SLC - SAILING LICENSE AND CREDENTIALS

National Government License

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.

The front of the SLC card indicates which government license they hold.

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.

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.