How do I gain a Catamaran Endorsement or Qualification.
Our definition of a catamaran in this case is 38 ft (11.5m) or greater
For Yacht Charter Companies to recognize your Catamaran Competence, you need to have adequate sailing knowledge, practical experience, and skills AND some of which must additionally be on a Catamaran to be considered competent to skipper a catamaran on a sailing vacation. You cannot simply rock up to a yacht charter base touting that you have 20 years of sailing experience on a monohull and expect to be sent off on a catamaran. You'll be forced to take out a skipper for a day or perhaps the entire week. Thus, you should prequalify your sailing resume as to catamaran worthiness prior to your arrival at base.
NauticEd issues either of a Catamaran Qualification or a Catamaran Endorsement based on the below. Either of which will be represented on your sailing resume and prequalify you for catamaran rental. With a caveat - size matters! There is a big step from 38 feet to 52 feet when it comes to catamarans. Your resume still needs to reflect relevant experience within 10ft (3m) of the boat you are renting. Some yacht charter companies may still require a "check out skipper" for the first half day. This is why it is imperative that you, yourself, feel confident and competent that you can handle a Catamaran of the size you intend to rent.
You can gain a Catamaran Qualification by
(i) completing the NauticEd Catamaran Sailing Confidence course online
(ii) logging at least 3 days as skipper or 7 days as crew on a 38 ft (11.5m) or greater sized catamaran
(iii) being Bareboat Charter Master Rank with level III experience
OR
You can gain a Catamaran Endorsement by
(i) completing the NauticEd Catamaran Sailing Confidence course online
(ii) successfully complete an on-the-water half day (4-5 hours) Catamaran Endorsement assessment on a 38 ft (11.5m) or greater sized catamaran with a NauticEd Assessor.
(iii) being Bareboat Charter Master Rank with level III experience
The difference being that a Qualification means you have enough experience to automatically qualify without an on-the-water assessment whereas an Endorsement means that you have been assessed on-the-water as to your competence and successfully passed. The endorsement is considered of higher value because of proven competence.
For both Catamaran Endorsement and Catamaran Qualification, your SLC License will reflect that you are Catamaran Licensed. Here is an example of the SLC card for either Cat endorsed or Cat Qualified.
Level III in NauticEd language means that you have logged into your free electronic logbook 50 days of sailing experience which includes 25 as master of the vessel and 25 on a vessel greater than 28 ft - 8.3m; some or none of which will be on a catamaran. Regarding chartering a monohull yacht on a sailing vacation, this (along with adequate theory knowledge) qualifies you to be able to rent a boat that is up to 10 feet greater than the largest size of boat you have sailed 5 times. All charter companies agree with this philosophy although some will let you slide with a little less. Regarding chartering a Catamaran on a sailing vacation, a similar philosophy applies meaning that plenty of monohull experience counts - i.e. Level III. The Catamaran Endorsement or Qualification allows you to reach over the required Catamaran experience threshold by the yacht charter companies.
Note: The above resume and Qualification/Endorsement requirements are developed from our real live experience in working with global Yacht Chartering companies. NauticEd is also a yacht charter agency and thus we have first hand experience in what yacht charter companies require for a resume. Many potential charterers are turned down due to an insufficient resume despite holding "certifications" from other education companies. At NauticEd, we are considered the experts and charter companies call us asking for advice on setting the minimum standards. Thus, our certifications are designed such that when a student holds a NauticEd certification, the yacht charter company accepts it as proper education and experience to be accepted to charter.
Here is our blog article on upgrading to sailing a catamaran