Why license?

[IT_Mike]

I've been on the hard for a few decades now but if you're not 'for hire', why the drive to get licensed?

I recognize we'll need ICC when we cross, but why all the USCG licenses?

[dcondit]

I primarily did mine for insurance. I already had the experience, and doing the USCG Master made it easier to insure with some underwriters.

[Benz]

They're only useful if you need them for work or if they save you money, like the above poster.
Much of my work comes by way of my Captain's ticket.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Benz

They're only useful if you need them for work or if they save you money, like the above poster.

Or if you want to include "Capt" in your CF name?

[Sailer_Med]

Some places expect you to have certain credentials to sail certain distances from shore.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by IT_Mike

I've been on the hard for a few decades now but if you're not 'for hire', why the drive to get licensed?

I recognize we'll need ICC when we cross, but why all the USCG licenses?

As a delivery guy, I am required to have one. When I retire, I will retire my license also. There have been several threads about guys with licenses aboard pleasure boats as a guest. When an unlicensed driver of the vessel messed up, the guy with a license had to explain why they did not intercede or say something. Not 100% sure it is fact, but I could see the USCG asking.

So- if you aren't going to make money at it, why bother? While passing it is not an issue- I am in a drug testing consortium. So I have to be 'on call' for random testing. If you are at sea and do not respond in 1-2 days, they get suspicious. So you have to prove you were out there. Just another reason NOT to have a license.

Finally, I have never had to show my license entering or leaving a foreign port. Maybe I just look captainy.

Originally Posted by StuM

Or if you want to include "Capt" in your CF name?

We really need to adopt a sarcasm font like they do on SA-----

[Benz]

Originally Posted by StuM

Or if you want to include "Capt" in your CF name?

Not a bad idea....would people listen better if I did?

[s/v Moondancer]

When we decided to go cruising my wife took a Captains course and got her Masters's License...during our 11 years and 40,000 nm of cruising she gained great benefits from the license:

First the knowledge gained from the course greatly improved her ability to run a boat and cross oceans,

Second, the knowlwedge gained allowed her to communicate with the big ships in a professional manner,

Third as a Hispanic female with a USCG master's license, she was shown great respect by officials throughout the world, but especially in Latin America.

The gaining of knowledge is never wasted even if the benefits are not immediately evident.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by StuM

Or if you want to include "Capt" in your CF name?

Or on a hat or shirt. It's how all the really cool people on the docks identify each other, and a great way to make new friends at the bar.


</purple>

[CSY Man]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Or on a hat or shirt. It's how all the really cool people on the docks identify each other, and a great way to make new friends at the bar.


</purple>

Ha, not sure about that: I have been licensed for 25+ years without advertising
it on a hat or a shirt but still find friends at bars all over the planet.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Ha, not sure about that: I have been licensed for 25+ years without advertising
it on a hat or a shirt but still find friends at bars all over the planet.

I hear that sometimes that happens if you're a divemaster or pilot or both. Or technical diver. I understand that these groups have, how shall we say, sufficiently outgoing personalities that they don't need to embroider their clothing.

</purple>

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

When we decided to go cruising my wife took a Captains course and got her Masters's License...during our 11 years and 40,000 nm of cruising she gained great benefits from the license:

First the knowledge gained from the course greatly improved her ability to run a boat and cross oceans,

Second, the knowlwedge gained allowed her to communicate with the big ships in a professional manner,

Third as a Hispanic female with a USCG master's license, she was shown great respect by officials throughout the world, but especially in Latin America.

The gaining of knowledge is never wasted even if the benefits are not immediately evident.

Learning skills is valuable. You can always take the class and not apply for the license to get the skills.

If you don't have a commercial/legal requirement to do so, getting the piece of paper is a waste of time and as mentioned can add certain responsibilities an unlicensed captain doesn't have.

[CSY Man]

Originally Posted by Jammer

I hear that sometimes that happens if you're a divemaster or pilot or both. Or technical diver. I understand that these groups have, how shall we say, sufficiently outgoing personalities that they don't need to embroider their clothing.

</purple>

Well, close Padi master-diver, not divemaster, but airplane pilot for 40 years.
Easy to find new friends i bars, but had to slow down before the liver divorced me.

I don't see any negatives in holding a license, taking the course and the test one is forced to study, then learning occurs.
Same with renewals, more studying.
Have never had a problem being held to higher standards while on a friends boat, never seen a documented case of it being a problem either.
After I shut down the charter business I keep the ticket, good for an occasional delivery or teaching a new boater now and then.
Beer money.