3. Privately Issued/Government Recognized Qualifications

The owners and administrators of private organizations offering recreational sailing and yachting courses, training and certification to the public spend a lot of time and effort in trying to gain recognition for their training programs and certificates. They meet with government officials and marine safety boards. They take yacht charter company executives and insurance company CEO's out for exotic lunches and happy hours. They are tuned-in to local and international marine regulations and maritime law and closely follow events and changes in the yachting industry, looking for new ways to establish their programs and certificates.

And thru these efforts and by adapting or modifying their programs to meet the standards, they have been successful with yacht charter operators and insurance companies who will, when a government issued and/or approved license is not required, accept these organizations bare-boat captain or day-skipper or charter rank certifications as evidence of the competence of the person who has just disappeared over the horizon aboard a chartered 3 million dollar Lagoon 60.

While there has been  success with charter companies and insurance brokers, however, there has been only limited success for privately issued yachting certificates where they can replace or substitute standing government requirements. For the most part, private organizations have only been successful with their VHF Radio Operator certificates being approved to replace the local government version.

And although some organizations can qualify non-EU citizens for the ICC, they can only do so by following the program as set forth by the MCA and ICC governing bodies. The certificates themselves may be printed by IYT or RYA, etc., but they are approved and issued by the ICC authorities. Qualified sailors who obtain the ICC credential thru a private organization are entitled to the same privileges as any other ICC holder and the private organizations, sailing schools and training centers are continually monitored and assessed to ensure ICC expected standards. None-the-less, this is a case of the organization conforming to meet government requirements and providing the governments specified training program and evaluations and not a case of the government recognizing the organizations unique certificate scheme on its own merits.

Regardless of all efforts, where government issued captain credentials and licenses are required, at recreational or professional levels, no certificate issued by any private organization is a legal and accepted substitute - with one outstanding exception.

One Outstanding Exception - NauticEd's International Sailing License & Credentials (SLA)

 

 

Sailing Resume vs Sailing Certification

Think about a job application.  A person with solid educational credentials as well as real world experience gets the best job.  Same with sailing.  Sailing theory plus hands on experience makes the best sailor. 

NauticEd’s proprietary software combines your theoretical sailing courses with your logged practical on-the-water experience and all your other sailing accomplishments and international licenses such as the SLC into a resume demonstrating your sea-worthiness. 

At certain milestones along the way, we’ll issue you a ‘certification”, but only after you have passed the theoretical courses and logged the requisite experience.  Your certification will list your rank and level:  Rank relates to the courses you have taken and Level corresponds to your practical experience.  But you can’t get one without the other.  That’s because education and experience go hand in hand.

Additionally, when you are assessed by an instructor according to American National Standards rubrics or International Standards rubrics, your Rank and Level becomes Verified. When your experience is affirmed by your CrewMates ™ your experience is Authenticated.

All this takes place in the background by our software. Your resume simply grows automatically as you sail and learn. And that’s why yacht charter companies worldwide LOVE our Resume/Certification program. And why countries who require a proper legal sailing license, accept the NauticEd SLC. You will LOVE what we do for you.