If the sense of the question is "are qualifications required for
pleasure-boat operators?" then the short answer is "no". The USCG
administers tests for licenses that are required for carrying
passengers for hire, and many professional yacht skipers hold such
licenses.

Michael Porter


"Dennis Pogson" wrote:

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.

Michael Porter Marine Design
mporter at mp-marine dot com
www.mp-marine.com

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Michael Porter wrote:
If the sense of the question is "are qualifications required for
pleasure-boat operators?" then the short answer is "no". The USCG
administers tests for licenses that are required for carrying
passengers for hire, and many professional yacht skipers hold such
licenses.

Michael Porter

UK pleasure boat operators are also not required to be qualified.

I was simply interested in whether we in the UK are alone in having training and competence facilities for boaters.

For the record, the grades on offer are -

RYA Start Sailing
RYA Competent Crew
RYA Day Skipper
RYA Coastal Skipper
RYA / MCA Coastal Skipper Exam
RYA / MCA Yachtmaster Exam

This latter is divided into "Ocean shore-based" and "Ocean Passage". I believe there used to be a higher grade still for RYA Instructors, but am not sure if this is still the case.

Obviously experience and actual long passage making are essential to the granting of certificates at the "Ocean" levels.

There was a time when an old salt like me would have regarded all this qualification nonsense as just that, but it certainly can open doors if your ambitions lie in making a living out of sailing!

Dennis.

"Dennis Pogson" wrote in message ...
Michael Porter wrote:
If the sense of the question is "are qualifications required for
pleasure-boat operators?" then the short answer is "no". The USCG
administers tests for licenses that are required for carrying
passengers for hire, and many professional yacht skipers hold such
licenses.

Michael Porter

UK pleasure boat operators are also not required to be qualified.

I was simply interested in whether we in the UK are alone in having training and competence facilities for boaters.

For the record, the grades on offer are -

RYA Start Sailing
RYA Competent Crew
RYA Day Skipper
RYA Coastal Skipper
RYA / MCA Coastal Skipper Exam
RYA / MCA Yachtmaster Exam

This latter is divided into "Ocean shore-based" and "Ocean Passage". I believe there used to be a higher grade still for RYA Instructors, but am not sure if this is still the case.

Obviously experience and actual long passage making are essential to the granting of certificates at the "Ocean" levels.

There was a time when an old salt like me would have regarded all this qualification nonsense as just that, but it certainly can open doors if your ambitions lie in making a living out of sailing!

Dennis.




The levels are similar, at least in name, to what's offered in ASA and USSailing. Both have instructor-level certifications at various levels, which have more requirements. Being qualified in both of the US programs, I tend to agree with you that it's mostly (or can be) a bunch of nonsense, since sailing experience is much more important. However, most programs require one of the two to teach, along with a USCG license if there's an aux.


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