On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 10:28:42 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

gmar wrote:

Hello all,

I was hoping that soneone could answer a question for me. In the near
future I will be in the market for a boat that I can take out onto the
ocean. my plan is to travel from NY to FL along the eastren us. I do
not have any experience driving a boat.

Uh, before you attempt that sort of voyage, you probably ought to get a
few years of experience in boat handling in your local waters, and not
out of sight of land, at least not the first year.

You also ought to take a USCG boating safety course and some more
advanced courses, too. For anything other than the initial course, I'd
look to the commercial schools.


That being said, I am looking for information on any license that may
be needed. I have been told that a open water pilot license is
required. Is this true ? If so how do I go about getting one. If
not is there someplace that offers training ?

No captain's license is necessary to drive your own pleasure boat down
the eastern seaboard, unless you are carrying passengers for hire. Some
states are now requiring you take and pass a simple boating course and
test, but that's not the same thing.


I would like to have a good idea of what I am doing before I make any
purchase.


You're not really going to learn how to pilot a boat safely in the ocean
if you don't have a boat to pilot. You can learn some in classes, but
without some years on the open ocean, you cannot learn to read it.

Amen!

John
On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD