Maytrix - I agree.
We have bareboated 11 trips with 4 different companies in 3 different oceans and have never been asked to see our resume once on-site -- Our resume is, however, reviewed before our deposit is accepted and the boat confirmed to ensure we are experienced enough to take that boat in those waters. This is done by the main office not always where we take the boat, and by someone other than the briefer.
I think it is obvious to most experienced chart briefers/boat briefers very quickly whether the skipper (technically not a captain) and mate (usually a second person with some on-water experience required to rent the boat)know anything about boats in general and sailboats in particular (which way do you wrap a winch, what questions do you ask during the chart briefing, can you start the engines when asked, etc)so that, in my experience, I have always felt they do all they can to ensure the safety of their boat, my crew and others on the waters.
We have only been asked to go out, raise the sails, tack, jibe, return to dock once as part of the checkout -- this was with TMM (2 weeks ago) and they asked would we like to or not -- Was time well spent -- I learned a lot about the rigging and some of the quirks of that particular boat, made sure no problems existed before we took out the boat ourselves, had a guided tour out/into the marina (Quite tight and a reef at the entrance not marked) so that while it took a little over an hour it was time well spent. This combined with my experience on many occasions seeing chartered boats with "local" captains do things like anchor at Monkey point, spend all day on one of the NPT balls at "the chimney", outrace "CCC's" to the last mooring obviously being approached by other boat shows me it is more than # years of experience or "credentials" that deserves respect on the water -- Experience, respect, common sense in equal doses seem to me to be the best combination. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />
