P.E. yet again

Hi Eric;

I have read the pieces in PBB recently about licensure, and I am still wondering why it really matters to most yacht folks.

It seems pretty clear that legally yacht design is not practice of engineering, due to the lack of statutory requirements for engineering analysis of recreational boats, so why is anyone in the rec boat area concerned?

Is being able to say n**** a******** so important?

Legal requirements for licensure are important in some very specific areas of commercial ship practice (46 CFR 28.500, OPA 90, OSHA, ASME B31.1, ISM code maybe and some other stuff), but I don't see that most rec boat people will ever see these kinds of things, or even know they exist.

I am also confused about the new Maine law. Does it just apply to people actually performing physical work on boats or does it also cover engineering? What about shipyard lifting gear handling vessels under 200 feet? Do OSHA requirements no longer apply in Maine?

By the way, the February page of the New Yorker "Dog Cartoons" calendar has a lesson that might be worth keeping in mind when reading anything on the 'Net:

The caption is "On the Internet, no one knows you're a dog"

Woof, and Happy Howlidays to all!