Do You Have a Sailing/Boating Certificate or License?

[Cpt Pat]

• ASA "bare boat" Certification.
• USCG Master, Near Coastal with Auxiliary Sail Endorsement.

Also USCG Wiper, Food Handler, and Ordinary Seaman -- I "came up through the hawsepipe," as they say. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawsepiper)

In my opinion, the ASA certification "knowledge base" is more relevant to sailing, but if you want to sail a vessel in any commercial service, you need an appropriate USCG certificate. Otherwise, it's not very relevant for voyaging by sail except that the Merchant Mariner certification is internationally recognized by authorities as proof of seaman competence in a very general sense (but it doesn't prove you can actually sail).

I applaud those of you who are self-taught, with or without certs. The best seamen I've voyaged with were autodidacts. It takes more motivation - rather than being spoon-fed information in a classroom.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

I think this survey could be refined by levels / types of certifications.

I have a USCG Boater Safety card, which involved taking about six classes and passing an exam.

I have taken ASA101, and may take 102 & 103 if that makes sense at some point because a charter company (e.g., Moorings) might want that. The ASA101 was so simple for me that I was not motivated to do more ASA courses.

I have enough time on the water (or nearly enough) to take the USCG 50 ton exam, but may or may not do that.

And then there are RYA, Canadian, and other country certifications.

So maybe asking what type of cert people have (if any) might be more informative.

[hpeer]

USCG 6-pack OUPV
CANADIAN personal watercraft card
Radio licenses

Not that I think it makes me any smarter.

[Splash of Lime]

Yes USCG 100 ton Expired but I have a ton of experience. I am 80 now and seems like I have always had a boat. 72 FOOT Hatteras many years ago. 50' power boat now in Mexico.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I'm hoping everyone who lives in the USA or wants to travel to the USA to sail or isn't off cruising the world on their own boat can answer this poll.

Do you have an ASA Certification? Yachtmaster, USCG or other license? Do you have a certification with Moorings or other charter company?

I'm curious how many people have these vs don't have them.

Thanks!

My family took the basic USCG Boating course in the early 1980s...the rest of the family dropped out about half way through but I finished it. Been sailing ever since, reading most everything I can get my hands on.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Tingum]

USCG Masters, 500 ton sail, 1600 power. Professional Captain since 1978

[sailorboy1]

It’s scary that any idiot can take out a boat in the US with no training at all

[Maka]

Once upon a time I had a USCG Captains lic.

It expired years ago,,,,so nothing now.

[deblen]

If you can't challenge the Canada PCOC online test & pass it,you should not be operating a boat IMHO.
Try the test & find out.
https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafet...erator-360.htm


One of several test sites https://www.boat-ed.com/canada/


Yes-I have this PCOC card,along with others

[B23iL23]

I've got an ICC which is required by many countries in Europe. Also a VHF radio license that I got 20 years ago and never expires.

[Fishbone 1]

No Certs or License. Sailing and boating for 40+ years... never needed one.

[Maka]

Originally Posted by Splash of Lime

Yes USCG 100 ton Expired but I have a ton of experience. I am 80 now and seems like I have always had a boat. 72 FOOT Hatteras many years ago. 50' power boat now in Mexico.

Congratulations !

I'm thrilled to see some one of your age still Yachting.
Lets me know I have several more years myself to enjoy my Boat.

[wingssail]

I have my USCG License to operate mechanically propelled passenger vessels up to 50 tons, with sailing axillary endorsement, issued March 25, 1981.

By the way, I have in my possession a USCG License issued to Alfred Roswold, my grandfather, as a merchant Marine Officer, First Class Pilot and Chief Mate, for Steam and Motor vessels, any gross tons, upon Oceans, issued 31 Oct 1946

We are both Norwegian, descendant of Vikings

[sailon46]

100 ton master USCG with sailing endorsement
Ernie on the Mary Jane

[nhschneider]

Even though I’ve been sailing for over 50 years and just recently completed a 49,000-mile circumnavigation, at the beginning of this month I took a two-week class that prepared me to take the USCG 100-ton Master’s License exam, which I passed.

The one thing that I learned that surprised me after completing our circumnavigation was to realize how little I knew. During the class I took there were many times that I disagreed with specific items in the course content but I still learned a lot.

Perhaps the licenses, certifications, etc aren’t that important but I certainly feel that the education that leads to those licenses, certifications, etc are usually worthwhile.

Fair winds and calm seas.