineering workshop
- MCA-approved fireground
- WiFi
- Changing rooms and showers for those attending practical firefighting courses
Academic procedures
Whether you take one or several courses with Bluewater Training, each new course requires certain items and actions on your part. You will receive joining instructions about 10 days before you start a course. Please read them carefully as they contain important and specific information about your upcoming course. All our policies are fully described in the Terms and Conditions – please make sure you read them carefully too.
Registration
On the first day of your course, please meet at the Crew & Training office at 08h15 for payment of any outstanding balances, registration with your passport, and to present your prerequisites (if applicable). Always refer to your joining instructions for specific instructions regarding your course registration, as courses that do not start on Monday morning, or are not taught from our training facility may have different registration times.
Transport
On the first day a bus will leave Antibes at 09h00 to take you to our training facility in Biot. The bus will leave Biot to return to Antibes at 17h00 on the first day of your course. The other mornings of the course please meet at the bus stop at 08h20 at the latest. You will be responsible for making your own way to the Training Centre at your own expense if you are late!
Private Transportation
Please avoid taking your own transport where possible, as there is extremely limited parking at the training centre. If you would prefer to make your own way to the training centre, please let us know so that the bus driver doesn’t wait for you. Please take note of the parking restrictions around the training centre to avoid being towed, and check directions to Parking Saint Jean a few minutes away.
Biot - parking saint jeanPhoto id
You must bring your passport or government- issued photo ID to the office for registration and to the classroom to show the instructor. You will also need it if you are taking an IAMI or SQA written examination. Be aware that you need to be 16 or over to attend any of our courses.
Personal information
We will be using the information you have given us to print your certificates. Please make sure your full name and date of birth are correct as per your passport or government-issued ID card. If your details are not correct there may be a cost involved if a replacement certificate is required. Bluewater takes the data protection and privacy of our clients very seriously and has a range of policies, processes and technical measures in place to safeguard your personal information. The Privacy Policy can be viewed here.
Course materials
Your pre-study material and course notes will be available in your Bluewater Account. You will also need some paper or a device with which to take notes. Any other material will be specified in the joining instructions. Without specific authorisation, Bluewater Training materials may not be used for other training or commercial purposes. Audio or video recordings of lectures and classroom activities is prohibited.
Students with medical conditions
The courses that involve a practical component require you to be in good physical condition. You will be asked to sign a health declaration at the beginning of a practical short training course and are required to disclose any medical condition or relevant medical treatment to the instructor that may affect your participation in the course. For some courses, a valid ENG1 or other accepted national seafarer medical may be required and will need to be presented on the first day of the course to the training coordinators or the instructor.
Dress code
Students are asked to come to class dressed appropriately. When at our Training Centre and on board training vessels, students must wear appropriate shoes. Sandals, flip-flops (and similar type footwear) and bare feet are not acceptable. There are certain courses with a practical component that have specific clothing requirements, and this will be indicated in the joining instructions that you receive prior to the course. The vessel captain/instructor has sole discretion on appropriate clothing.
Prerequisites
Prerequisites are requirements students must meet prior to taking certain courses or receiving certain certifications or licences. These can include successful completion of earlier courses, certifications, valid seafarer medical, Certificates of Competence, and/or sea-time requirements. It is up to you to make sure you have the required prerequisites and they will be verified by Bluewater before the start of the course. Our training coordinators can advise you, if necessary.
Conduct during a written examination
Bluewater Training strictly follows the examination procedures established by IAMI (for deck) and the SQA (for engineering) written examinations. All students taking the written exams shall respect the code of conduct established by those authorities and Bluewater’s Code of Conduct during the exam. Bluewater’s Code of Conduct is included as an Annex at the end of this document. If you would like to consult a copy of the IAMI or SQA examination procedures, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Cancellation policy
We deliver our courses as far as reasonably possible and will do our best to deliver all programmed courses. However, if we fail to meet minimum number of bookings, if there are poor weather conditions, instructor issues or other unforeseen circumstances we reserve the right to cancel the course. We strongly recommend that you organise flights and accommodation only if you have received confirmation that the course is running. In the unlikely event we cancel a course, you will be offered an alternative date or be refunded all pre-paid fees.
In the case you cancel a confirmed booking, your payments will be refunded depending on date of cancellation:
- More than 30 calendar days before the start date of your course, you will be refunded in full without penalty.
- 30 to 16 calendar days before the start of your course, your 50% deposit payment will remain as a credit. The remaining 50% of the course fee balance payment will be refunded if it has already been paid.
- 15 to 6 calendar days before the start of your course, your 50% deposit payment is nonrefundable and non-transferable. The remaining 50% payment will remain as a credit.
- 5 calendar days or less before the start date of your course, all payments are nonrefundable and non-transferable.
Your credit will be valid for 12 months from the first date of cancellation exclusively in the same location of the original booking. Rescheduling of a course booking is limited to twice within 12 months of the original booking, after which your credit is forfeited. Bluewater Training reserves the right to further retain up to a maximum of 100€, if any course material (printed or digital) has been delivered to the student upon confirmation of the booking by a deposit and the student does then not attend the course.
