INTERNATIONAL SAILING LICENSE
AND CREDENTIALS (SLC™)

HOW TO GAIN THE SLC™

How to gain your SLC Mediterranean Sailing License

WHAT IS THE SLC™

The International Sailing License and Credentials (SLC) is a recreational sailing license valid for all yacht charter companies worldwide including Europe and the Seychelles. To gain an SLC, the candidate must hold a national government boating license (NASBLA State Boater License for USA or PCOC for Canada), pass an online suite of theoretical knowledge courses and tests appropriate for bareboat chartering, log previous sufficient sailing experience, and demonstrate sailing skills according to internationally established sailing standards.

• If you are verifying an SLC document that a client has presented to you, enter their SLC number above

ABOUT THE SLC™

Jump to Why The SLC | Jump to By Whose Authority

National Government License

The SLC is only issued to individuals who already hold a National Government Boating License. Examples of such national licenses include a national coast guard license, an ICC, an RYA Day Skipper, a USA NASBLA State Boater License, or a Canadian PCOC License. In the USA, the State Boater License can be obtained by going to www.boatus.org/free then select your state. If your state is not available select a close by state. The State Boater License is free and can be done online.

The front of the SLC card indicates which government license they hold. You can view and verify this government license by entering the card holder's SLC number in the box above.

Holding a government license means the holder already meets the technical legal requirement that many hosting countries require.

Sufficient Documented and Recent Experience

An SLC holder must have logged a minimum of 50 days of sailing, 25 of which must be as master of the vessel. Additionally, the SLC card shows the vessel size endorsement. This size is calculated as the greater of either: 10 feet (3 m) greater than the largest size of vessel the holder has sailed as master of the vessel at least 5 times.

In addition to the above, when issued or re-issued, the holder must have sailed at least 10 times within the past two years or 5 times in the past year.

Practical Competence to Internationally Recognized Standards

Gaining an SLC requires an on-the-water assessment of the candidates sailing skills and knowledge. The requirements for passing the SLC assessment exceeds the requirements for the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) as well as the American National Standards. This assessment must be completed by an SLC qualified instructor who verifies the student's competence for international bareboat charter worthiness including navigation. See the SLC Sailing License Assessment rubrics here.

International Sailing Theory Education and Testing

An SLC holder has completed a minimum of 40 hours of international sailing theory education and testing - namely, the NauticEd Bareboat Charter Master Bundle of courses. Topics include Skippering, Docking and Maneuvering a Sailboat Under Power, Coastal Navigation, Electronic Navigation, Anchoring, and Bareboat Chartering. And if the Catamaran vessel type is checked on the SLC, the holder has taken a course on Catamaran sailing and maneuvering and logged at least 1 day of catamaran sailing in addition to the experience requirement listed above.

Verification of Theory Knowledge

In additional to the general sailing education and testing, an SLC holder has recently taken a separate and independent 100-question test to verify their theory knowledge. This test must be taken every 3 years to remain current.

Test modules include:

• Weather and Sea Conditions
• Boat Systems
• Rigging and Sails
• Collision Prevention
• Slip Departures and Returns
• Sailing
• Communication
• Navigation: Charts and Marks
• Navigation: Calculations
• Navigation: Tides and Current
• Navigation: Plotting
• Navigation: Electronic
• Anchoring and Mooring
• Safety and Emergencies

Logical Safety Restrictions on Vessel Size, Type, Tonnage, and Distance

The SLC states the safety restrictions placed on the holder. These restrictions are based upon the holder's real practical experience of skippering vessels in the past such as: maximum length, type, and gross tonnage of the vessel in addition to the distance allowed off shore.

WHY THE SLC

Quite frankly, there are too many organizations "selling" certifications. This endangers the holder of those certifications, their friends, their family, close by boaters, and charter-boat vessels. This practice raises insurance rates for the responsible sailors, soaks up search and rescue resources, and gives false confidence to poorly trained and inexperienced sailors.

NauticEd takes a stand for quality and ensures its students are confident and competent. Thus, the SLC. It is a verification of the Sailing License and Credentials of a worthy sailor.

This means that the holder of an SLC has:

• a valid national government boating endorsed license
• sufficient documented on-the-water sailing experience; on a properly sized vessel
• recent documented on-the-water sailing experience
• been assessed to the ICC standard for on-the-water sailing competence
• completed and passed at least 40 hours of theory study including Coastal and Electronic Navigation
• completed a 100-question test on all aspects of skippering, sailing, bareboat chartering, and navigation
• authentic credentials; all data is secured and verified online through this portal

Finally, the SLC exceeds any other international required standard for bareboat chartering. You should extend any bareboat chartering courtesy possible to the holder.

Enter the SLC number of the card holder above to view and verify their Sailing License and Credentials as well their full sailing resume.

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BY WHOSE AUTHORITY?

NauticEd is the only government and US Coast Guard recognized sailing body in the USA.

• This international proclamation document shows that the authority NASBLA is the sole agency in charge of issuing boating licenses in the USA.
• This official verification letter shows that NASBLA recognizes and awards NauticEd as meeting the American National Standards for sailing training and assessment.
• This NASBLA verified course approval website lists the USA sailing bodies (including NauticEd) who conform to the US Coast Guard approved American National Standard.

Thus, as a government recognized sailing body, once NauticEd deems a student has met the licensing and credential requirements above, NauticEd issues the SLC. This SLC serves as a valid Sailing License accepted internationally.