EGP

The EGP (Extension Grand Plaisance) is a French qualification to allow you to drive larger boats. Larger boats I hear you cry, Soraya is 24 metres and 80 tons, am I going for a bigger one? The answer is 'no'. We do however plan at a future date to go into other parts of Europe in particular Germany. Germany is more particular about qualifications and only allows boats up to 20 metres with my ICC British certificate. I could have done the course in Germany however they only run the course in German. Not really in my skill set. Order a beer or a meal but not do a full boat course. The EGP courses are very thin on the ground. Fortunately there is a British couple who run a boat school on the Canal du Midi who have a 20+ metre boat. This is important as the course has to be on a boat in excess of 20 metres. They are not qualified to teach the course, however, they have teamed up with a French boat school who have the licence to grant EGPs but do not have a boat big enough. All good. I signed up paid the rediculous fee and flew down to Toulouse.

Geoff at the helm during the course.

The course was unique in the fact that they had never run it before and Ian (third from the right) and I were their first EGP students. Hence there were 4 instructors, as they were learning the ropes just as much as the 2 students.

The EGP crew. With life jackets, a course requirement.

We both passed. You may ask why bother. Ian, the other student, and I both agreed that we firstly just wanted to do it and gain the certification, secondly the ICC certificate we hold is really only for visiting boats, not when you are in France 24/7. Along with this the French have legislation in place that could if they so wished enforce this. They have never done so to date. Thirdly there is Brexit. Who knows what that could bring? Having the EGP will definitely put you in a better place.