C'mon Fever. You need a place to stay? Dinner is on me - BH

I had some advise (could be bad) that if you have your captains license and are involved in an incident even if you are not driving you could have some fault. I do not know if this is fact or wives tale.

Hey Steve - Seaschool's course starts up soon, right here in Norwalk February 7....which is what got me thinking about starting this thread. I'm seriously considering it.

I was told that anyone can be driving a boat with paying passengers as long as the person with the captain's license is supervising. If this is a true statement, I guess it would make sense that you could be held responsible. Any of you guys with licenses know for sure?

J - Do you know the cost?

If you, as a captain, have paying customers on your vessel, then you are responsible for the boat should any incident occur - regardless of who is at the helm. You'll more than likely end up at the nearest Coast Guard "Admiralty Court" location for an investigation and hearing into the matter.

If it's not a business venture, then you would be responsible much as any other person would, although the Coast Guard would have the right to investigate the incident and still have you appear in "Admiralty Court".

Regardless of business or pleasure, when you're a licensed captain on a vessel, you still have to have a copy of the "Rules of the Road" and some of the other required documents with you.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the info.

Steve - the cost for the course is around $800+. You have the cost for the course, the exam, you have to take CPR (if you haven't), and get a drug test.

I think I'm going to wait until the next one (which looks like it won't be until next year in Norwalk). They go in a cycle where you can get the 6-pack, then every few months they offer the next upgrade.

Ive got my uninspected license (tugboats) and ditto on the insurance, they didnt care, wanted to see safe boating course cert. My Engineers license test was the hardest test I ever took.

J...I think I'll wait till next year too, I need to budget for that!! I'll stick to Donovans for the time being

That is unbelievable about the insurance. (Well, it is actually only too believable, the way these insurance companies seem to think.)

Steve - That is exactly what I thought!