Do You Have Your California Boater Card Yet?
Fall is back-to-school time, and for operators of powerboats and auxiliary sailboats, that means it’s time to get your California Boater Card. The requirement has been phasing in since January 1, 2018, when persons 20 years old and under were required to get the license. At the time, it seemed like far in the future when it would be a requirement for everyone. Well, the future is here. Every operator of a motorized vessel, regardless of age, will need to hold a California Boater Card by January 1, 2025.
We were reminded of this by a recent newsletter from the California State Parks and the Coastal Commission offering more education opportunities for boaters. They’re running an online webinar on Thursday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to noon, covering laws on abandoned vessels, the California Boater Card, and waterway stewardship. You can read the full newsletter here and sign up for the Zoom meeting here.
While not everyone is happy about the requirement, Mexico-bound cruisers are one group that may appreciate it. Among many changes in Mexico’s regulation enforcement has been Port Captains asking to see a “captain’s license” from at least one individual aboard a cruising boat. This doesn’t mean a US Coast Guard license, since a California Boater Card will suffice. The California Boater Card may be the easiest way to be in compliance.
It does take several hours of study and time to complete, so it’s advised you don’t wait until the last minute. There is a list of organizations, which you can find here, that can provide the course and test.
Yes, we are among that crowd that has put it off, and we’ve been slowly working our way through the process. Despite a lifetime of sailing, it reminds us what we already know: There’s always more to learn. When powering and planning to pass another boat under power, what does one blast, or two, signal? What color and shape is a can or a nun? Cans are no longer black. We’re hoping to have our homework done by January 1.
Question: if you have a USCG Licence do you still need a CA boater card?
License types issued by USCG that are accepted in lieu of California Boaters Card:
Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (6-pack),
Limited Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels
Master 25-200 Near Coastal
Master 25-200 Inland
Limited Master
Though I’ve been sailing and motoring all my life well over 55 years, I can see a need because there are so many boaters out there who don’t understand the rules of the road or courtesy regarding movement on the water with other boats.
Knowledge and education of boater operation also increases safety awareness, which is most important on the water.
I mean, if the government wants you have it, it’s gotta be good for you… 😀
Your comment does not inspire thought.
It’s a tax and therefore theft. Californians are used to it.
As a US Sailing Instructor, I have certified hundreds of sailors and power boaters. A number that I have met cruising the world while in foreign ports myself. I also hold a 100Ton Masters and have captained up to 300 passenger ferries.
I am against this. Just more bureaucracy and income. I feel that boating is/was one of the last freedoms we have/had. While I certainly believe in the value of education especially for youth. I hate to see this now go into effect. And if you still have to have it even with professional certification Eg: ASA, US Sailing, or a professional Coast Guard Merchant license, then you know it’s just a bureaucratic revenue generator.
From my perspective it’s just one way of getting sailors to be better seawomen and men. As to the Rules, they of course were codified to reduce the probability of mishap. When people don’t operate according to the rules that are applicable to their vessels, then the rules fail to serve their purpose, and by that simple failure, the chance of an accident increases. Even without a collision, the mere risk of collision can screw up an otherwise uneventful sail. An emergency jibe by an inexperienced sailor or on a big sailboat may not be part of the day’s planned adventure.
FWIW, 90% of Coast Guard investigations of collisions disclose that they occurred due to human error, which I interpret to mean avoidable error.
License types issued by USCG that are accepted in lieu of California Boaters Card:
Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (6-pack),
Limited Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels
Master 25-200 Near Coastal
Master 25-200 Inland
Limited Master
I agree with your assessment of this requirement. I have been a boater for more than sixty years, accident free, cruising, racing, owned power and sailing boats from eight through 44 feet.
I agree, new or newer boaters should be required to have proper training before taking delivery and operating boats.
The California Harbors and Navigation Code – HNC 678.11 that covers vessel operations and includes the requirements for the CA boater card also includes several exceptions 678.11(c) to the requirements. One is possession of a valid marine operator license, a second is while operating in an organized regatta or vessel race, and also while operating a rental vessel. Last one seems a pretty big hole to me.
A big hole?
A Pacific Ocean sized hole!
Are there rules of the road that apply to a rental jet ski operator? Must they be cognitively obnoxious?
Does this apply to electric propulsion? Foil boards?
I’m all in for safety, but it will not increase safety if there are exemptions.
I’d rather plead ignorance than comply with a specious regulation that exempts A-holes.
What about visitors that may bring a small boat to fish on a CA lake?
I have been teaching the US Powerboating (a division of US Sailing) Safe Powerboat Handling class for about 12 years, and it is an alternative to either the online courses or the 8-hour classroom course offered by several providers. The difference is that half of the course (8 hours) is spent on the water, in Whalers and RIBs, so you actually get to do practical drills. You also get 8 hours of classroom instruction, take an exam at the end, and get a NASBLA course card which is how you prove you’ve qualified for the CA Boater’s Card. It is ideal for parents of junior sailors who may volunteer to operate a boat in the vicinity of young sailors.
Interestingly, when I realized that while I was an instructor, I’d never actually applied for a card, I tried to convince the nice people in Sacramento that I was an instructor for the course, and should therefore be qualified. Nope, had to have the card. I sent them scans of my US Sailing logbook, showing that I was also an instructor trailer for powerboat classes. Nope, had to have the card. So I filled out a card as both the instructor and the student and sent it in. A few days later, my card appeared. So, if you do take one of the required courses, make sure you keep the card…
I got mine through a Zoom class with Coast Guard Auxiliary East Bay in 2021 for $30 ($20 to CGAux for the online course; $10 to CA for the card).
just yet another layer of the infinite california beaurocracy
I was a marine engineer on an army tugboat, and took a boating safety class when I bought my second sailboat because the broker said I’d get a discount on the insurance. I know I’m a knowledgeable sailor, but what about that guy coming right at me right now? It’s like a driver’s license, every driver should have one, but some don’t. Does every illegal alien in the US get a driver’s license?