In the event your course was booked with a third-party training provider, the Cancellation & Refund Policy of the third- party training provider will apply.
There are no cancellations or refunds on any of our e-learning courses.
Method of assessment
There are several methods of assessment that could be used on your course, depending on the nature of the training and/or Merchant Navy Training Board course criteria or MCA regulations. The method of assessment could be one or more of the following:
- Formal, externally marked and moderated written examinations. In this case you will not receive your results until the papers have been sent to the UK and marked by an independent assessor. We will call you or email when we have your results.
- Internally moderated written multiple-choice examinations.
- Practical examination by an assessor other than your instructor.
- Participation in practical exercises and successful demonstration of practical exercises.
- Group exercises and scenarios. You will be expected to participate fully in these. Failure to do so could result in the instructor recommending that your course completion certificate be withheld.
- Presentations to the rest of the class. You may be asked to prepare a presentation, either by yourself or in groups. We accept that some people are uncomfortable speaking in public and if this is the case your instructor will work with you to find a way for you to demonstrate what you know.
- Question and answer sessions during the course. At frequent intervals during your classroom or practical training, your instructor will ask questions to ensure that you are learning and understanding the course material. Persistent failure or refusal to respond correctly to questioning could result in your course completion certificate being withheld.
Re-sit policy
For IAMI moderated and marked written examinations you will be allowed one re-sit, to be taken within 12 months of the end of the course. Resits of SQA moderated written examinations can be taken multiple times within the 3-year validity period of the course completion certificate.
Bluewater Training strictly follows the resit policies established by:
- IAMI for deck written examinations,
- SQA for engineering written examinations and,
- AMERC for GMDSS written and oral examinations.
For internally moderated multiple-choice written examinations, two resits attempts will be allowed within a 6-month period after course completion. In case of two failed attempts, the candidate is required to attend the course again.
Certificates
Course Certificates
Upon successful completion of your course, you will receive a certificate of proficiency or course completion certificate issued by Bluewater Training. The certificate will be issued to you after the course once your full attendance is confirmed by the instructor and the written examinations and/or practical assessments have been evaluated. Sometimes this may be a few days following the course to allow time for examinations to be graded. Please note that FULL attendance to the short training modules is required.
WE WILL CONTACT YOU REGARDING CERTIFICATES ON THE EMAIL ADDRESS AND MOBILE NUMBER PROVIDED WHEN YOU BOOKED YOUR COURSE.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THIS INFORMATION UP TO DATE AT ALL TIMES.
Courses Requiring an IAMI or SQA Written Examination
Bluewater Training will issue a course completion certificate once your attendance is confirmed by the instructor. We will contact you as soon as we receive the results. You should allow up to eight weeks before receiving your written exam results. IAMI pass certificates will be emailed directly to you once the exam has been graded. SQA will post the pass certificates to you directly once the exam has been graded.
GMDSS Certificate of Competence
Bluewater will submit the examination results to the Association of Marine Electronic and Radio Colleges (AMERC). AMERC will send the Certificates of Completion to Bluewater Training and we will notify you when they are ready for collection.
RYA Certificates of Competence (CoC)
Bluewater Training will submit the necessary proof of completion and the RYA will issue the CoC. The RYA will send your CoC to the address of your choice.
MCA Certificates of Competence (CoC)
In almost all cases, students are completing courses to gain Certificates of Competence (CoC) issued by Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Bluewater Training has been approved to provide training required for your CoC. However, you will have to do all the necessary paperwork to complete your application for a Notice of Eligibility and pass an oral examination with an MCA appointed examiner to obtain your CoC. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to come to the office and ask for advice.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with us
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Safety and security
Bluewater Training makes every effort to provide a safe and secure environment. Please report anything or anyone that you believe to be out of the ordinary or unsafe immediately to your instructor or other Bluewater Training staff. We also ask you to refrain from any behaviours that could potentially injure you or others, or cause damage to the facility or equipment. During practical learning classes, students are expected to abide by all directions from the instructor at all times. In the event of a fire alarm, students should proceed calmly to the nearest fire exit. Instructors will brief students at the beginning of each course as to the location of all emergency exits. Emergency numbers are displayed in each classroom.
No visitors are allowed in the Biot Training facilities unless authorized by the Training Manager
Student concerns & feedback
Students that have a specific concern regarding any aspect of Bluewater Training must report their concern to the Training Manager immediately. Students will be asked to complete a course questionnaire at the end of each course. These evaluations are important to us and are used to provide continuous improvement in course delivery. Course questionnaires are strictly confidential. Bluewater Training has complaints, appeals and malpractice/maladministration procedures to which you have access in case of any issues that may arise. You may contact us by phone (+33 493 344 773), email or in person at the office if you need any further information.
Contact usStudent services
Bluewater Training is here to help you during your time with us and we also have an FAQ section on our website. Bluewater also has a training centre in Palma and the team there is available should you have any questions.
Bluewater’s global crew agency can provide career advice and help you find your perfect job in yachting. You can contact the team online or meet with the crew agents in the Antibes office. If you are new to yachting, do check our Starting Out Guide for some useful information and register with the crew placement agency.
