Do we need a Skippers License to sail our catamaran in Cape Town, South Africa?

One thing that you may keep in mind is that what ever certification you need is depending on not only the size of your boat but most importantly under which flag you will have it. If your running South African Flag you must abide to the regulations of SA. That means SAS, RYA does no good at all nor a certificate from Sweden, North Korea or Mozambique. Note, No other country than the flagged country can disqualify you as a captain of a vessel. If you run a XXXX flag There are countries that will allow you to flag their nation on the boat and there is just a small fee, no tax and no requirements. Some of the countries I heard do that (rumour) is Cambodia and Mozambique - You may have problems to enter some countries with a flagged vessel from their though. SA has a limit of 9m. In my country you can drive/sail any boat anywhere that is below 12m long, 4m wide (if the boat is 3,99 wide and 300 m long you can still go unlicenced). Other countries have other regulations. Why many take RYA is because alot of people like to register their boats in Brittish colonies for tax purposes. First of all, get the training you need for your trips and no matter if you do the exam or not you still have the knowledge. Do the exams required for you to run the boat. Check with your insurance company how much they deduct the fee if you have X, Y or Z certification.