I took a French EGP assessment in English with Steve & Jo Bridges at Bargecraft and their locally associated (French) school ENAM this week. I thought it might be useful to those looking for this course, and other barge handling courses, to see what someone else thinks.
Before I got in touch with Steve and Jo I had been given a lot of conflicting information; some that was unhelpful and just plain patronising, some that was out of date and some that was simply incorrect. There are an awful lot of people who think they know what they’re talking about but don’t. Steve and Jo absolutely do.
I found Steve and Jo to be knowledgeable in the extreme! They know the current regulations like the back of their hands – particularly what an ICC allows you to do in France (and elsewhere) and how to obtain a French equivalent licence. All of the questions I asked of them were centred on France as I’m living here on our 30m barge. They are able to point you in the direction of various sources to back up any information as well. My advice; if you need up to date and accurate information – have a look at their website or talk to them. Better still, do one of their courses!
I stayed on board for my assessment and they were very welcoming and considerate hosts – Jo is also a fab cook.
In short – I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bargecraft as a barge handling school. I am confident that their other courses are equally as comprehensive – we spoke at length about them.