On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 18:29:30 -0700, "Dan" wrote:

We're sneaking up on certification here in the States. Little by little it's
becoming part of boating.

It's amazing to me that one needs to pass a competency test of some sort to
operate a car, motorcycle, gun or an airplane but we turn 'em loose open the
water with no restrictions here.

Someday we'll catch up to our Northern Neighbors on this one. (c:

We can't really boast...the PCOC (Personal Craft Operator Card...I
think...my wallet's downstairs) is a pretty basic test that you can
sit for in 15 minutes at a recreational trade show. The Canadian Power
Squadron tests for it in conjunction with their training, and that
makes it a lot better as there's a context of Colregs, pilotage,
safety, even marlinespike seamanship.

The only PRACTICAL boating experience around here is the "Toronto
Harbour Licence", a fairly blatant cash grab by an unelected
"regulatory body" of political lifers, bagmen and other appointees,
squatting in horrid luxury "administering" a Federal port very few
commercial ships now visit. Still, in order to motor about their
"waters", you are supposed to have the Harbour Licence, and it does
require you to demonstrate on your boat or even a Zodiac that you can
dock, reverse under power, pick up a hat out of the water, that sort
of thing.

Half the people sailing, of course, have never heard of it, just the
Coast Guard-issued PCOC, which is currently grandfathered to 2009, I
believe. All new boaters over 12 must have it, and I think no boaters
under that age are allowed to drive alone in anything above a pool
mattress or inner tube G

R.