[QUOTE=commtuna;100982]Has anyone confirmed as to if Watson does in fact have ANY type of license? Is he still even an American citizen?[/QUOTE]
He’s Canadian AFAIK. Maybe not now?
I don’t understand by what authority he commands a vessel underway at sea. If he has no license then what is the story? Even if the garbage scow is registered in the world’s maritime anus like Liberia, or god knows where, don’t the several international maritime conventions prevent people with no qualifications or licensing from taking command of vessels of any type? There was some scandal with an old eastern block country around the time of the fall of the iron curtain, maybe it was Georgia or Ukraine or some place like that. They were selling licenses to the highest bidder. Any person from any nation with the right sized checkbook could become a unlimited master mariner without even getting out of bed in the morning. I don’t remember what happened exactly but I do remember that IMO came down on this country hard and put a stop to that for good, everywhere.
So once again I ask, by what authority does Paul Watson command a vessel underway at sea?
[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;101060]I don’t understand by what authority he commands a vessel underway at sea. If he has no license then what is the story?
So once again I ask, by what authority does Paul Watson command a vessel underway at sea?[/QUOTE]
The way that I understand it is all of these vessels are registered as Yachts and require no license personnel at all.
He must be a god, all I know is if I ram other vessels with mine I would be crucified.
Very well may be the case elsewhere but then again MARITIME & COAST GUARD AGENCY (MCA) as in all the flags of convenience under the UK system require all kinds of class and modified version of solas and i am sure crewing standards. In the US anything over 300 tons is considered a seagoing vessel and has to have an appropriately licensed crew aboard.
All seagoing motor vessels foreign or domestic of
at least 300 gross tons, including recreational vessels not engaged in trade, are subject to inspection
and certification.
You couldn’t buy a 1000’ container ship and just drive it around wherever you want with no proper crew just because its a “yacht,” even if you arent carrying any cargo. Port State controls would eat you alive; they beat on properly licensed crews hard enough.
Dammit…Just when I was ready to join the SSS.
[QUOTE=z-drive;101066]Very well may be the case elsewhere but then again MARITIME & COAST GUARD AGENCY (MCA) as in all the flags of convenience under the UK system require all kinds of class and modified version of solas and i am sure crewing standards. In the US anything over 300 tons is considered a seagoing vessel and has to have an appropriately licensed crew aboard.
You couldn’t buy a 1000’ container ship and just drive it around wherever you want with no proper crew just because its a “yacht,” even if you arent carrying any cargo. Port State controls would eat you alive; they beat on properly licensed crews hard enough.[/QUOTE]
Good points and I agree with you 100%.
[QUOTE=Tugs;101068]Good points and I agree with you 100%.[/QUOTE]
I agree as well. For vessels of a certain size there are just no loopholes they can slip through. I hope I didn’t miscommunicate myself before, I am not trying to defend Paul Watson. The point is that he MUST have a license of some type (from where, god only knows, but it has to exist) so therefor I think we are indeed talking about a potential license revocation of some type, among other things.
Paper mates/captains? (Watch Deadliest Catch for examples.)
Maybe Watson is just a figurehead captain, and the SSS vessels all have another properly licensed captain to do all of the real captain work.
They fly Netherlands flags (I think thats whos flag it is) so im sure they have manning requirements equal to if not not more rigorous than the USCG’s. Now that they are considered pirates where do I go to volunteer to shoot 40mm cannons at them??
REAL CAPTAIN WORK! Lolz! I know what ya mean though…bribing port agents, abetting fugitives, ramming tankers etc.
How do they comply with an SMS?
[QUOTE=fullbell;101108]Maybe Watson is just a figurehead captain, and the SSS vessels all have another properly licensed captain to do all of the real captain work.[/QUOTE]
That’s what I was thinking.The person they are calling the 1st mate my in fact have a master’s license. If his name is on all the paperwork then they would be meeting all the requirements.
[QUOTE=Kennebec Captain;101140]That’s what I was thinking.The person they are calling the 1st mate my in fact have a master’s license. If his name is on all the paperwork then they would be meeting all the requirements.[/QUOTE]
This would only further contribute to their circumventing regulations, breaking laws, and just being “pirates” in general, so I have to admit, I like this explanation. It just fits.
Anyone can call themselves Captain. I don’t think Captain Kangaroo has a license, and neither does “Captain” Watson.
[QUOTE=Bayrunner;101114]They fly Netherlands flags (I think thats whos flag it is) so im sure they have manning requirements equal to if not not more rigorous than the USCG’s. Now that they are considered pirates where do I go to volunteer to shoot 40mm cannons at them??[/QUOTE]
Talk about shooting fish in a barrel!
If I am right, we are talking about the motor vessel BOB BARKER, owned by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and registered in Rotterdam, Netherlands since 2010 to present. The MV BOB BARKER was named for an American television game show ‘’ The Price Is Right ‘’. The animal rights activist Bob Barker donated $5 million of dollars to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to facilitate the purchase of the ship to campaign against whaling by Japanese fisheries.
So, why don’t you start by shooting your own comrade Bob Barker. Then we’ll see what we should do next … 
Bob Barker would kick my ass, you have seen “Happy Gilmore” right?
[QUOTE=AHTS Master;101067]Dammit…Just when I was ready to join the SSS.[/QUOTE]
Give it a shot. But first, you must pay 100$ for membership!
http://www.seashepherd.org/documents/get-involved/crew_application_01.pdf
Help, I’m confused…who’s the real captain? (Hint, one is a Kangaroo…)