Analysis of Small Leisure Boating Safety in Spain: A Case of Basque Country

Abstract

Recreational boating has grown steadily in Spain, driven by small craft, personal watercraft and increasingly accessible navigation equipment. This study analyses whether the training associated with the Navigation Licence (Licencia de Navegación) is consistent with candidates' actual knowledge and with the operational risks observed in the Basque Country. A descriptive mixed-methods design was adopted: a survey of 466 candidates (2023-2025) and an analysis of recreational-craft incidents coordinated by the Bilbao Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) between 2017 and 2024. The results show uneven knowledge of the licence's privileges: time-of-day restrictions are widely known (92.9%), but only 19.2% correctly identify the legal navigation limits, with further gaps regarding engine power (36.4%) and the territorial validity of the licence (22.5%). In addition, 51.4% of the 1,943 Search and Rescue (SAR) services analysed involved recreational craft, with a predominance of vessels adrift or not under command (81.9%). These results suggest the need to update the minimum training content, strengthening passage planning, meteorology, legal limits, basic maintenance and decision-making.