The Florida Keys has numerous boat captains piloting anything
from a small skiff used to island hop to the cruise ships that are docked in
major cities such as Fort Lauderdale and Miami. For smaller boats not used
commercially, a simple boaters license will suffice. When the vessels grow
larger and are being used commercially, a captain’s license is required.
The procedure to obtain a captain’s license (6pk) is rather
easy and requires time on the water in either your own boat or someone else’s.
For the more advanced Master Inland and Master Near Coastal however requires
significantly more work. This feat requires years of time in large vessels
typically as a mate as well as schooling. To have the privilege of operating a 75+
ton vessel is an honor and demands awe-inspiring skill. Unlike a car, boats can’t
stop at any time or “turn on a dime”, a delicate balance of forward and reverse
throttle is used to turn and slow down. This ability is both a skill and talent
that must be honed to become the best.
Of the three captains that we interacted with during diving
and shark tagging, each had a different back ground and story. Additionally,
the vessels that were used were completely different as well. Slate and Tom captained
single engine boats whilst Sarah used a twin engine boat. The twin engine boat has
the advantage of being able to turn the props in different directions essentially
allowing the boat to turn in place. A single prop boat however must rotate a
much larger circle. This became most apparent when it was time to dock the
boats. Slate and Tom had to perform an awkward forward-backward shuffle to
enter their slip. The Sea Siren, Sarah’s vessel, was able to slide into
position smoothly.
There is however an even better option on the market today referred
to as bow thrusters that are located in the hull of the boat and allow completely
horizontal movement to occur as well as tighten up smaller turns. Hull shape also plays an important role in the maneuverability of a boat.
#SquareGrouperFisherman #GotSkills?
http://www.captainslate.com/
http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=054-09&category=captains-license-info
I think it takes a lot of skill and patience to be a boat captain, especially the ones we were working with this week. They must deal with a lot of diverse personalities and I am sure customers in the snorkel/dive trips get annoying once in awhile.
ReplyDeleteit is such a difficult job to be able to do. i've always wanted to get my captains license, so the fact that it is on the easier side to achieve i might go for it. the captains that we encountered were very skilled at their job and you could tell they had lots of experience.
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