Phil Abuster wrote:
"Dennis Pogson" wrote in message
...
Please excuse my ignorance in posing this question. As a UK sailor
of many years experience in racing and cruising yachts, I am curious
to know, since
the subject rarely turns up, whether our US cousins have a similar
series of
qualifications to those administered in the UK by the Royal Yachting
Association (Yachmaster, at various levels).

I am not extolling the virtues of such "official"qualifications,
indeed many
UK sailors think they are less than useful, just curious to know if
such training and examination facilities exist in the US, as the
subject never seems to be discussed in this NG.

Dennis.



You Brits have America beat hands down. Just look at some of the
training available in your country:


http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/02/...-the-martinis/

Our Coast Guard/Navy is too busy dealing with Islamophobic paranoia
and incompetent boaters. There should be strict licensing of anyone
who takes to US waters and with that licensing should be rigorous
training and qualification. Currently, licenses are passed out too
freely and the taxpayer bears the brunt of the expenses.

That's an interesting comment. In mainland Europe they seem to require what
is laughingly called a "International Certificate of Competence" to enter
some countries. However such certificates seem all too easy to obtain, as
with your "licenses". Possession of one or other grade of the RYA
Yachtmaster qualifications would grant automatic entitlement to a
Certificate of Competence, but there seems to be an extraordinary amount of
red tape involved in applying.

Meanwhile, boats sail in and out of the continental marinas without too much
interference, so maybe the ICC is just another of those pieces of Brussels
legislation which is virtually impossible to police.

DP