http://www.thelog.com/news/newsview.asp?c=184983

Coast Guard Requests Authority to Require 'Proof of Proficiency'
By Louis Gerlinger
May 3, 2006
If approved, the provision could lead to mandatory licensing for
boaters nationwide.

WASHINGTON D.C. (LNS) - The Coast Guard has asked Congress for
authority to establish a "proof of proficiency" requirement for
recreational boaters - which, officials conceded, could lead to
mandatory nationwide licensing for recreational boat operators. A
legislative change proposal, which was submitted by the Coast Guard's
Office of Boating Safety, would amend Section 4302(a) of Title 46,
United States Code, which gives the Secretary of Transportation
authority to prescribe regulations, by adding subsection (4) which
would read (The Secretary may prescribe regulations) "establishing
minimum requirements for recreational vessel operator proficiency."
California presently doesn't have a mandatory education or licensing
requirement for recreational boat operators

wf3h wrote:
http://www.thelog.com/news/newsview.asp?c=184983

Coast Guard Requests Authority to Require 'Proof of Proficiency'
By Louis Gerlinger
May 3, 2006
If approved, the provision could lead to mandatory licensing for
boaters nationwide.

WASHINGTON D.C. (LNS) - The Coast Guard has asked Congress for
authority to establish a "proof of proficiency" requirement for
recreational boaters - which, officials conceded, could lead to
mandatory nationwide licensing for recreational boat operators. A
legislative change proposal, which was submitted by the Coast Guard's
Office of Boating Safety, would amend Section 4302(a) of Title 46,
United States Code, which gives the Secretary of Transportation
authority to prescribe regulations, by adding subsection (4) which
would read (The Secretary may prescribe regulations) "establishing
minimum requirements for recreational vessel operator proficiency."
California presently doesn't have a mandatory education or licensing
requirement for recreational boat operators


Hmmmmm. "Proof of proficiency" sounds like a different concept than
"slept through a boating course one afternoon in order to obtain a
'minimally educated' certificate (currently required in about 40
states)".

If the Coast Guard would simply require that boaters need to get an
attendance certificate for a USCG Aux or Power Squadron course (many of
which are one-day events), this is already being handled on the state
level in almost every state where there's an appreciable amount of
water upon which to boat. I'm surprised that CA is so far behind the
trend. The USCG proposal isn't very necesary if it is simply for more
education.

However, if the USCG wants to establish some actual standards of
"proficiency" to demostrate *capability* as well as basic education,
I'd be 100% in favor of that. Some guy who is totally clueless about
how to operate his boat is a hazard to everybody around him- regardless
whether or not he can parrot "red, right, returning" and make a lucky
guess about basic COLREGS.

Another benefit; this program might eventually cut down on the number
of those licensed masters who should really have their certificates
printed on toilet paper. The vast majority of
pleasure boaters self certifying sea time to sit for the OUPV or
100-ton license do so with a wink, and a nod, and would also suffer
from a guilty conscience if they were so endowed.
It might be tough to convince the USCG that a boater who just purchased
a boat six or eight months ago (and for whom the USCG has the original
"proficiency" record) has logged enough sea time to test for a license.

On 15 May 2006 08:22:11 -0700, "
wrote:

The vast majority of
pleasure boaters self certifying sea time to sit for the OUPV or
100-ton license do so with a wink, and a nod, and would also suffer
from a guilty conscience if they were so endowed.

I've heard you say that before, any supporting statistics or evidence?
Certainly anyone who has been boating for half a lifetime or more
should have no problem documenting sufficient hours, same for anyone
who uses their boat several times a week for 5 to 10 years.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On 15 May 2006 08:22:11 -0700, "
wrote:

The vast majority of
pleasure boaters self certifying sea time to sit for the OUPV or
100-ton license do so with a wink, and a nod, and would also suffer
from a guilty conscience if they were so endowed.

I've heard you say that before, any supporting statistics or evidence?
Certainly anyone who has been boating for half a lifetime or more
should have no problem documenting sufficient hours, same for anyone
who uses their boat several times a week for 5 to 10 years.


Pray tell, how would all these boaters "document" their hours?

On Mon, 15 May 2006 18:11:11 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

Pray tell, how would all these boaters "document" their hours?

Don't know about you but I have logs of one sort or another for just
about all of my time on the boat.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 May 2006 18:11:11 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

Pray tell, how would all these boaters "document" their hours?

Don't know about you but I have logs of one sort or another for just
about all of my time on the boat.


