ASA?

[BlackHeron]

ICC is practically useless outside of Europe.

Canadians have their own recreational boating license and US citizens can get boater's safety certificates from their various states. Most of them are reciprocal between states and Canada if they are NASBLA- approved. These courses can be taken for free online from BoatUS.

https://www.boatus.org/free/

[IslandInfedel]

Originally Posted by BlackHeron

ICC is practically useless outside of Europe.

Canadians have their own recreational boating license and US citizens can get boater's safety certificates from their various states. Most of them are reciprocal between states and Canada if they are NASBLA- approved. These courses can be taken for free online from BoatUS.

https://www.boatus.org/free/

I seem to remember that USCG course spanning some time and it was a in person deal.

I get the USCG license is just for hire operations, I just figured I’d get it one day because why not, might make some money taking the boat somewhere I was going to take it anyways (it’s registered as coastwise) plus I think it would give my CPA more room to work tax wise

[BlackHeron]

Makework is makework. A certification only states that the holder spent some time and effort at some point, and jumped through some hoops to get a piece of paper that says they probably passed some tests or evaluations that may or may not be relevant or remembered.

If you want to rent a bareboat charter that piece of paper may only get you into the door to present an actual resume of sailing experience or demonstrate actual competency to the actual people who will be the ones allowing you take their equipment out beyond their immediate vicinity unsupervised.

[IslandInfedel]

Originally Posted by BlackHeron

Makework is makework. A certification only states that the holder spent some time and effort at some point, and jumped through some hoops to get a piece of paper that says they probably passed some tests or evaluations that may or may not be relevant or remembered.

If you want to rent a bareboat charter that piece of paper may only get you into the door to present an actual resume of sailing experience or demonstrate actual competency to the actual people who will be the ones allowing you take their equipment out beyond their immediate vicinity unsupervised.

I fully agree, but these days daddy government requires licenses for all sorts of nonsense.

I don’t have any desire to charter a boat, I’m happy with mine and if I decide to get something bigger, smaller, different, I’ll go that route.

Also a fan of the license to learn bit, hence my question about ASA

[BlackHeron]

I think with the ASA classes it depends a LOT on your instructor(s) and the other students there, and their own experience levels.

When I took the 101 course the other students were totally raw and I spent more time helping teach them than I did learning -and we didn't cover anything I didn't already know, being held back trying to drag the newbies along.


We were only brushing barely by on most of the curriculum. How much can really be covered in a short couple of days? How much is actually retained if not reinforced over and over again by more practical experience right away?

[Little Otter]

When I did 101 almost 15 years ago I was the only person to take it in January, as such I was the only person in the class. this meant that if it was something that I already knew and showed the instructor I was good at then we skipped it. I already knew all the classroom stuff because I had done small boat sailing in Scouts, so we ended up sailing a catalina 22 for 4 hours the first day and 8 hours the next two on a pearson 35. I would say go when the weather isn't going to be perfect. That way you can get some experience in adverse conditions and you'll get more 1 on 1 time with the instructor if you need it.