Bluewater Training Team in Palma
Meet our palma team
Contact the Bluewater Training Palma team if you would like advice about training or to book courses while you are in Spain. You can reach them by phone (+34 971 677 154), email or in person at the office (Calle San Juan 4, Palma de Mallorca).
Email the team
Annex A
Code of conduct
Bluewater Training instructors and staff expect students to conduct themselves in a manner that allows for an effective learning environment. To that end, instructors expect the following of all students:
- Be punctual for class and scheduled activities: lateness is disruptive to both the instructor and fellow students.
- Come prepared for class: students need to come to class clear-headed and alert. Since many courses are short training modules, instructors will expect students to have read material and completed homework and assignments ahead of class. Bring all required course materials to each class.
- Be respectful of the instructor and fellow students: be sure to follow all instructor directions and assignments.
- Remain engaged and focused throughout the course: students are expected to remain focused and engaged in class, avoiding distractions such as mobile/cell phones and unruly or unnecessary behaviour.
- Always be ethical and honest: Bluewater Training expects everyone to conduct themselves to the highest ethical standards. Students found cheating on exams or practical assessments will be subject to penalties of academic dishonesty.
- Communicate: it is very important that you communicate any concerns or issues to your instructor and/ or Bluewater Training staff as they occur. Bluewater is committed to assisting students with personal or classroom issues as they arise but can only do so if they are aware of the situation.
Cheating and dishonesty policy
For the purpose of this policy, academic dishonesty will be defined as an attempt to gain unfair advantage in an examination or other mode of assessment by any device contrary to the relevant assessment regulation and shall be deemed to include allowing or assisting another candidate in such an attempt. Specific practices which will automatically be deemed to constitute academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to:
- Plagiarism: this is a situation in which a candidate incorporates another person’s or body’s work by unacknowledged quotation, paraphrase imitation or other device in any work submitted for assessment, in a way which suggests that it is the candidate’s original work.
- Collusion: the collaboration without official approval between two or more candidates (or between a candidate[s] and another person[s]) in the presentation of work which is submitted as the work of a single candidate; or where a candidate[s] allows or permits their work to be incorporated in, or represented as, the work of another candidate.
- Falsification this is where the content of any assessed work has been invented or falsely presented by the candidate as their own work.
- Replication: this is where the candidate submits the same or similar piece of work on more than one occasion for assessment to gain academic credit.
- Being in possession of any unauthorised notes or devices in the examination room or during the period of the examination. All mobile/cell phones must be surrendered to the invigilator/proctor during the period of the examination.
- Obtaining an unauthorised copy of an examination paper.
- Communicating, or attempting to communicate with another candidate during the examination. Any communication in the examination must be with official invigilators only. Any other communication or sounds will be interpreted as attempts to communicate with fellow candidates.
- Being a party to impersonation in relation to an examination or course certification.
- Removing an examination paper from the examination room during the period of the examination.
- Any other means of gaining unfair advantage.
PENALTIES FOR ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Students found in violation of the academic policy will automatically fail the course. Students will be required to re-take the course, at the additional full course fee, if they wish to complete the course. Students found in violation of the Academic Dishonesty policy for a second time will not be permitted to take any further courses at Bluewater Training. Further, students taking IAMI/MCA/SQA and RYA courses will be reported to those respective agencies and additional penalties can be imposed by those agencies.
STUDENT CONDUCT
Students attending courses at Bluewater are expected to behave responsibly, be honest and considerate, respectful and courteous towards others. Students should:
- treat others as they themselves would like to be treated, with dignity and due respect at all times.
- treat others equitably and work to create an inclusive environment in which everyone is safe to speak up and share their perspective.
- take responsibility for their behaviour and their impact on others.
Behaviours which disrupt the learning process or infringe upon the rights of others will not be tolerated. Students must refrain from any activities which lead to the deliberate damage of property or create potentially harmful situations. Students must follow all instructions given by instructors and staff at all times while in instructional settings or while in Training Centre facilities. Bluewater will not tolerate any discrimination, physical or verbal abuse, threats, bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct. Students engaging in any disruptive conduct will be immediately removed from Bluewater Training facilities and will not be permitted to complete the course nor enrol in any further classes. In addition, fees paid to Bluewater Training will not be refunded.
ALCOHOL AND ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES
Students are not permitted to bring alcohol and substances deemed illegal to the Bluewater Training facilities. Students found in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs, and those who appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, will be asked to leave the training centre. Continued enrolment will be determined by the Bluewater Training Director.
SMOKING
Smoking is only permitted in designated areas outside of the building. Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted anywhere indoors.
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
During normal activities, there are times when equipment becomes worn or damaged from use. However, students found to have intentionally damaged or misused Bluewater Training property, course resources, vessel equipment or property belonging to others will be held financially responsible for the cost of repair or replacement and may be subject to further disciplinary action.
THEFT
Students may not remove property or resources belonging to Bluewater Training unless they have specific permission from the Training Manager. Any resources, such as books and videos, loaned to students for use in the centre, must be returned by the end of the course. Students found taking Bluewater Training property or property belonging to another person will be subject to dismissal and restitution.