Boatsharing - Lake Luzern (Vierwaldstattersee)

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Hi - does anybody have an experience with boatsharing in Switzerland? Ideally, do you know of anyone looking to share a boat with (Lake Luzern)?

I've been thinking for a while of buying a motor boat - something reasonable like a small bow rider or a RIB boat that could take 6 - 9 pax but still small enough to put it on a trailer and tow to another lake for the weekend etc.

As the annual cost will be an expensive affair and I won't be able to utilize a boat at all the time - I was thinking if joining an existing boatshare and/or creating one of my own.

Many thanks for your comments.

2
I would be interested too. Do you have a Swiss boat license?

3
I have a licence from Croatia but an officer at a local VZS (Nidwalden) told me that it's not eligible for a conversion to a Swiss licence; therefore, I need to register at a boat school and take as many hours as they see fit to pass the local test. Theory should not be a problem as there are CDs that you can learn from; however, the practical test is probably worth the investment - average school in Luzern/Hergiswill charges somewhere around CHF80 per 45 minutes. I was told that 5 - 10 hours should be fine to get me up to a skill level qualifying to pass the exams. I guess the schools would also allow to share the cost for multiple students to some extent.

I still need to go back to VZS to see if they would let me take the practical test in English (I speak some French as well and it should be fine enough to follow instructions so this would be an alternative for me as well).

There is a small marina behind the house where we live (Stansstad) and I've already had my name put on a waiting list; alternatively, there is some outside parking available so until a free berth opens up (within a decent diameter) this could be an option as well (Dropping a boat off the trailer in Stansstad/Hergiswill/Alpnach).

4
That would surely be for a novice ? If you're already experienced and qualified elsewhere I'd expect just an hour or two to be plenty, especially if it's just for motor boats.

I've not done it myself, as we generally restrict ourselves to the med, but if/when I do I wouldn't be planning on any "lessons", just an assessment (I have ICC and plenty of sailing experience). Of course for the real info we should wait for a reply from our resident sailing instructor eng_ch

The boat sharing sounds like a good idea in principle, but TBH I fail to see the point in small motor boats, so it's not for us thanks

5
That is right. I just want to make sure that when I'm tested on a man overboard rescue etc that I'm circling around a victim in a right direction/distance as prescribed in the Swiss playbook.

Fair point about the boat - I guess that I just don't have enough of a time to look after/maintain/clean after each ride a bigger boat not to say a sail boat so a small motor boat would be an easier entry ticket to enjoy good times with family/friends on the water while keeping the road traffic off main mind.

I do appreciate your comments though.

6
Before you consider getting a boat, you should look into how long until you can get a docking spot. I don't know how lake Luzern is, but Zurich and Neuchatel aren't; unless, maybe, if you have loads of money or have the right connections.

7
The docking is actually part of our housing complex, fees are a bargain (CHF60 a month) but the berth size is very limited to a small motor boat. I was told that something typically opens up within a year so until then I thought to jump start sorting out the licence - finding if there is somebody else who might be interested - choosing a boat etc.

8
So apparently in the canton Nidwalden/Obwalden there is an English version of the written test available and the practical part should not be a problem in English either.

9
Cool. I might get round to doing the Swiss conversion test one of these years.

10
Another possible option for you...

Some mates and I rent a boat this weekend on 'Lake Luzern'. We were able to do this with out International licence.

It was a 9m cruiser which we used to zoom around the lake, do some wakeboarding and visit some spots. I think it was CHF1K for the day, plus fuel, but we were 8 people, so worked out quite reasonable. The hire place also has smaller boats at cheaper prices. Many friends of mine who do have boats have told me that unless you use them a lot renting is a much better option.

11
No experience with renting a boat, but here is a company in Luzern known to rent boats http://www.bootsvermietung.ch/Motorboote.htm .

If you are a Swiss resident you will need to have an approved foreign motor boat license, or the Swiss lake motor boat license.

