How do you prove you can sail a boat?

Daveinet

Daveinet

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Sep 20, 2014
1,328
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
So I have an interesting situation I'm in. As some may recall, my boat was crushed by a tree, and I've not been able to find a suitable replacement. In the mean time, I've wanted to go sailing, but having difficulty doing that. There is a local lake that rents sailboats fairly inexpensively, however they require some sort of certificate to demonstrate you abillity to safely handle the boat. I received a certificate more than 45 years ago, and have long since lost it. I've owned 3 boats over the last 30 years, and sailed pretty regularly on my last boat. So the issue is, it just seems crazy to have to go through some sailing course just to prove I can handle their boats. Their boats are 17ft open bow Catalinas w/centerboard and no ballast. Not difficult boats to handle. So how do I get some sort of document that can prove I can sail a boat without going through some extended course? They don't have any skills test I could take. I don't have any good ideas of how to satisfy their requirement without spending a bunch of money on a formal course.
(just to be clear, this is not a complaint against their requirement, but just looking for ideas for a solution)
 
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D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
12,700
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Well, you have a computer and a printer, right? :rolleyes:

Seriously, I assume you have spoken with them about this or is this based on their advertising? There are many of us who are competent sailors who have never taken a sailing course who are more skilled than some one who just got their ASA 100 or US Sailing certification.
 
jssailem

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
22,746
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
You can take one of two pathways.

Write up a short resume of your sailing experiences. Boat sizes, designs, areas sailed, etc.giving an idea of your skill set.

Create a certificate using a word processor from a fictitious sailing center a thousand miles away. A brief description of the sailing skills covered and a date from 10 plus years ago. Maybe set it in a foreign country or on an island. Use a fake phone number, address, and instructor etc.

Or. Just go visit the owner of the shop. Talk it out. Offer to demonstrate your skills at sailing one of his/her boats. It would be pretty obvious if you have the skill set to get away from the dock and return. If successful they will likely take a big deposit from your credit card.

Suspect they have an insurance policy that the company believes having a certificate absolves them of liability.
 
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kloudie1

kloudie1

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Nov 6, 2006
10,048
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Is it sailiing specific? Or is it a requirement from govmint or insurance that you've had a "water safety" kind of course like the Power Squadron guys offer? Rules of the road etc..
 
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jviss

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I wouldn't forge anything. I would create a log with as much detail as you can recall or reconstruct about what boats you've owned, where you sailed, how often you sailed, and so on. I'd also try to gather any past insurance policies you might have had, and boat documentation certificates or registrations you may have. And then present that package to the person renting the boats.

Hey, could could always get a captain's license! :)
 
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C

Calif. Ted

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Jun 8, 2004
2,926
Catalina 320 Dana Point
Is there some sort of boaters card or operators card required for your state, usually low cost online courses available ? Or perhaps one of those "Suddenly in Command" courses from the CG Aux. ? They may just require whatever operators certificate is currently required.
 
L

LloydB

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Jan 15, 2006
927
Macgregor 22 Silverton
Ask your original certificate provider to send you a replacement. An alternate method is to name drop your Lawyer Daggett as you place cash on the counter. Worst case take a boating safety course online just to brush up on any rules they've added since 1998 that you may have missed.
 
capta

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,905
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
I would just tell the person asking for your experience to go sailing with you on one of their boats. Then that person could certify your competence, as necessary. We used to do that with bare boaters back in the '70s & '80s in the Virgins. If they couldn't pass or didn't know how to sail, they would be assigned a skipper to sail the boat. We could make a really decent money doing that, week after week in the season.
There is no certificate that actually states you can sail, only that you have passed a test, that I know of. I've known people who have gotten their USCG 6 pack with sailing (boating) time on Hobie cats, Boston Whalers, and El Toros. And now they are certified to take passengers out on a much larger (25 tons) vessel and keep them safe?
It would be like a police officer stopping you because he suspects you of drunk driving asking you if you are drunk. And you replying, "Get in the car and we'll go for a ride and you can tell me!"
 
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Don S/V ILLusion

Don S/V ILLusion

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Sep 25, 2008
7,336
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
dlochner said:
There are many of us who are competent sailors who have never taken a sailing course who are more skilled than some one who just got their ASA 100 or US Sailing certification.
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or the person teaching it.

One of our grandkids just took an ASA course locally after having sailed with us in the Caribbean last Summer. This is a 12 year old and knows more about sailing, navigating, trimming and maintaining a boat than did the teacher.

Just take the rental guy out for a quick spin and it should be obvious you know how to handle a sailboat.
 
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Daveinet

Daveinet

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Sep 20, 2014
1,328
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
I should have mentioned that I did email them, stating my experience and that I did receive a certificate that was lost many years ago. The real problem is, that it is a government agency, so common sense does not apply. it was a privately taught course and the person who taught the course passed away many years ago.
 
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Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,239
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
The simplest solution is to just go ahead and get the ASA or US Sailing certificate that they want. It makes no sense to try to run around their requirements. I've taken a few of the courses in the distant past even though I was experienced and owned my own boat (my wife gave them to me as a present). Not only are the courses painless, they are rather enjoyable!
 
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rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,553
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
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jviss

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
J

jnorten

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Jan 26, 2019
70
Catalina 30, mkI 2462 Waukegan, IL
Write up your sailing resume and then explain your case. Offer to pay 1 hour of rental and go for a "check ride" with their manager / person in charge.
 
MikeHoncho

MikeHoncho

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Dec 28, 2015
1,897
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Scott T-Bird said:
The simplest solution is to just go ahead and get the ASA or US Sailing certificate that they want. It makes no sense to try to run around their requirements. I've taken a few of the courses in the distant past even though I was experienced and owned my own boat (my wife gave them to me as a present). Not only are the courses painless, they are rather enjoyable!
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Or go buy a cheap small capable boat for the same amount and have a boat to sail in. They aren’t that hard to find as long as you keep your expectations low.
 
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jviss

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
7,089
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Johnb said:
The Boaters Card is done on line and required in California. Cost is minimal and it is required to be in charge of a boat.
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Does this apply to out of state boaters in CA?
 
L

LloydB

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Jan 15, 2006
927
Macgregor 22 Silverton
Does this apply to out of state boaters in CA?
So this rule only applies to Californians so everybody else can ignore it?
Ignorance of the law is not a defense.
 
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