Of course, your boat must meet Coast Guard regulations also with regards to the amount of people it can safely take out. There are also fees associated with submitting your application as well. Not only is it the legal thing to do for your business, but your customers also have more confidence in you knowing that you went through the captain course and can offer them a safe and fun experience on the water.
Whether you're looking to learn new boating skills, improve safety, or become a member of a boating crew, earning your USCG Captain's License will provide you with many new opportunities! Our system is approved by the Coast Guard and your final exam can be taken either online or in-person at one of our facilities. Learn how to get your Captain's License, determine which license is right for you, and understand the USCG license requirements. Whenever, Wherever.
Shop Now. An applicant is required to take a test that covers at least three areas of knowledge:. Deck General includes a wide variety of topics including fire and safety, terminology, and laws and procedures. Rules of the Road covers exactly what it says. Bear in mind that even if you are applying for an Inland or Near Coastal license, the Rules of the Road test will include elements of International Rules.
So when you are studying, do not neglect to familiarize yourself with those details. There are some variations in vessel precedence, sound signals, and lights and shapes displayed by vessels. The same is true if you are additionally requesting an endorsement for Sail, Auxiliary Sail, or Commercial Assistance Towing.
The net effect is more questions overall. The Navigation questions will require you to work with a chart to plot position, routes, and so forth. You will receive a certificate of completion from the school to submit with your application in lieu of the Coast Guard exams; however, you will still take exams which include questions from the same list of questions that the Coast Guard uses.
In the latter case, you will not need to pay an examination fee but obviously, you will have to pay a tuition for the course. The license application is not unlike many others. It is actually shorter than the medical form discussed earlier.
There are two things to note on the application:. Payment of all required application and examination fees is made online prior to submitting the application. You will receive a receipt which you should include with your application package. Pay close attention to the various fees and be sure you select all that apply but ONLY those that apply. An error either way will delay processing of your application. When you apply for an original license and especially if you plan to take the Coast Guard exams , you will need to present yourself in person with your complete application package at a USCG Regional Examination Center REC.
Photo ID will be necessary as well. One thing that happens if you appear in person is that you will raise your right hand and take the oath on the application. That was a very moving moment for me. Delivering your application package in person also allows you to interact with the personnel directly which could be very valuable if there are errors or omissions in your application package.
If you are not taking the Coast Guard exams and if you have been sworn by an authorized official, you may wish to submit your application by mail or electronically. Be aware that electronic submission has a limit on the size of the email attachment. My applications have always been larger than what is accepted by the Coast Guard mail servers.
The Coast Guard has implemented a very good system of tracking your application and providing feedback at every step of the way. You will receive emails as the application moves through the system. It may be less in smaller, less congested venues.
By the way, you are not required to use the REC nearest to you. If you wanted to fly to Hawaii or Alaska instead of driving into Baltimore, you may do so. A good friend of mine drove from New Jersey to Boston to submit his application there because he heard the processing times were less than for New York.
Once the NMC has your package, the process usually will not take long at all. It is very likely you will receive 2 or 3 emails a day, often within minutes, as the application moves through the various approvals. Nothing beats the feeling you will have when you get the final email saying that you have been approved and your credential is being printed! My original license took slightly more than two weeks from dropping off my application at Battery Park in New York to finding my MMC in my mailbox.
Once you get your license, look it over thoroughly. You may not necessarily have been granted the scope and rating you requested. Sometimes that reduction will be legitimate. Other times, it may be due to an honest mistake.
Both my original and renewals had honest omissions. I was only granted a 50 ton rating on my original license when I had applied for tons. I submitted the sea service form supporting the request for tons after the fact and I received an endorsement sticker for the ton rating a week later.
Similarly with my renewal, I asked for an upgrade to tons. My renewal was approved at tons. When I contacted the NMC, they amended the approval and showed that I was then approved to take the required test for the ton upgrade. So my message here is to not necessarily accept the delivered MMC as if it were carved in stone. Being a licensed Captain is a great source of pride to me. I have enjoyed working with my clients as well as pursuing other commercial opportunities like relief captain jobs on various schooners, water taxi and tow boat jobs, and tour boat and ferry captain work.
I look forward to many years of working on and enjoying the water. If you would like a one-on-one consultation to have your specific questions answered on this topic or others related to boating, please sign up for 30 minute video consultation with me! Here is a selection of books that I personally recommend as the next step in your journey becoming a licensed boat captain.
Hi, I am hoping you can help me out. I am trying to get my sea time documented but I am having a very hard time finding out how to do that since the station records were not computerized at that time.
I have contacted the NMC and they told me to call the station to get an Abstract of Operations report. They just laughed at me when I called the station. I have requested info from vetrecs. I was wondering if you knew how to go about getting the information that I need.
Thanks for your question. Perhaps you can contact the Office of Personnel and try to get a copy of your service record. Alternatively, is there anyone at that small boat station who knew you? Would the OIC be willing to write a letter? The last and least likely option would be to fill out your own sea service form and see if anyone there would sign off on it for you.
Now the regulations speak of a Certificate of Discharge being acceptable. See for example 46 CFR If you already have that, you might be good to go!
Let me know how you make out! Hi Captain Rob, My name is Elton the 66 year old owner of a small 35 ft. Kingscraft houseboat. I spend a lot of time on one large lake.
We recommend the deluxe editions of our courses because in addition to the digital access, you also get hard-copy workbooks, a navigator's tool set, and a practice chart. This represents a turnkey solution that includes everything you need right down to your pencils and eraser.
It's like Prego spaghetti sauce—it's all in there! Learn how to get your Captain's License, determine which license is right for you, and understand the USCG license requirements.
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