12
To be exact, you need an ICC (International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft), with 'Inland waters' certification. If you don't have the Inland certification you can complete the CEVNI test online, which is quick, easy and cheap. (£20)

13
I have a 7 m black rib with a 175 Mercury outboard on a trailer .

I have been considering selling it . So would consider a boat share .

Lucern would be a good location for me .

All of the paperwork is in place and the boat has all of the toys .

Ie , inflateable toys , wake boards , skis etc .

The boat is on a trailer with full cover etc .

Get in contact and I can forward some pics and more details .

Regards

Andy

14
A great lower cost option and lower hassle too, will be no maintenance no mooring no launch & I retrieve, no trailer.

I would go this route...

15
Sorry for the slightly belated reply, I'm teaching in Greece at the moment.

NickGB, sorry to rain on your parade but you are only permitted to use your ICC with CEVNI in Switzerland as a visitor or in the first 12 months of residency. After that, you have to take the Swiss licence unless you are fortunate enough to hold a licence from one of the 4 surrounding countries that they will chop in. It's basically the same system as with car driving licences, but with very much less mutual recognition. As you can imagine, it's a question I get asked a lot:

http://sail-ysl.ch/is-my-qualification-valid-for/

Ace1, don't underestimate how picky the examiners here are. It does vary from canton to canton - of course - but for my D-Schein I took 4 hours' private instruction to get used to the boat and for my A-Schein I did 15 hours and counted myself very relieved to actually pass. This bearing in mind I am a commercially endorsed Yachtmaster Offshore and dinghy and yacht instructor. For instance, if you do the A-Schein exam out of Oberrieden in Zurich, they'll often take you to the marina next door to do your close quarters manoeuvring. If you go straight there instead of taking a course 90 degrees to the shoreline for the first 150 m away from shore, it will be an automatic fail. In short, I would never ever take an exam without decent prep time with an instructor who knows exactly what the examiners want to see

Also if anyone is thinking of taking the Swiss exams, the theory can usually be done in English but the practical very much depends on each canton's regulations - some do, some don't so check first. Cantons can also be very picky about whether you are allowed to take the test out-of-canton or whether you have to do it in your canton of residence. Zurich, for instance (with which I'm most familiar), has a very limited set of criteria to be able to take the test out of canton.

ETA: to answer the OP's question I know there are 2 boat-sharing organisations for sailing - Sailbox and Sailcom - but I've not yet come across a formal boat-sharing scheme for motorboats. Doesn't mean there isn't one, I've just not come across one. Your best bet is probably to rent as and when or get in touch with Andygard. But do make sure your qualifications are legal - otherwise the consequences if something goes wrong probably don't bear thinking about.

16
For renting also? I've been here for 5 years and renting a boat was no issue.

17
If I turn up to a boat rental with my foreign licence & my foreign PP, I would assume that the rental service provider would rent to me (& by extension insure me), assuming my licence is a valid ICC with CEVNI. No?

18
I imagine they assume you're a visitor. But if you were to have an accident....?

19
Hello, I'd like to revive this thread as I've cleared the list for a boat slip and should get it anytime soon. The berth is quite limited in terms of dimensions (5.5m lenght). So I was wondering if anyone is interested in sharing a small motor boat (strong enough to pull a wakeboard). Ideally I'd like to narrow it down to a bowrider max 10 years old and share it between 3 people. The slip is in Stansstad (between Alpnachersee and Vierwaldstatrersee). The rent is CHF900 per year. I haven't done a captain licence yet so doing it together might save us a lot of cost as well.

https://www.google.cz/maps/place/46%...58!4d8.3372639

20
This quote brings me back 50 years. I was 20 years old, born and raised in Luzern. On the summer of 1967 I helped out on a Pedalo, sailing boats and Motorboats Renting company. Mostly Us Tourist. I did my Motorboat Commercial Licence which allowed me to be a captain for Motorboats up to 40 passengers. One day a big storm came up just before landing in Weggis and I had a really hard time dock my boat with around 30 Passengers . Had two wait about 2 hours in Weggis to finally start the return to Luzern and it was getting dark by then, but somehow I made it. P.S. I was the only captain on that boat, no copilot and 20 years young. Scary