"Steve" wrote in message
...
"Ric" , wrote:
I am aware of that, it's called snobbery. Seen it several times
during Cowes week and it's pathetic.

It is not snobbery. Some motorboaters are extremely considerate to sailors,
and I and most other sailors have nothing whatsoever against them. But if
you drive a huge noisy smelly motorboat directly by a sailing boat, causing
a huge wake, you obviously will not be popular. If you are on a motorboat,
you don't realise how noisy and smelly they are, but if you are sailing you
do.



Nothing obvious in respect of my sailing/boating/responsibility
has been revealed here. What has been revealed is my utter
disdain reflected in a silly system which clearly requires
updating. There ought to be some sort of "permit" available to
those with provable experience gained in a non-licence requiring
country like the UK.

I agree - I think UK should force all motorboaters to get a licence and
bring them in line with the rest of Europe. Sure, if you want to drive in UK
waters you can without training. But if you want to drive in Spanish and
French waters, you should have the same level of training as the locals.

In Albania, to get a car-driving licence, you just need to sit in the back
of the car and watch the instructor give a demonstration for about an hour.
Then you pay a fee, and you get your driving licence. Do you think an
Albanian driving licence should be valid in UK?