[mstern]

Actually, most marine certificates are not about education, but are certificates of competency, unlike an educational degree.
How can any agency certify competency if the holder never has to do anything more than pass the test? You have a written test and a driving test to drive any vehicle, and you aren't getting a big rig license driving a sports car.

I bow to your greater knowledge of marine certifications; I can't address that. However, I don't view the standard driving test to be an indication of competency. Things have become more stringent these days; I remember that when I got my license (1976), you could show up at the DMV, take the paper test and a very brief road test and walk out of there with your license. My kids had to not only take the road and paper test, they also had to have a certain amount of driving hours documented as well. But even with that, I don't consider newly minted drivers to be "competent".

I've heard that the RYA certificate is actually more along the lines of what you are thinking: a written test, but also accompanied by a real competency evaluation. I recall reading a magazine article where the RYA candidates had to spend multiple days aboard a yacht with the evaluator who graded them on their skills.

 

[denverd0n]

Okay, the comment about driver's test reminded me of when I first moved to North Carolina, some 30+ years ago. I had to take a written test to get my license. One of the questions on the test went like this...

When you see the sign above, you should...
A. Proceed, you have the right of way.
B. Stop, and then proceed only when the way is clear.
C. Yield to oncoming traffic, but proceed without stopping if the way is clear.
D. None of the above.

I swear to God, this is the absolute truth. I am not making this up. I saw the question, and for a moment I honestly thought it must be a joke. This was one of the ten questions I had to answer. I could have gotten three of them wrong, and still would have been issued a license. Tell me again, why is it that 40,000 people die every year in auto accidents in the United States?

 

[capta]

I bow to your greater knowledge of marine certifications; I can't address that. However, I don't view the standard driving test to be an indication of competency. Things have become more stringent these days; I remember that when I got my license (1976), you could show up at the DMV, take the paper test and a very brief road test and walk out of there with your license. My kids had to not only take the road and paper test, they also had to have a certain amount of driving hours documented as well. But even with that, I don't consider newly minted drivers to be "competent".

I've heard that the RYA certificate is actually more along the lines of what you are thinking: a written test, but also accompanied by a real competency evaluation. I recall reading a magazine article where the RYA candidates had to spend multiple days aboard a yacht with the evaluator who graded them on their skills.

Yes. Were I wishing to become a yachtmaster (sail and/or power) at this time as a profession, I'd go RYA. Way back, just being a yank was a leg up, but not so today. We are considered pariahs because of our proclivity to sue.
Even American owners often won't hire us, now.

 

[mstern]

Yes. Were I wishing to become a yachtmaster (sail and/or power) at this time as a profession, I'd go RYA. Way back, just being a yank was a leg up, but not so today. We are considered pariahs because of our proclivity to sue.
Even American owners often won't hire us, now.

Wow. I did not know that, but it kind of makes sense.

 

[sailingfool]

Yes. Were I wishing to become a yachtmaster (sail and/or power) at this time as a profession, I'd go RYA. Way back, just being a yank was a leg up, but not so today. We are considered pariahs because of our proclivity to sue.
Even American owners often won't hire us, now.

As a clarification I believe a RYA cert won't help if you want to earn income on a US flagged vessel in the US or any of its territories, as in order to do so you must have a USCG mariners license.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[capta]

As a clarification I believe a RYA cert won't help if you want to earn income on a US flagged vessel in the US or any of its territories, as in order to do so you must have a USCG mariners license.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

That is exactly correct.

 

[capt jgwinks]

If you own the boat, you can sign your own sea time forms.

But your need to furnish proof you owned it. Registration, document, etc. If it was your Dad's boat and he's still alive, you can have him sign it. No ownership proof needed if it's someone else's boat. Just has to be "someone else" saying you did the time.

 

[capta]

But your need to furnish proof you owned it. Registration, document, etc. If it was your Dad's boat and he's still alive, you can have him sign it. No ownership proof needed if it's someone else's boat. Just has to be "someone else" saying you did the time.

The USCG has never once asked me for proof of ownership. They have never once confirmed with me that I did in fact sign a crew member's sea service form (and I've done hundreds), even when I did my wife's time. I do not believe I've ever heard of anybody having their sea service time verified, even when it was on a Boston Whaler, which I know of in one case.