They have to start some where tobes. I think they would struggle going straight to a more advanced course.

But your right. The more advanced is what everyone needs

not even part of our survey requirements, as i understand it only commercially operating vessels over 10m need show day shapes...what im getting at mate is that there are a number of perminantly fixed dayshapes that all boaties need to recognise to avoid such stuff ups as the 'launch'..there are some attached to vessels also that should be lernt....as part of my competency course all these are included...

Bushy..the LLM and ILM courses are basic boating and i feel that anyone in charge of a boat 10m or above needs this....its the engineering requirements that might test some people and sh*t man if i can pass then so should everyone...im no scholar....the down side is the cost and time away from work...it kinda raises the issue of rego for boats as that would surely help coastguard in identifying stolen,abandoned, boats that are poaching vessels and for boaties at very least a day skippers.....just my thoughts

Where I hail from, skippers of all boats venturing more than 1 nm offshore had to do skippers tickets which included 50 hours of sea-time with a qualified skipper. So, as Tobe highlighted, we need better courses, perhaps which include the practical seamanship.

The whole issue of the compulsory wearing of lifejackets is a point in question for me. It is not whether lifejackets are compulsory or not, it is the skipper's knowledge of the sea and his craft that should determine whether a lifejacket is needed or not, or whether he shouldn't even be at sea because of the conditions.

Keith