In the U.S. do you have to have a licence to sail your boat? In Queensland Australia legislation has been passed that in a vessel that is powered by an engine of more than 4.5 kilowatts, the master is now required to hold a licence. However, bareboat charterers need have no experience and NO LICENCE! My husband who has been sailing most of his 58 years with no mishaps, says that until there's a level playing field, he won't comply, so it looks like I'll have to do the test - a bit of a challenge for me. Our 26 ft trailer sailer will only reach about 6 knots under motor whereas some of the hire boats (not yachts) have 150 h.p. motors and with a novice at the helm (and we have seen this first hand) could be a complete disaster waiting to happen. Mrs Bing
Licensing
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For recreational boats no license required,
unfortunately we have places (most inland) that are notorious for fatal accidents involving high speed powerboats like Lake Havasu & adjacent parts of the Colorado River. One notable incident this summer a boat hit a catamaran with a family on it, hard to imagine not seeing a sailboat. The level of ignorance seen any weekend in a California marina is overwhelming, people with seemingly no concept of the rules of the road make getting in and out of the harbor more hazardous than any other portion of the voyage. I appreciate your husbands position and have to explain to my wife every time we witness bad boat handling why we have no real licensing requirements here. There is a lot of discussion here about various types of licensing but most of us do not relish the prospect.
unfortunately we have places (most inland) that are notorious for fatal accidents involving high speed powerboats like Lake Havasu & adjacent parts of the Colorado River. One notable incident this summer a boat hit a catamaran with a family on it, hard to imagine not seeing a sailboat. The level of ignorance seen any weekend in a California marina is overwhelming, people with seemingly no concept of the rules of the road make getting in and out of the harbor more hazardous than any other portion of the voyage. I appreciate your husbands position and have to explain to my wife every time we witness bad boat handling why we have no real licensing requirements here. There is a lot of discussion here about various types of licensing but most of us do not relish the prospect.
We license drivers and.....
Ted: We license drivers of automobiles and we kill over 40,000 per year not to mention the number that are injured (several hundred thousands). If you look at the stats for accidents on the water it is largely PWC. It is just too bad that we do not have some type of enforcement on the water to do something with the idiots!
Ted: We license drivers of automobiles and we kill over 40,000 per year not to mention the number that are injured (several hundred thousands). If you look at the stats for accidents on the water it is largely PWC. It is just too bad that we do not have some type of enforcement on the water to do something with the idiots!
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Pete
sort of a license
Here in Ct. we have a sort of a license but it is techanaly called a safe boating certificate not a license. Every operator of a powered vessel (not required of small row boat small,sailing dinks, etc) must have taken a safe boating course (having passed) before they are "legal" to operate a vessel in Ct. waters or have a state permit that has recropicity with Ct.
Here in Ct. we have a sort of a license but it is techanaly called a safe boating certificate not a license. Every operator of a powered vessel (not required of small row boat small,sailing dinks, etc) must have taken a safe boating course (having passed) before they are "legal" to operate a vessel in Ct. waters or have a state permit that has recropicity with Ct.
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Rich
Welcome to Solas V
I believe the newest version of the international Safety of Life at Sea Treaty (SOLAS V) requires the signatories to standardize some training and licensing requirements for vessels of various types. I recall the BoatUS magazine earlier this year reporting that American sailboat charter captains found themselves suddenly being required to hold certificates for vessels up to 100 tons if they carried more than 6 passengers, which placed a big new training requirement on them. I can't imagine Australia not being a signatory to the treaty, so expect more requirements. As for American licensing, I believe it is the case that around 40 US states require the equivalent of an automobile driver's license (called a "Safe boating certificate" in our state of Connecticut, as Pete mentioned) based upon a 10-hour course using a standard training book. The book and materials are produced by a national nongovernmental organization whose name escapes me, and is tailored to each state's specific requirements. In Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island the operator is required to have their certificate with them aboard the vessel they are operating, like an automobile license. The movement here is toward standardizing boating practices with motor vehicle practices, so over time expect all the states that have navigable water to require the training and certificate. Others may be able to fill in or correct some of what I've said here...
I believe the newest version of the international Safety of Life at Sea Treaty (SOLAS V) requires the signatories to standardize some training and licensing requirements for vessels of various types. I recall the BoatUS magazine earlier this year reporting that American sailboat charter captains found themselves suddenly being required to hold certificates for vessels up to 100 tons if they carried more than 6 passengers, which placed a big new training requirement on them. I can't imagine Australia not being a signatory to the treaty, so expect more requirements. As for American licensing, I believe it is the case that around 40 US states require the equivalent of an automobile driver's license (called a "Safe boating certificate" in our state of Connecticut, as Pete mentioned) based upon a 10-hour course using a standard training book. The book and materials are produced by a national nongovernmental organization whose name escapes me, and is tailored to each state's specific requirements. In Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island the operator is required to have their certificate with them aboard the vessel they are operating, like an automobile license. The movement here is toward standardizing boating practices with motor vehicle practices, so over time expect all the states that have navigable water to require the training and certificate. Others may be able to fill in or correct some of what I've said here...
The 100 ton license
Carrying more than 6 passengers for hire has always required at least a 100 ton license. The only lower grade of license is the OUPV generally known as the 6-pack as it limits the holder to not more than 6 passengers for hire. This is not a SOLAS requirement it is a USCG requirement. Carrying ANY passengers for hire requires a license. What is new is the new STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) which require more training than before for everybody from ordinary seamen on up. These new US requirements are a response to the new SOLAS STCW. I hope this new training requirement for commercial sailors of all nations will end the stories of near collisions of cruising sailboats with ships operating with nobody on watch. But I doubt it.
