Experience and knowledge mean the most, not passing some silly one time
test.

That's the problem with government licensing. It doesn't mean anything
except at one time you passed some bare minimal standards.

The biggest problem is granting a license to the casual amateur. They are
not experienced, or will ever be, in the day in to day out operations in a
given field or profession. They are also the ones who consume the most
resources by causing trouble from their lack of experience.

A better standard and requirement for a license is to show that you actually
earn your living from it. If you don't earn your living from it, you don't
need it and are very likely to cause some problem or mishap down the road.

They should also get rid of some of those silly limitations placed on drug
use and conviction. Just because someone get arrested in 1968 with a pot
seed on the floor of his car shouldn't bar him from being a professional
master.

OB


"Sail4Mail" wrote in message
...
Kneel,

I really don't remember what my scores where, it wasn't very important to
me. I do remember I did rather well, was out of the exam room in short
order,
and had no problems. I'm sure you got a higher score than I, perhaps
higher
than many others. So what? It proves only that you had more idle time to
spend memorizing the Q&A's. It says nothing about your practical
knowledge
or real abilities. In fact getting a license is so easy that even that
other
fool Boobie could get one! Why I think it would be an ideal challenge to
Boobie to show this newsgroup that even he can get a Master's license!
Now
Boobie, with that challenge, if you have any guts: Go out and get your
license
too! BOOBIE, GO FOR IT !!

No, getting the license is not the objective. For people to have enough
trust
to hire you so that you can use your ticket, that is the real objective.
This
shows you have more than just the ability to read and memorize rules and
books,
but the capacity to use what you have read, and then start to learn
something.
Of course even more important, you have the know how to drive boats, all
different kinds of boats, in all different kinds of situations. It is not
book
knowledge that makes you a "Master," rather it is SKILL !

PS: A "YACHTIE" is an amateur. Someone who mostly plays with boats,
rather
than a professional who gained their expertise by making a living on the
water.

CRW