Certificates are just hot air
Why a sailing license says little to nothing at all.
Why I am writing this
As a responsible German, one is, of course, always in possession of the necessary permits, certificates, licenses, and proof of expertise.
Now, I have been sailing (with a few major gaps) since 1970, because when I was three years old, I was put into an Optimist alone or sailed with my parents on the "Gummibomber" (Delphin).
Later, I was out on the Baltic Sea with the family's own IXYLON, a 15er Jollenkreuzer, the "Wappen von Leipzig" (an old steel bucket belonging to the sailing association), or the "Lipsia" (a not quite as old steel bucket) – naturally only within "sight" of the authorities, i.e., in the Bodden waters of the East and rarely further out.
History
So, back in the GDR era, I acquired the so-called "A-Schein" and later the "B-Schein".
- A-Schein → for inland lakes
- B-Schein → for coastal waters
Unfortunately, I lost these during my university years. Due to the turmoil of the reunification and because I lost contact with the old sailing community, I failed to have these certificates transferred.
If I am not mistaken, these correspond roughly to today's BR-Schein or the current SKS (Sportküstenschifferschein / Coastal Skipper License).
As a responsible father of a family around the 2000s, I remembered my sailing hobby again and dutifully did:
- the Inland license for motor and sail
- a pyrotechnics license
- a radio license
- the SBF See (Coastal Boat License)
An immense effort – especially when your wife doesn't even want to come sailing.
But at least: I have sailed across the Atlantic alone. The effort was therefore not entirely in vain.
Now, with my own boat and on charter trips, new challenges arise, however. Insurance companies would prefer only professional skippers with 50 years of experience, and charter companies are also trusting these certificates less and less.
In some cases, higher qualifications are demanded (especially from Germans), even though this does not correspond to the sailing area at all.
Why – I have experienced this firsthand and can certainly understand it.
For example, Sunsail requires the SKS in the Seychelles and the Atlantic.
Experiences with exams
Several years ago, I took part in a trip to get my SKS.
On board was a motley crew with a skipper from Saxony (including an unmistakable dialect) who runs a small sailing school.
Everyone on board had sailing experience and had already sailed between 500 and 4000 nautical miles.
The exam took place in open waters:
- about 1.5 m waves
- 5–6 Bft wind
- two examiners from Stralsund
My impression was: A skipper from Saxony alone is a (political) problem.
And yes – I have seen better training sessions before.
Nevertheless, everyone on board was able to perform the maneuvers in wind and weather without any problems.
The mooring spot, however, was a 2 m high rusty sheet pile wall, located exactly between the jet effect of two large buildings in the harbor of Stralsund.
No joy to moor there – and even less so to have to climb out at this wall several times.
Two participants were failed.
I accepted my result, because my MOB maneuver (Man over Board) was rated as a fail.
Reason: I was allegedly 1.0 kn too fast, even though the ship was effectively already at a standstill.
People often overlook the fact that you usually pick up a person in the water much more safely at 0 kn STW (Speed Through Water) than at 0 kn SOG (Speed Over Ground) when, for example, there is a 2 kn current.
I refrained from explaining to the examiner how the plotter actually calculates SOG. Many devices average the last 3–5 GPS readings so that the display does not jump. As a result, it inevitably remains sluggish. To see 0 kn immediately after stopping, you would practically have to reverse briefly.
Other plotters – and some apps – simply calculate speed from the delta of the position. If the GPS is, for example, more than about 10 m off, a number will continue to appear under SOG even when at a standstill.
But oh well. Why get upset about it.
Second attempt
That is why I registered for a re-examination at a large sailing school, the name of which I do not wish to mention here.
The training was really good – from my perspective, even better than on the first attempt.
On board this time were mainly people,
- who had never been on a comparable sailing yacht before
- dinghy sailors
- crew members on a traditional sailing ship
- or complete novices with a few miles on the Elbe
However, no one had steered a sailing yacht (SY) before.
The required 300 nautical miles were – with three people – only provable with a very generous interpretation of the regulations.
Without going into detail:
Everyone passed the exam.
Surprise. Surprise.
The exam took place in the Bodden:
- hardly any wind
- practically no waves
With about 3 cm waves and a dream jetty for docking and undocking maneuvers, probably anyone who had watched a YouTube tutorial beforehand would have passed.
Assessment
Due to these enormous differences – which of course can also be partially weather-related – the SKS certificate is, in my view, significantly devalued.
Some participants from small schools have to be almost professionals to pass with a bit of luck.
Other schools seem almost merged with the DSV (German Sailing Association), and the exams open the door wide for completely inexperienced sailors.
Conclusion
I don't even want to imagine it when my own boat is chartered out to an SKS holder who has never (or never without damage) docked in a box.
The certificate is, in my view, at most:
The license to practice.
I cannot recommend to anyone that they act as a skipper with this certificate if they have not first gained years of practical experience.
Basically, the same applies to the SBF See.
And of course, there are also old hands with no certificate at all, into whose hands one would entrust oneself at any time without hesitation.