Gooch, have you given any thoughts to being a charter captain in the Caribbean or elsewhere...I am not sure about papers and nonsense like that but it would keep you on the water and away from any chance of your feet getting dry.
Ghost, I actually spent four glorious years as a charter captain down in the Virgins. [Both US and BVI]
Great work and I'd absolutely LOVE going back to that BUT I don't own a boat and I no longer have the documents.
[Passport, USCG Masters License, Z-card, etc which are all now issued by the DHS .... shudder ....]
I cannot even go there without that paperwork. [Or won't be able to shortly when they institute the Passport travel restrictions.]
All of the paperwork is required in the Caribbean and on some of the Islands one must have the credentials from the historical patron country.
[France in St Martin, England in Barbados, etc]
In Puerto Rico and the USVI DHS issued licenses are required and in the BVI the requirement is for either DHS or Her Majesty's Admiralty's official YachtMaster classification or better. PLUS as a non-resident one must obtain a very expensive local "Work Permit"
which states that you are not taking a job from a local citizen.
The option is to have ones own vessel and do charters on the "sly".
Problem is one cannot advertise publicly as that will bring the Goons running for their "cut of the loot". [Fines and Fees - think about losing your boat in one of their RICO Style Grabs ....]
Not that I even own a canoe mind you .... BUT ....
IF I owned a boat I could sail out of the Texas coast quite easily but also "under the table" at risk of loss of my personal freedom and my vessel ....
IF I owned a boat I wouldn't jeopardize it like that .... would you ?
I thought not.
Thanks for the kind thoughts tho' ....
Actually .... I'm more worried about my gills drying out than my webbing withering between my toesies ....