Carrying more than 6 passengers for hire has always required at least a 100 ton license. The only lower grade of license is the OUPV generally known as the 6-pack as it limits the holder to not more than 6 passengers for hire. This is not a SOLAS requirement it is a USCG requirement. Carrying ANY passengers for hire requires a license. What is new is the new STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) which require more training than before for everybody from ordinary seamen on up. These new US requirements are a response to the new SOLAS STCW. I hope this new training requirement for commercial sailors of all nations will end the stories of near collisions of cruising sailboats with ships operating with nobody on watch. But I doubt it.
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Rob
Certification
No matter how much regulation we install, it all comes down to 1 person who is ultimately responsible for the safety of the persons on his (or her) ship and the voluntary or involuntary recipients of his (or her) actions...... How do we instill that responsibility to that single individual???? Is sitting in some removed sterile class room, on a cold wintry day, going to teach an individual to respect other people? don't drink that last rum runner?...make sure they recived a good nights sleep the night before they head out on the water and have a few drinks??....Be respectful of other abilities or inablities when it comes to their vessels? I am all for acuirering knowledge to make us better seaman and navigators. And unfortunately if federal mandates inforce us to prove we have acquired such knowledge via a license or certification I am for it. However, I do not believe ANY test, certification or license will change the negligent, rude and down right idiotic behavior of most of the offenders on the waters.... As far as Certification Vs personal behavior, just ask certified master captain Joseph Hazzelwood Ex captain EXXON Valdez.......remember?
No matter how much regulation we install, it all comes down to 1 person who is ultimately responsible for the safety of the persons on his (or her) ship and the voluntary or involuntary recipients of his (or her) actions...... How do we instill that responsibility to that single individual???? Is sitting in some removed sterile class room, on a cold wintry day, going to teach an individual to respect other people? don't drink that last rum runner?...make sure they recived a good nights sleep the night before they head out on the water and have a few drinks??....Be respectful of other abilities or inablities when it comes to their vessels? I am all for acuirering knowledge to make us better seaman and navigators. And unfortunately if federal mandates inforce us to prove we have acquired such knowledge via a license or certification I am for it. However, I do not believe ANY test, certification or license will change the negligent, rude and down right idiotic behavior of most of the offenders on the waters.... As far as Certification Vs personal behavior, just ask certified master captain Joseph Hazzelwood Ex captain EXXON Valdez.......remember?
IMHO
no amount of government legislation can regulate morality, responsibility, or stupidity. it will only add another layer of buracracy for me to support. it enables us as a "someones" to point and say, "someone ought to do something about that", and feel all warm and fuzzy, insted of taking it upon ourselves to be that "someone". sorry if this sounds like a borderline rant!
no amount of government legislation can regulate morality, responsibility, or stupidity. it will only add another layer of buracracy for me to support. it enables us as a "someones" to point and say, "someone ought to do something about that", and feel all warm and fuzzy, insted of taking it upon ourselves to be that "someone". sorry if this sounds like a borderline rant!
D
Droop
Yes
Rules vary by state but in most cases ANY boat with an engine must be registered with the state even if it is documented with the coast guard.
Rules vary by state but in most cases ANY boat with an engine must be registered with the state even if it is documented with the coast guard.
Licensing and Ability
William wrote "no amount of government legislation can regulate morality, responsibility, or stupidity." It can however set minimums for knowledge and ability. Do you honestly think that airline pilots or physicians don't need to be licensed? Do you really think that boaters don't need to know the rules of the road? Do you think the automobile drivers or airline pilots tests are an unwarranted burden imposed by big brother government? Lets get real here. We'll all be safer if we and the other boaters we encounter know how to act and react properly to situations on the water.
William wrote "no amount of government legislation can regulate morality, responsibility, or stupidity." It can however set minimums for knowledge and ability. Do you honestly think that airline pilots or physicians don't need to be licensed? Do you really think that boaters don't need to know the rules of the road? Do you think the automobile drivers or airline pilots tests are an unwarranted burden imposed by big brother government? Lets get real here. We'll all be safer if we and the other boaters we encounter know how to act and react properly to situations on the water.
I'm really not to the point where I think licenses
are the answer. I can really understand people in places with higher boat traffic than where I am seeing a need for some kind of minimum proof of ability. My condition is pretty ideal in that it is just a short easy .65 NM to open water. But the things I've seen in that stretch in just this year boggle the mind. 1 boat dismasted in main channel cause he tried to go under 30' bridge, no reason for sailboat bigger than a Lido to even go that way. Didn't see him do it, got there just after as he was blocking main channel & side channel to my dock. People cutting off kayakers and dinghies, sometimes I feel like I'm in that "Caddy Shack" movie where Rodney Dangerfield is driving a huge powerboat only there's lots of Rodney's. I can't think of any real viable solution short of some kind of enforcement we can't even achieve on land. Nothings perfect but should be something to impel people to at least know rules of the road, here basic safety certifications just get you 10% off on your boat insurance.
are the answer. I can really understand people in places with higher boat traffic than where I am seeing a need for some kind of minimum proof of ability. My condition is pretty ideal in that it is just a short easy .65 NM to open water. But the things I've seen in that stretch in just this year boggle the mind. 1 boat dismasted in main channel cause he tried to go under 30' bridge, no reason for sailboat bigger than a Lido to even go that way. Didn't see him do it, got there just after as he was blocking main channel & side channel to my dock. People cutting off kayakers and dinghies, sometimes I feel like I'm in that "Caddy Shack" movie where Rodney Dangerfield is driving a huge powerboat only there's lots of Rodney's. I can't think of any real viable solution short of some kind of enforcement we can't even achieve on land. Nothings perfect but should be something to impel people to at least know rules of the road, here basic safety certifications just get you 10% off on your boat insurance.
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