Am I a certified Boat Master ?

[Newman]

Morning all. Hope you are all staying safe. I have just been asked if I am a certified Boat Master (in order to certify someones I.D. - Nothing to do with boating by the way). I have my Shorebased RYA/MCA Day Skipper for Sail & Power Craft, my RYA Practical Sailing Course (Day Skipper Tidal) and my RYA Practical Sailing Course (Competent Crew). Apparently if I am a Certified Boat Master I should have a Registration Number. My Day Skipper Tidal certificate has a printed number in a small box, could this be it or would that just be relevant to the company I took the course with (Ondeck) ?. Many thanks in advance

 

[PilotWolf]

I’d say no.

The Boat Master certificate is a stand alone MCA license for onshore waters and rivers.

Boatmasters' licence

W.

 

[Solent Sailor]

Nope, you don't. This is it: Boatmasters' licence (for the UK at least).

RYA certificates can form a route to qualification, but are not the licence itself.

 

[Newman]

Many thanks for your prompt reply. The mystery for me is why I need such a qualification to verify someone's I.D. on something completely unrelated to boating. Thanks again, stay safe

 

[JumbleDuck]

Many thanks for your prompt reply. The mystery for me is why I need such a qualification to verify someone's I.D. on something completely unrelated to boating. Thanks again, stay safe

I expect it's just establishing a level of professional credibility. My job title enables me to sign passport IDs.

 

[Wansworth]

It’s an indication that you are a qualified responsible person there fore your verification has value.

 

[Solent Sailor]

Most qualifications have "value", but some have more than others.

By virtue of being a solicitor, I can verify and sign most things because society views that I am a responsible person who has agreed to meet a set of standards in my conduct, both personal and professional. Ditto doctors, ministers of religion, justices of the peace etc. etc. What level of responsibility is acceptable depends on the organisation requesting it, and in recent years I have noted a downward trend in this respect - for instance, shotgun and firearm certificates used to only be capable of being countersigned by lawyers, doctors, vicars etc. Now, it is anyone who has known you for more than two years and is "of good character". Our firearms laws are some of the toughest in the world and we have negligible incidents where a certificate holder runs amok, so this change does not appear to be detrimental.

 

[Newman]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, it's much appreciated.

 

[Mudisox]

I get asked sometimes for verification and note that as an officer in the RN I am in but not if I am, as now, retired RN Officer!!
Likewise not as a former Magistrate!!
Sailing wise I have a BOT Yacht master's Certificate from 1966, which precedes RYA qualification, but not accepted as someone who has RYA Yachtmaster Ocean.

 

[PilotWolf]

IiRC when I did mine it was endorsed for a specific area of operations- mine was in the Solent. There were various tiers depending on what you wanted to operate.

The exam was also conducted by an MCA surveyor.

W

 

[Graham376]

Sailing wise I have a BOT Yacht master's Certificate from 1966, which precedes RYA qualification, but not accepted as someone who has RYA Yachtmaster Ocean.

Older commercial endorsements on YM Offshore used to say the holder is qualified to sail as master of a vessel up to 200 grt.

 

[PilotWolf]

Isn’t it still the same with the addition of up to 20 m?

W

Older commercial endorsements on YM Offshore used to say the holder is qualified to sail as master of a vessel up to 200 grt.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I expect it's just establishing a level of professional credibility. My job title enables me to sign passport IDs.

And my status as a Licensed Lay Minister allows me to do the same; I've had to do it a few times. But basically, anyone of standing within a community can sign passport IDs, as long as the standing is identifiable to the Passport Office - I've had mine signed by (for example) the Director of the Institute I was working for at the time, and he was Australian! But anyone with a recognized professional qualification can sign passport IDs. I'd imagine they'd accept my wife's signature (she's a Chartered Chemist), provided she didn't use her Chinese one!
My latest renewal was the first time I haven't needed to get a photo signed; I guess they decided I hadn't changed much in ten years and the new photo was recognizably the same person as the old one! My last passport was one of the first biometric ones.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

I expect it's just establishing a level of professional credibility. My job title enables me to sign passport IDs.

Job Title or Professional qualifications??

 

[Graham376]

Isn’t it still the same with the addition of up to 20 m?

W

Don't know what current endorsements say but my last one which expired in 2008 says - valid for commercial use on vessels subject to the codes of practice issued by MCA.

 

[PilotWolf]

Don't know what current endorsements say but my last one which expired in 2008 says - valid for commercial use on vessels subject to the codes of practice issued by MCA.

Still have t sorted medical so haven’t renewed yet.

Sure the old one said that but would have to check

W

 

[penberth3]

And my status as a Licensed Lay Minister allows me to do the same; I've had to do it a few times. But basically, anyone of standing within a community can sign passport IDs, as long as the standing is identifiable to the Passport Office - I've had mine signed by (for example) the Director of the Institute I was working for at the time, and he was Australian! But anyone with a recognized professional qualification can sign passport IDs. I'd imagine they'd accept my wife's signature (she's a Chartered Chemist),.......

Yes, registered engineer/scientist is OK for Passport photos. As long as she's up to date with her subs!

 

[PilotWolf]

I cant remember but I think they accepted state registered paramedic (UK) too.

W

 

[NotBirdseye]

And my status as a Licensed Lay Minister allows me to do the same; I've had to do it a few times. But basically, anyone of standing within a community can sign passport IDs, as long as the standing is identifiable to the Passport Office - I've had mine signed by (for example) the Director of the Institute I was working for at the time, and he was Australian! But anyone with a recognized professional qualification can sign passport IDs. I'd imagine they'd accept my wife's signature (she's a Chartered Chemist), provided she didn't use her Chinese one!
My latest renewal was the first time I haven't needed to get a photo signed; I guess they decided I hadn't changed much in ten years and the new photo was recognizably the same person as the old one! My last passport was one of the first biometric ones.

No no, she'd be fine. A signature is just a scrawl that matches across several documents and you state is yours. Even Hànzi 汉子 should be fine provided it is hand written.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

No no, she'd be fine. A signature is just a scrawl that matches across several documents and you state is yours. Even Hànzi 汉子 should be fine provided it is hand written.

Yes, but in her case because of complications over getting a passport (the name she has routinely used in the UK since her teens not being on her birth certificate), she had to swear an oath that she'd use a particular form of her name. No problem, it was merely making official the existing state of affairs, but it does mean that the passport office know her "official" name! Her full British citizenship is also quite new and hasn't had the corners rubbed off yet.