Where are all the newbie sailors?

[RayRodriguez]

To the "60 year master mariner having to sit in a classroom" issue, no, at least not in Florida. Old coots are grandfathered in. The requirement, direct from the state is:

You need boater education if you were born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, and will be operating a motorized boat of 10 hp or more in Florida.

[RayRodriguez]

Originally Posted by JMitchell

Never heard of a permit to boat here in the states. Your boat has to have a registration and if it has an outboard motor it has to have a separate registration for that also.

What state is that?

In Florida, a boat less than 16 feet with no motor does not need to be registered.

Over 16 feet or with a motor, yes you register the boat.
There is no separate registration for the motor.