Swiss Boat Skipper Theory (Kat. A/D) study guide
Swiss Boat Skipper Theory (Kat. A/D) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Swiss boat skipper theory examination (categories A and D) is the written knowledge test that candidates must pass to obtain a Swiss pleasure-craft driving licence for inland waters. Category A covers motorboats, category D covers sailing boats; both share a large common core of navigation law, lights and signals, buoyage, safety and seamanship, so candidates often prepare for both together. The Swiss Boat Skipper Theory (Kat. A/D) study guide has 9 sections and about 4,179 words.
01Navigation rules and collision avoidance (COLREG / inland waterway rules)
Theory questions here come from the COLREG (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972) as applied on Swiss waters, supplemented by the Binnenschifffahrtsverordnung (BSO) and lake-specific rules such as the Bodensee-Schifffahrts-Ordnung. The exam tests whether you can name the give-way vessel, state the manoeuvre, and spot the case where both vessels must act.
506 words, about 3 min02Navigation lights, shapes, sound signals and distress signals
These items are pure recall in the exam, but they are set as scenarios: at night you see a certain combination - what is it, and what do you do? Sound and distress signals are examined the same way, often together with radio procedure.
526 words, about 3 min03Buoyage, marks and chart symbols
Buoyage questions test whether you can read a mark at a glance - in daylight and by its light rhythm - and whether you can place it correctly on a lake chart. Switzerland, like the rest of Europe, uses IALA Region A: when entering a harbour or following the direction of buoyage, red marks are kept to port and green to starboard.
489 words, about 2 min04Boat handling, manoeuvring and anchoring
The exam puts boat handling into short scenarios: which way the stern swings, how much chain to pay out, where the anchor drags, how to leave a berth in a crosswind. A planing hull pivots about a point roughly one-third of the length from the stern when going ahead.
424 words, about 2 min05Meteorology and weather interpretation
Meteorology questions are about reading the sky and the glass, not reciting a forecast: what is coming, how fast, and where you should be when it arrives. Wind flows from high to low pressure, deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere.
473 words, about 2 min06Safety equipment, emergency procedures and man-overboard
Safety questions are marked as procedures: the examiner wants the sequence, not a vague promise to help. A 150 N lifejacket with crotch strap for everyone aboard, checked for fit and for cylinder and bobbin condition; a throw line and a dan buoy with light; in-date flares and a fire extinguisher suitable for fuel fires; first-aid kit; anchor and paddle; VHF, or at least a charged phone in a waterproof case.
462 words, about 2 min07Engine, electrical systems and maintenance
Engine and electrical questions reward practical knowledge: a symptom, the likely cause, the immediate action. Four-stroke outboards have a sump and separate oil: check the level, never overfill.
426 words, about 2 min08Swiss and international legal framework (licensing, registration, environmental rules)
The legal questions are the easiest marks in the exam and the ones most often lost, because candidates answer by habit rather than by the rule. Under the BSO (Binnenschifffahrtsverordnung) a Führerausweis is required for craft above the exemption limits - the well-known thresholds are 15 m² of sail area and 4.4 kW (about 6 PS) of engine power, below which no licence is needed.
429 words, about 2 min09Basic seamanship, ropework and knots
Knot and ropework questions are practical: you must tie the knot and say what it is for. The examiner looks for the right knot for the load, tied tidily and finished.
444 words, about 2 min