The only person recognised by officials abroad as being in authority on a vessel is her captain. The owner who has his skipper entered as captain makes the latter his master, so that if the man prove unsatisfactory, and has to be discharged in a foreign harbour, it may be difficult to get rid of him, and vexatious complications may arise. Unlike the master of a merchantman, the owner of a yacht is not compelled by law to pass his examination and hold a Board of Trade certificate before he can command his vessel as captain on a foreign voyage. The Board of Trade yachting certificate is optional.
It is always well to have a written agreement with one's paid hands. Ocean cruising is beyond the scope of this work; but it may be remarked that the owner of a yacht bound on a long foreign voyage should not only be his own captain, but should make all hands—volunteers as well as paid men—sign articles in the presence of a shipping master before starting. Much future trouble may be saved by taking this precaution. Let him also religiously observe all the Board of Trade regulations as regards provisions and medicaments. An ill-conditioned sea-lawyer in his crew, on being discharged by the author in a Brazilian port, laid a complaint before the British Consul to the effect that the Board of Trade scale of provisions had not been furnished on the yacht. As a matter of fact, the scale of provisions had been far more liberal and luxurious than that specified by the Board of Trade, but in so much as
