Phew...what a relief
Ed
I agree that safety is paramount but there are plenty of people with certificates of competence who get into trouble because they have little real experience of boat handling.
I have sailed boats from 10ft dinghies to a 110ft sailing vessel for nearly 35 years. but because I don't have a piece of paper saying I am competent I might not be able to go to sea off Puerto Pollensa, or any where outside the UK for that matter.
I can quite easily prove my competence by going aboard a yacht with someone from the hire firm and showing how I can hoist the sails, reef the sails, put up a spinnaker, start a diesel engine and do a few manoeuvres in the marina or at sea.
Still, if there is any problem, I might stroll down to the yacht club and volunteer myself as crew to anyone short handed in a dinghy or cruising yacht.
If anyone does need crew doing the first two weeks of August please let me know.