On Mon, 12 Apr 2004 17:21:03 -0700, "Lloyd Sumpter"
wrote:

Wow - am I ever glad I live in Canada! I've NEVER been stopped or boarded: not
in 40 years of boating on everything from runabouts to skiffs to dinghies to
36-ft sailboats.

(I've also never been asked for my fishing license. Go figure...)

Lloyd
"Far Cove" Catalina 36

Hmm. Try living in the State of Victoria, Australia. Our State Gov
just sees yachties and boaties as a revenue stream. You need a
liscence for your boat (we get around that since we're registered as a
ship with the Commonwealth Gov) plus a personal annual liscence for
anyone who might move the boat under power. Serious penalties if you
let an unliscenced friend "have a go" one day. The test itself has
nothing to do with driving a boat! Oh, and fishing permits of course.

And you can be stopped by the Water Police, Coatguard and Fisheries.

We've been stopped a few times because we don't have the State boat
liscence showing. We point out we don't need one and that we have the
ships number on our stern. They tell us it is too small - it is if it
were a State registration number, but it's fine as a Commonwealth
registration. We show them our letter from the State Marine Board
confirming we are exempt from the State liscence. To protect it, it's
sealed in clear plastic - they complain they can't check it's legit.

To make themselves feel useful, they check the safety gear ("Yes, the
fire blanket is up to date with its certification") and sometimes
breathalyse you for good measure before zooming off.

I have no problem with safety gear checks. Our Water Police are
bloody good, but I feel realy sorry them being dragged into this
paperwork war so the fat pollie cats in Spring Street can go on
another fact finding misson to Barbados!

Peter

www.oceanodyssey.net

Peter & Jean looking for sponsors for the Melbourne-Osaka in 2007, and
promising we will get round to updating our website this year.

"Do not measure your life by the number of breaths you take,
Rather by the number of times life just takes your breath away"