A record that could be faked, in other words. If the Coast Guard accepts
this form of documentation, it would be pretty much the same as their doing
nothing at all.

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On 15 May 2006 08:22:11 -0700, "
wrote:

The vast majority of
pleasure boaters self certifying sea time to sit for the OUPV or
100-ton license do so with a wink, and a nod, and would also suffer
from a guilty conscience if they were so endowed.

I've heard you say that before, any supporting statistics or evidence?
Certainly anyone who has been boating for half a lifetime or more
should have no problem documenting sufficient hours, same for anyone
who uses their boat several times a week for 5 to 10 years.


Pray tell, how would all these boaters "document" their hours?


And how does hours on the water translate to good experience? Lots of
people spend hours a day on driving their cars, and they are still
incompetent.

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
nk.net...

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On 15 May 2006 08:22:11 -0700, "
wrote:

The vast majority of
pleasure boaters self certifying sea time to sit for the OUPV or
100-ton license do so with a wink, and a nod, and would also suffer
from a guilty conscience if they were so endowed.

I've heard you say that before, any supporting statistics or evidence?
Certainly anyone who has been boating for half a lifetime or more
should have no problem documenting sufficient hours, same for anyone
who uses their boat several times a week for 5 to 10 years.


Pray tell, how would all these boaters "document" their hours?


And how does hours on the water translate to good experience? Lots of
people spend hours a day on driving their cars, and they are still
incompetent.


Exactly. And, keeping a log is (if you think about it a bit), sort of like
someone who's trying to learn a skill from another person who's doing it
incorrectly. Practicing the wrong thing gets you nowhere.
Documenting....what? We've all seen boaters who behave like pigs. If they
keep logs, are they of any value?

Wayne.B wrote:
On 15 May 2006 08:22:11 -0700, "
wrote:

The vast majority of
pleasure boaters self certifying sea time to sit for the OUPV or
100-ton license do so with a wink, and a nod, and would also suffer
from a guilty conscience if they were so endowed.

I've heard you say that before, any supporting statistics or evidence?
Certainly anyone who has been boating for half a lifetime or more
should have no problem documenting sufficient hours, same for anyone
who uses their boat several times a week for 5 to 10 years.

Statistics, no. Evidence, yes.

For example: One year not so long ago I was scheduled to give seminars
on various topics at a local boat show. I showed up to the seminar room
about 15 minutes early, long enough to catch the last portion of the
seminar that preceded mine. A representative from one of the license
schools was pitching his program and answering questions about
qualifying to
sit for an OUPV or 100-ton exam. About every third answer was, "As long
as you're willing to write it down, it's going to be accepted. Nobody
is going to challenge your self certification because they aren't going
to be able to prove that you *don't* have the time you claim." He gave
some pretty far fetched justifications for "rounding up" if hours on a
particualr day didn't actually qualify. To his credit, he did tell one
party who admitted that he had only been boating for 90 days and never
previously owned a boat of any type that it would probably be "too
early" to try to qualify for the exam.

I specifically know of individuals who sat for the exam with between
500-1000 engine hours on their first and only boats and no prior
experience. I asked one, how did you get the sea time to qualify? His
frank answer, "I lied."

Talk to nearly any one of the Captain's R US license mills about
qualification, and you will most likely have an opinion similar to my
own.

On 15 May 2006 19:22:52 -0700, "
wrote:

A representative from one of the license
schools was pitching his program and answering questions about
qualifying to
sit for an OUPV or 100-ton exam. About every third answer was, "As long
as you're willing to write it down, it's going to be accepted. Nobody
is going to challenge your self certification because they aren't going
to be able to prove that you *don't* have the time you claim." He gave
some pretty far fetched justifications for "rounding up" if hours on a
particualr day didn't actually qualify. To his credit, he did tell one
party who admitted that he had only been boating for 90 days and never
previously owned a boat of any type that it would probably be "too
early" to try to qualify for the exam.

I specifically know of individuals who sat for the exam with between
500-1000 engine hours on their first and only boats and no prior
experience. I asked one, how did you get the sea time to qualify? His
frank answer, "I lied."

Talk to nearly any one of the Captain's R US license mills about
qualification, and you will most likely have an opinion similar to my
own.

To lie on your application, or to actively encourage others to lie, is
probably a felony criminal action. It also demeans the experience
level of owner/operators for you to imply that the practice is
widespread. All of the owner/operators that I know have thousands of
hours experience behind the wheel. I have not yet documented my own
time or sat for the exam but I know for a fact that I've accumulated
more than 1500 engine hours in the last 6 years, and thousands more in
years prior.