I interpret sailingirl's post as asking what's needed for a "BVI captains license" not necessarily what credentials are needed to bareboat charter? they are two separate things. I don't know the specifics of what's needed for the captains license, but no certification is needed for bareboat chartering, just experience. Now the "experience" required to bareboat charter is the part that's gray to me.

Every charter company that I've chartered with has a detailed resume to fill out prior to the trip and they ask similar questions and some require more details than others but they ask How many years skippering do you have? how many days/miles have you skippered in your lifetime, what size yachts have you skippered? where have you skippered lake/coastal/offshore/tidal? Crewing experience? Previous bareboat charter companies? check off experience with everything from anchoring, reading/plotting charts to docking, engine/twin screw experience? ASA/US Sailing certifications? etc etc.

I would hope that the "resume" that charterers submit are thorough and honest, because in the event of an accident that document will certainly be scrutinized!!! Not to mention whoever is the skipper is completely responsible for their crew. The charter companies we've used have always asked me questions and had me demonstrate skills at check out. I also expect and I think the charter companies would expect the crew to have some experience, I believe I have documented individual crew experience on resume's as well.

When I first contemplated bareboat chartering a sail cat I had no "sailboat skippering" experience, but I had extensive power boating experience including twin screw. I also had crewed on sailboats but only for day sails, that wasn't enough experience for me personally to take my family on a bareboat charter. To gain real sailing experience I took a six day basic keel boat course with JWorld in Annapolis, awesome course! I then crewed with an experienced friend on a Footloose 4300 for a couple weeks, I was hooked! The combination of this experience and my 30 years enjoying many daysails in the USVI/BVI gaining valuable local knowledge made me comfortable to bareboat charter with my family. My love for sailing had begun but my desire for knowledge grew, I have since taken basic cruising, coastal navigation, coastal passage making and offshore passage making all with JWorld. It took a lot of time and some money to make our dreams come true, but I feel that the order in which I did things was the safest way to proceed for us.

Certifications are not necessary, but "real experience" is required and whoever is thinking about a first time bareboat charter needs to do a self check and be honest with yourself, don't put others at risk.

FYI, I'm making another passage from Charleston to Annapolis in a couple of weeks under the watchful eye of an experienced JWorld skipper, I'm hooked! I'll post a report in BVI talk called The Return of Euro Trash Girl! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />