My boss likes buying toys. He needs to buy a new car/boat/motorcycle every other month to make himself feel big.
Anyway, he went for his boating license and got it. He was going to study for the written test…but forgot and passed anyway. And he’s been on a boat twice in his life. But because he paid the hefty test fees…he is now officially licensed by the Taiwan government to take you and your family out to sea .
A rather wealthy aquaintance of his went for his boating license on the same day. Last week the aquaintance took his family out on their brand new boat…I don’t know the specifics, but they all died at sea.
But to be honest…anything that kills the wealthy/crooked in Taiwan…I’m all for.
My bosses wife says there’s no way she’s getting on a boat he’s piloting…or any other boat for that matter, now that she’s seen how ridiculus the testing is.
[quote=“Namahottie”][quote=“Mordeth”]
A rather wealthy aquaintance of his went for his boating license on the same day. Last week the aquaintance took his family out on their brand new boat…they’re all dead now.
[/quote]
You’re being honest about them dead right?[/quote]
Yes, true story. I’m sure it’s in the paper somewhere. My boss’ wife told me it today.
By contrast there has never been any licensing requirement for private boating in the sea around the UK, nor should there be. The sea is free. That’s the attraction.
This might sometimes get some people killed and waste some helicopter kerosene, but probably not very often, because:-
(a) The sea is very obviously a scary, alien element and you’re likely to be ALL ALONE in it. From what I know of the Taiwanese mindset, they’ll mostly be quite impressed by these factors, BUT if they have some bullshit “certificate of competence” they might kid themselves and/or others.
(b) Things mostly happen fairly slowly, so there’s plenty of time to get scared. (I exclude jetski-ers/superfast powerboaters, who deserve to die anyway).
This contrasts with driving which is familiar, crowded and there sometimes isn’t time to get scared before you are dead.
I expect the EEC beaurocraps will impose something similar soon (if they havn’t already). I don’t expect it’ll improve safety at sea much though.
Quite right about the boating licence in the UK, unless you use it for commercial purposes.
Rather sillyly though, canal/river boats are required to pay an extortionate licence for the use of the locks.
(b) Things mostly happen fairly slowly, so there’s plenty of time to get scared. (I exclude jetski-ers/superfast powerboaters, who deserve to die anyway).
.[/quote]
Umm, why exactly do people on jet skis or speed boats deserve to die? That’s probably the stupidest statement I’ve read on here…
…2nd of which would be “The only way a scooter could beat a big bike on any road in Taiwan would be if the scooter rider was a pro and the big bike rider was a complete moron” paraphrasing there.
[quote=“Mordeth”]My boss likes buying toys. He needs to buy a new car/boat/motorcycle every other month to make himself feel big.
Anyway, he went for his boating license and got it. He was going to study for the written test…but forgot and passed anyway. And he’s been on a boat twice in his life. But because he paid the hefty test fees…he is now officially licensed by the Taiwan government to take you and your family out to sea .
A rather wealthy aquaintance of his went for his boating license on the same day. Last week the aquaintance took his family out on their brand new boat…I don’t know the specifics, but they all died at sea.
But to be honest…anything that kills the wealthy/crooked in Taiwan…I’m all for.
My bosses wife says there’s no way she’s getting on a boat he’s piloting…or any other boat for that matter, now that she’s seen how ridiculus the testing is.[/quote]
You don’t like your boss, do you? He is not wealthy or crooked? How can he be a boss then?
On a related note, does anyone know anything specific about new pleasure boating regulations or license requirements, beyond what’s been mentioned above?
(b) Things mostly happen fairly slowly, so there’s plenty of time to get scared. (I exclude jetski-ers/superfast powerboaters, who deserve to die anyway).
.[/quote]
Umm, why exactly do people on jet skis or speed boats deserve to die? That’s probably the stupidest statement I’ve read on here…[/quote]
Really? RESULT!
Is there any kind of prize?
I suppose IF you took it entirely SERIOUSLY, you might find it offensive, and maybe a petrolhead forum isn’t the place to say such things, but its well known that jetski’s in particular are very widely hated by other water users, for pretty obvious reasons. My comment reflected that.
If it upset you, here’s a “how to” article about using AIM-9 Missiles for Personal Water Craft Removal, which you can take seriously as well.
I wish death on many types of people. But someone minding their own buisness going fast on water far away from pedestrians…etc, doesn’t seem to be doing any harm. But you’ve shown me otherwise…but still chances are most people on boats haven’t read those articles…
And I didn’t think you were serious about wishing “death” upon them. But I didn’t understand why you’d have any ill will towards someone just for going fast.
"According to EPA statistics, these engines are the number one source of toxic water pollution. They discharge as much as one third of their fuel and oil unburned into the water and air, which means a 2-hour ride on a PWC dumps 2.5 gallons of gas and oil into the water. That
I wish death on many types of people. But someone minding their own buisness going fast on water far away from pedestrians…etc, doesn’t seem to be doing any harm. But you’ve shown me otherwise…but still chances are most people on boats haven’t read those articles…
And I didn’t think you were serious about wishing “death” upon them. But I didn’t understand why you’d have any ill will towards someone just for going fast.[/quote]
Good reply to a Good reply. Damn! Might have to share that stupidness prize.
On a side note many bigger western countries don’t even make you get a boating license or take a test your drivers license entitles you to drive a boat
And in some countries you can get a pilot license at the age of 11
I think Taiwan has a boating license procedure because most Taiwanese are not avid swimmers
Common sense, being the age of an adult, and being able to swim is what seems to work in many countries.
That being said where can I take the test? I’ve come to a dead end on this with people I have asked and when doing a search on here.
Is the test only in Chinese? I love to fish and want to travel the northern coast for small coves and surf sports
I have found many boats for cheap 30000-45000nt So the license thing is the only thing holding me back
Not sure what’s involved in the license, but someone in a newish yacht club in Kaoshiung (think it must have opened in the last year or two) told me there’s a possibility that they’ll start recognising “foreign” qualifications like Royal Yachting Association, which would be good for me if I could prove I had it. (I don’t think there’s any central register for dinghy certs, and I’ve no idea where mine is.)
If that goes through I THINK there was somewhere running RYA certification courses in HK.
EDIT: If that WAS true it isn’t any longer, but there are a few training centres listed for Thailand and one for Singapore.
The usual “reciprocity” issues (as per driving licenses) presumably wouldn’t arise, since AFAIK there still isn’t any requirement for qualifications in the UK, unless the EEC has imposed one.
The other thing I was told is that (a) any vessel over 5m (dunno if that’s LOA or WLL, but I’d guess the former) has to pass commercial inspection, which is strict/expensive. (b) The inspection (and apparently the licence also) makes no provision for sailboats. Unclear if its actually possible for a >5m sailboat to pass it, but most seem to be foreign registered.
[quote=“2smokelvr”]On a side note many bigger western countries don’t even make you get a boating license or take a test your drivers license entitles you to drive a boat
And in some countries you can get a pilot license at the age of 11
I think Taiwan has a boating license procedure because most Taiwanese are not avid swimmers
Common sense, being the age of an adult, and being able to swim is what seems to work in many countries.
That being said where can I take the test? I’ve come to a dead end on this with people I have asked and when doing a search on here.
Is the test only in Chinese? I love to fish and want to travel the northern coast for small coves and surf sports
I have found many boats for cheap 30000-45000nt So the license thing is the only thing holding me back[/quote]
No requirement to swim for any UK certifications AFAIK. Wouldn’t be that useful, since your survival time in the water is limited. I had a sampling trip on a UK-based research trawler when I was at university, and none of the permanent crew could swim.
What kind of boat are you looking for? I think one of my night class students from last year said he had a small recreational fishing boat and needed a licence. I’ll try and get hold of him and find out what’s involved.
.
won’t find much of them here anyway.
He is not wealthy or crooked? How can he be a boss then?