License for sailing my own boat

[Puff68]

Hey All
I am sorry if this question has been asked before but I searched and could not come up with a clear answer. I googled and emailed but am not getting anywhere so I am hoping someone here can give me the correct answer.


The wife and I are looking to upgrade our boat to a larger one (45ft approx.). We both have our PCOC but I have not been able to find out if we need to upgrade our personal licenses..?? For the time being we are in Canadian waters, in a Canadian registered boat, yes it is ours. We are looking when the new boat arrives to sail south, Caribbean and possibly some day to the Med or surrounding areas.

I know a RYA license is better accepted over there for marinas and such.


Do we need an SVOP for us for Canadian waters or south (U.S. or Caribbean waters)..??


Thank you in advance and again my apologies if this has been repeated.


Glen

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Puff68

Hey All
I am sorry if this question has been asked before but I searched and could not come up with a clear answer. I googled and emailed but am not getting anywhere so I am hoping someone here can give me the correct answer.

The wife and I are looking to upgrade our boat to a larger one (45ft approx.). We both have our PCOC but I have not been able to find out if we need to upgrade our personal licenses..?? For the time being we are in Canadian waters, in a Canadian registered boat, yes it is ours. We are looking when the new boat arrives to sail south, Caribbean and possibly some day to the Med or surrounding areas.

A PCOC is all a Canadian officially needs to operate a recreational watercraft in Canadian waters. There is no higher "official" personal licence available in Canada, as far as I know.

Of course it's always helpful to seek at least some training, like Sail Canada keelboat and navigation courses, or comparable US or RYA courses.

A few of us, with a combination of CYA and Sail Canada courses, and documented experience, were able to bareboat charter in the BVIs (and it was a total blast). I understand that for the EU and the Med, the charterers look for the ICC.

[psk125]

It would be quite a mess if different countries each required their own licenses for sailors entering their waters. Imagine heaving to at the border in order to pass a test in a foreign language before being allowed to proceed! Generally, you are required to have whatever license the flag of your vessel calls for. Since I sail out of Connecticut on a boat with a motor, I have a "Safe Boating Certificate" issued by the State of Connecticut. The boat is USCG registered, but the United States does not require operators of boats my-sized (40') to have anything else. I can take my boat anywhere. France has different rules for their citizens and boats. New Zealand likewise, and so on. If Canada requires you to have a PVOC, you have one, and there is no other license, it would seem that you are done. RYA, ASA, US Sailing or ICC certificates might be nice to have, but they are not licenses.

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by psk125

It would be quite a mess if different countries each required their own licenses for sailors entering their waters. Imagine heaving to at the border in order to pass a test in a foreign language before being allowed to proceed! Generally, you are required to have whatever license the flag of your vessel calls for. Since I sail out of Connecticut on a boat with a motor, I have a "Safe Boating Certificate" issued by the State of Connecticut. The boat is USCG registered, but the United States does not require operators of boats my-sized (40') to have anything else. I can take my boat anywhere. France has different rules for their citizens and boats. New Zealand likewise, and so on. If Canada requires you to have a PVOC, you have one, and there is no other license, it would seem that you are done. RYA, ASA, US Sailing or ICC certificates might be nice to have, but they are not licenses.

To add an example to this, in Victoria (Australia), you can operate off your foreign boat licence for three months then you need to convert to a Victorian one.

[RaymondR]

Australia is infested with xenophobic bureaucrats and whilst in most states the three month rule applies to Australian residents however I doubt whether it would apply to foreign visitors on their own boats. Even if one did want to get a state license the first hurdle would be not having a residential address in the state.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

To add an example to this, in Victoria (Australia), you can operate off your foreign boat licence for three months then you need to convert to a Victorian one.

Queesnland, you only need to convert to a Qld licence if you "intend to become a resident"

"Some overseas boat licences held by international
visitors will be temporarily recognised for use in
Queensland. International visitors who intend to become
residents must obtain an equivalent Queensland or
interstate boat licence after three months of either
arriving in Australia or obtaining their resident visa."



Canadian PCOP is one of the recognised overseas licences.

[Lake-Effect]

...and for the record, Canada's Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) isn't a licence, it's a "proof of competency", which, roughly translated, means that the holder was required to study and then write a brief test on the most basic of boating and boating-safety topics at least ONCE in their lives.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

...and for the record, Canada's Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) isn't a licence, it's a "proof of competency", which, roughly translated, means that the holder was required to study and then write a brief test on the most basic of boating and boating-safety topics at least ONCE in their lives.

Semantics! It's no different to the various "boating licences" in many other places. How does it differ from this one for instance:
https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/boating/recreational

[letsgetsailing3]

The only thing you might need would be a license to operate any radio equipment.

[boatman61]

On your own boat it's unlikely you'll ever be asked to produce your licence, I never have been.
They are more interested in insurance, last port etc.
I only know of one case where a licence came up and that was an Irish guy who must has pissed off the Portimao harbour master somehow as he demanded a licence be produced.
When no certification was forthcoming the boat was blocked from sailing till the owner got a licence or, found a crew/Skipper who was certified.
I sailed in on an owner assist a couple of days later, the owner approached us for help...
The owner of my delivery skippered the Irish boat out and a few miles down the coast before I went alongside and took him off.. I advised the guy to not stop before the Spanish border just in case.
Your Canadian certificate of competence should be more than adequate.

[goboatingnow]

I know three yachties stoped in Ionian waters at night and asked to produce competency certs. The charters typically forbid night sailing and the CG sometimes investigates yachties at night.

[Oeanda]

FWIW. The Canadian powerboat licence is not worth the plastic it’s printed on. You’d have to be retarded to fail the kindergarten level test involved.

For example at the time I took mine one of the multiple choice questions was something like:

Does alcohol-
A) Increase your reaction time?
B) Make you go faster?
….Etc

But as long as it keeps the officials happy, then wtf….

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I know three yachties stoped in Ionian waters at night and asked to produce competency certs. The charters typically forbid night sailing and the CG sometimes investigates yachties at night.

For exactly this reason, I finished ASA104 and got my ICC last year before sailing in Greek waters, but no one ever asked for my papers.

[sail sfbay]

Welcome to the forum!!

In the U.S. not aware of a boat license requirement for your own boat. However, most states require boaters complete an offical and certified boater education course. The Boater Education Card (sometimes called a Boater’s Card) is proof that you have successfully completed your state’s official & approved boating safety course. I got mine in California after taking the BoatUS free on-line course.

https://www.americasboatingcourse.co...ate.cfm?lid=50
https://www.boatsetter.com/boating-r...oating-license

[jmschmidt]

Marinas don't care about licensing. They are only interested in your liability insurance and can you pay the rent in advance. Some government agencies are interested in your insurance as well which should cover wreck removal from their territorial waters.

I've cruised and chartered in Hawaii, Australia, French Polynesia, the Caribbean, Belize and the US west coast. I have a US Coast Guard issued master's ticket for power and sail and have been a boat owner for fifty years. Nobody ever asked me for a license or a resume.

I flew for two major international airlines. I also have two college degrees, and nobody in their hiring departments ever asked to see these either, only my pilot licenses. instructor.