What licensing bodies usually count as sea miles and sea time, which records help you prove them, and how to keep them from the first trip.
To prove sea miles, you need a record of each trip (date, boat, sea area, distance, and your role on board) confirmed by the skipper, usually with a signature and often on a form from the body that issues your licence. Start keeping that record from your first trip; collecting signatures years later is much harder. What exactly counts differs between licences, so always check with your licensing body.
What usually counts
| Usually counts | Often doesn't, or only partly |
|---|---|
| Miles at sea or in coastal waters | Miles on lakes and rivers |
| Miles on a yacht you sailed as crew or skipper | Miles as a passenger with no role on board |
| Miles after the licence that's a prerequisite | Miles before it, for some licences |
| Distance actually sailed | Time moored in harbour |
Some licences also ask for days at sea, night hours, passages over a certain length, time as skipper, or miles in tidal waters, not just a total distance. Read the requirements before your season, not after.
Useful records
- Your logbook. Dates, times, positions, distances, weather. The backbone of every claim.
- Skipper's confirmation. A signature for each trip or each cruise, with the skipper's name and licence details if the form asks for them.
- Boat details. Name, type, length, flag or registration.
- Your role. Crew, watch leader or skipper.
- Tracks. A GPS track supports distance and dates, especially for long passages.
Keeping records during the season
- Ask the skipper to sign at the end of every cruise, while everyone remembers.
- Note the distance per trip, not just the total. Bodies may count only some trips.
- Keep copies of signed pages in a second place.
- Note night hours and passages separately if your next licence asks for them.
Licence examples
- Germany (SKS, SSS): sea miles proven with a skipper's confirmation. See Sea miles for the German SKS licence.
- UK (RYA): the RYA practical courses and Yachtmaster exams list experience in days, miles, night hours and passages. Check the current requirements on the RYA website.
Recording miles in an app
A recording app makes the distance and dates the easy part. Manta logs every trip with its track, times and distance, groups trips into cruises and seasons, and shows your season's miles. Any trip can be exported as GPX. The skipper's signature you still collect yourself.
Questions
Do miles on a lake or river count?
For sea licences, usually not. Most bodies count only miles at sea or in coastal and tidal waters. Inland licences have their own rules. Check with the body issuing your licence.
Can I count miles I sailed years ago?
Often yes, if you can document them, but some licences only count miles sailed after a previous licence. Old logbook pages and a skipper's confirmation are your best evidence.
Who signs my sea-miles confirmation?
Usually the skipper of the boat you sailed on. If you were the skipper yourself, ask your licensing body how they want it documented.
Is a GPS track enough as proof?
Rarely on its own. A track is good supporting evidence for distance and dates, but most bodies want a signed confirmation, often on their own form.
Manta does this for you
Mileage certificates for your sailing licence Pro
Turn your trips into a mileage certificate, with every trip listed and signed by the skipper. A PDF ready for SKS, SSS, RYA and other licences.
