"Allowed...." Allowed!

Disclaimer: Yes, I know everyone should read every word of every document from every company from which it is received. Sometimes we don't.

So a "friend" of mine found the following in his boat insurance policy:

"It is warranted that a USCG licensed captain must be aboard your yacht whenever it is being operated and whose license and resume must be on file with us. This warranty will remain in effect until we have received and reviewed a Proficiency Letter which should include the number of hours logged jointly, from the USCG Captain and written notification of the removal of this warranty has been issued by us."

"WTF? Logged training hours? This isn't a general aviation aircraft." says the owner of the boat (who also has a PP-ASEL certificate from the FAA), who has been operating it for almost a year, in fresh and salt water, raising bridges, going through locks, docking in challenging conditions, sailing in all sorts of conditions, navigating shipping lanes, etc -- just fine.


so....


It's me.

I'm not happy about this. Frankly, it pisses me off.

I wasn't aware this was in my policy.

I learned to sail when I was nine. My father taught me.

I was sailing a myriad of daysailers all my youth, from sunfish to hobie cats, to larger boats.

I've rigged and sailed an El Toro, a Sunfish, a Sailfish, Hobies 14 and 16, a Luger Leeward, built a kit boat, including mast and sails, and owned and sailed a San Juan 21 for half a decade, sailing it in weather that would scare the shit out of most sailers. I have even single handed the thing through both the small and big locks in Seattle, in 1995.

I *taught* people to sail, in Fremont, Califorina, in Biloxi, Mississippi, in Lake Washington.

I helped a friend of mine, who really didn't know his O'Day 30, take it through the Snohomish Channel to Lake Washington.

I helped another friend, take his power boat from Everett, through the same channel, to Anachortes, stopping him from running it aground entering Cap Sante' because he cut the first buoy,

I've never capsized a boat, after my father taught me how to right one after he did it to me.

I've never lost a person overboard.

Never hit a dock, a piling, or another boat.

Never run aground.

I know this may jinx me but, I'm a pretty damn cautious sailor.

I'll make mistakes, I'm sure but, they are going to be pretty unique and out there and, get this; I'll learn from them.

When I read the "you are not allowed...."

I have operated police vehicles at high speed on a EVOC course, I've driven a one-ton pickup truck with heavy armor at 90mph in total darkness in Iraq, I have set good times at Sears Point on both cars and motorcycles, I have a goddamn Private Pilot Single Engine Land certificate for god sakes and you are questioning my right to "operate" my sailboat?

I can't tell you how entertaining it was to watch the damn power boaters smash into boats and docks in Pt. Townsend on my last trip. Where is their Captain's Signoff?

How dare you? Not allowed? You may say I'm not covered if I damage the boat. You may say that you may purchase coverage at high expense if I don't but, how dare you write that I am not *allowed* to operate my boat? Not allowed?

Brigadoon is *my* goddamn boat and and I'm the f'in Captain. Period.

Well, I got pissed.

I think this got missed, screwed up, in all the activity of finding, offering on, financing, buying and insuring Brigadoon.

I think it's time to write a goddamn sailing resume.

Ya know...to prove I can handle my own damn boat.

Can you tell this bugged me? I might apologize for my language; tomorrow.