"So you Wannabe a Captain?"

by Captain Roy Weeks

Ever thought about getting your captain's ticket? Haven't we all? The state of Texas is going to start requiring it before they will issue a Guide's License. For many recreational mariners, there are some big questions: What are the advantages to getting a license? What are the different levels of license? How do I go about the process?

The advantages of the Captain's license are obvious for those who make their living at running boats, even in the recreational marine industry - sightseeing, whale-watching, charter fishing, etc. - but what about the recreational boater?

Well, many boat owners who use their boats primarily for pleasure can reap the benefits of a License. Most insurance companies will offer discounted rates to licensed owners. There are also some intangible benefits, like the advantage of improving, refining and maintaining seamanship skills.

Licenses

There are over 200 different types of licenses available from the Coast Guard in various combinations of vessel tonnage, vessel type and the waters in which the vessel and master operate. The licensing requirements are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 46, Sub Chapter B.

For this discussion I'll explain about the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) - this is the license generally held by guides and commonly referred to as the "six-pack". The license allows you to carry up to six "paying" passengers for hire on your vessel less than 100 gross tons. "Passenger for hire" means a passenger from whom consideration is required as a condition for passage on the vessel. Consideration does not mean a voluntary sharing of expenses, such as by friends. They are issued for inland waters or near coastal waters depending on your experience.

The term "inland waters" refers to those waters shoreward of the demarcation line. Here in the Galveston area the line is drawn across the jetties. "Near-coastal waters" means those waters seaward of the demarcation line out to 200 miles offshore.

The applicant must be at least 18 years of age and have 360 days on the water underway and 90 days of the 360 must have been in the last three years. This license enables the holder to captain vessels up to 100 gross tons. U.S. citizenship is not required; however, non-citizen licenses must be approved by the National Maritime Center in Washington.

The inland version of the OUPV license is restricted to the waters within the demarcation boundary line.

The near-coastal license is valid up to 100 miles offshore and has the additional requirement that at least 90 days of the 360 days of your experience must have been outside the demarcation boundary line.

Common requirements

In addition to those discussed above, there are requirements that are common to all licenses. For example, applicants must submit evidence of having completed a physical examination covering general physical condition, visual acuity, ability to differentiate between colors, and drug history. He or she must also submit three character references from qualified persons who have firsthand knowledge of his or her skills and character.

Candidates must also submit a certificate of completion of a approved CPR/first-aid course within the past 12 months, have an original social security card and birth certificate or passport.

All of the above requirements are included in the application package that will be sent to you when you request it from the Coast Guard Regional Exam Center nearest you. Our Houston Area REC is located on the Gulf Freeway.

Preparing for the exams

There are four examinations consisting of multiple-choice questions on Rules of the Road, Plotting, Navigation General and Deck General. Here is a real "basic" run down on what to expect.

Rules of the Road: There are 38 rules and 5 annexes to the rules. This is an extensive exam on the right away rules, passing signals, lights, day shapes, special purpose vessels, towing identification, fog signals, etc. There are 30 questions, the exam is closed book and you must get a 90% to pass. Yea, that's right, you can only miss three out of the 30!

Plotting: Plotting is the navigation portion of the exams. You will need to be able to draw course lines, measure distances, determine your Latitude and Longitude to the tenth of a minute for position determination, compute DR's based on time/speed/distance. Take, and plot, two and three bearings fixes, along with computing and determine the course to overcome Set and Drift. You must have a good understanding of chart reading, Coast Pilots and Light Lists. There are 10 questions and you must get a 70% to pass.

Navigation General: This is, in my opinion, the easiest of the exams. It covers the buoy system, weather, tide and current tables, Coast Pilots, Light Lists, Chart numbering system, Notice to Mariners, keeping your charts current, government publications, etc. Only 20 questions, open book, and you need a 70% to pass.

Deck General/Deck Safety: This is a 60 question exam on a lot of small subjects. Fire fighting, lines, knots, ship construction, code of federal regulations, pollution laws, safety equipment, life rafts, emergency signals, survival, ship handling, heavy weather operations, docking, mooring, anchoring, etc. You need a 70% to pass and it's open book.

So how do you get all this knowledge so you can pass these exams? Well there are home study materials available. Some are good, but it really depends on how well you are disciplined towards studying on your own. It works for some and doesn't for others.

There are also classroom courses. The Coast Guard has established approved facilities that teach all of the subjects necessary to pass the examination and are also designated and approved examiners who are authorized to sign off on competency certifications. I operate one of these schools. For the OUPV the Coast Guard requires 55 hours of classroom training.

Satisfactory completion of such a course means that, upon presentation of your Certificate of Completion, the Coast Guard will issue the license without a Coast Guard examination. The courses are taught by licensed masters, and the instructor-to-student ratios are low, so the success rates for these classroom courses are very high, 100 percent in some cases.

Also, just about all the information you could want or need is available for free on the Coast Guard website, including a list of addresses for regional exam centers, a list of approved courses and schools, the exam questions, and the application and forms can be downloaded from their site:

http://www.uscg.mil/STCW/m-pers.htm

If you have any questions send me a email and I'll be more than happy to answer them.

Remember, "If getting a Captains license was easy, everyone would have one and they would carry no meaning."

"Fair Winds and Calm seas",

Captain Roy Weeks

Captain Roy's Marine Training
http://www.capt-roys.com