A question regarding skippers licenses

[safewalrus]

Unfortunately it's world wide! Like the fact that in the UK 60% of retail theft is by the Security Officers (so just WHY do they have security? don't ask me!)


and that's just one little corner!

[Ike]

Well Walrus, I would hardly presume to contradict a CPO. Especially since I never made Chief. I was just a lowly Lieutenant. Perhaps he was considering some of the lighthouses that were operated by the colonies as precursors to the lighthouse service, although the federal government didn't start managing and maintaining them until 1789. Of course the spirit and purpose goes back a lot farther than 1790. Saving lies at sea has always been a noble calling.

Now if we could get the Coast Guard out of the Department Homeland Security and make it an independent agency, that would be an accomplishment!

[safewalrus]

And Ike as we all know Officers are only there to sign for things, until they reach a reasonable height! (five feet nine ought to do it!) The Backbone of all Naval Officer Corps is the lowly Lieutenant - it's how long and how you got there that matters! I've met good lieutenants and I've met bad lieutenants - the fact that you admit it probably makes you one of the former - not bad for a septic (at least you were in the better of the US Seagoing Services Your coast guard beats ours hands down even if our Navy is only about the size of a Coast Guard these days!)

As for your hope of getting the Coast Guard to become the controller of it's own fate? there's more chance of Bush learning the Queens English!! Nice thought though!

[Ike]

I came up through the hawse pipe if you know what that means. I started out as enlisted eventually went to Officer Candidate School. That's what in the USCG and USN is called a Mustang.

Can you say nuclear? Or is it nucular? I'm so confused.

[masalai]

nuclear, also Aluminium, let nipples be seen through clothes, Even blocking off Janet Jacksons tits is soooo prudish it verges on telling lies. Saying "swearwords instead of the stupid "beep" Australian National radio does book reading and if the text says "****" the reader says "****". a toilet is either a toilet, ****-house or bog-parlor but only poofters seek a "powder-room".

Speaking of which - Oops not the Drivel Thread - will save it for later!

[marshmat]

As for your hope of getting the Coast Guard to become the controller of it's own fate? there's more chance of Bush learning the Queens English!! Nice thought though!

Project Deepwater comes to mind, for some reason.
Nuclear is the one, unless you're the President of the US of A, in which case it becomes nook-you-larr.
I love that Australian honesty we see from the Down Under types on here. We Canucks are getting so uptight lately, partly from the way the work culture has developed and partly from the way the government's been going lately. But that would get us away from the topic.
What was the topic again?
Right, skippers' licences and the Coast Guard.
Our government's been talking lately about adding a few ships to the fleet. Whether they go to the Navy or CG or both, is not yet entirely sure. But in a few years we should be launching some new fully Arctic-rated cutters and icebreakers to clear the way to Canada's emerging northern ports. (There's a deep-water port going in somewhere in Nunavut, too, we've been told.) Most are hoping the Coast Guard gets them; our Coasties (as far as I know) remain a largely independent, civilian agency and not part of the military (we don't have very much of the military/industrial complex that powers the US forces).
Drifting off topic again.
I think most of you outrank me with the tickets, permits, etc; so far I'm only qualified for recreational craft to 20 tonnes. That will change, eventually; I do intend to get a few more as I can afford additional boats (although I doubt I'll reach Ike's level)....

[safewalrus]

Ike buddy I'm impressed! You say you didn't make Chief, I think you made better than Chief on that route!

Crawled much the same route myself but I cheated, 10 years Royal Navy, left and joined the Merchant Navy as a Deck Rating and finally made Chief Officer, got offered a "drivers job" but by then the novelty was wearing off and the difference in rewards between Master and Mate were so small considering the extra hassle that I didn't bother (probably a silly move but I swollowed the anchor commercialwise soon after so it didn't matter as much as if I'd stayed I guess!)

[Ike]

Don't get me started on Deepwater! What a Fiasco.
Don't even mention the current hoo hah over the Administrative Law Judges. Talk about just plain stupid.

I am glad I retired when I did. However it is painful to see all this going on.

Wow, you turned down Master. Is that a first?

I did all right, all things considered. It would have been nice to make CPO. But it wasn't in the cards. My specialty (fire control technician) had maybe 60 people in the entire rating. There were about 12 or 14 CPOs. One of them had to retire or die to get promoted, so I went the OCS route. If I hadn't done that I would have gone for Warrant Officer. My rating doesn't exist anymore in the Coast Guard. They combined all the electronics ratings into one, IT, which I am not sure what that stands for. But all the Electronics Techs, Sonar Techs and Fire Control Techs are now IT's. It gives them a better shot at promotion, but nobody specializes anymore.

After I got my commission I did mostly engineer work in Boating Safety. It's a lot more fun playing around with boats than with guns. (oh, I like guns too.) I got to run an industrial facility for a while. Building and fixing stuff is a lot of fun too. But they guys that get promoted are the ones who sail the ships and fly the planes. But I had enough time to retire. So that's good. Fact is I am staying at an RV park on an Air Force base right now. One of the really great perks. Its nice to have your own gated community that has guards with machine guns. Makes one feel secure. LOL.

[charmc]

Originally Posted by marshmat

Webster's is an American dictionary, Charlie.

Matt,

Oxford University Press uses both spellings for the noun. Interesting that they can't make up their collective British minds.

[charmc]

Originally Posted by marshmat

Spelling differences aside, I do think the Canadian approach to small-craft operator permits is a good one. It's inexpensive, effective, and easily enforced. Those who know how to be safe, pass with flying colours. Those who can't tell a fire extinguisher from a flare gun (or a boat from a buoy), become easy to catch.

Matt,

I was one of the "freedom of the seas" advocates. I no longer oppose lincensing requirements, just try to influence them so they actually do some good. The Canadian requirements you described sound reasonable. I agree that competent operators should have no trouble passing. We certainly have way too many imbeciles operating boats down here.

[artemis]

Originally Posted by charmc

Matt,

I was one of the "freedom of the seas" advocates. I no longer oppose lincensing requirements, just try to influence them so they actually do some good. The Canadian requirements you described sound reasonable. I agree that competent operators should have no trouble passing. We certainly have way too many imbeciles operating boats down here.

It was this simplicity, wide availability, and low cost to state government (surprise!) that led the State of Oregon to follow several others States' lead in a licensing exam: Take the US Coast Guard Auxilliary safe boating course and pass it - and if you're land bound (like in central Oregon) you can still do it by mail. Certificate from the USCGA that you passed the course is all you need (plus some bucks) to get the license.

[charmc]

Yes, that's a great way for states to implement licensing. As you say, the course and exam exist already, developed and proven by experts, so the cost to the state is low ... Artemis, I'm afraid this won't work. Much too rational, simple, and inexpensive for any government to trust it. Sooner or later some beauraucrat or politician will complicate it and screw it up!

[safewalrus]

One thing I've found over the years is that those that can sail do (don't need a bit of paper!) those that can't but want to look good buy big 'gin palaces' but after the first couple of tries stay firmly tied up in the marina, spinning yarns etc. Ok bit of a bummer if you happen to encounter the new 'gin palace' owner on his only trip out but other than that 'tis easy to keep clear of the numpties!