Time requirement for getting your Captain's License - The Hull Truth

MarinersSchool · 12-28-2007, 08:50 AM

There is a lot of confusion on the time that is actually required for getting your Captain's License... Here are the facts:

You are required to have a total of 360 days experience on board a boat since you were 15 years old. 90 of those days need to be in the last three years. As little as 4 hours on a boat can be considered one day. And in one 24 hour period you can claim just one day of sea service time. If you own the boat yourself you sign off your own time. If your time was spent on friends or families boats they can sign the time off for you. Your time does not need to be signed off by a licensed Captain and in fact you do not even need to be operating the boat yourself for this time to count.

This is basically an honor system which the Coast Guard will accept your best guess... You are not required to submit log books. If you choose to use one of our courses Mariners School will provide you with a Sea Service form and guidance on how to properly fill it out. This is basically a form that looks like a calendar... In each month there are 5 slots... Each of these slots represent a month of your choice... You simply make a best guess as to how many days you were out on a boat for a particular month... Once the total of days is greater than 360 you have now met the Coast Guards time requirement for getting your Captain's License.

For those of you looking to get your license there is more information in the Mariners School forum Getting your Captain's License Fact vs. Fiction on this site...
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Captain Bob Figular
President, Mariners School

www.MarinersSchool.com
CaptainBob@MarinersSchool.com
Toll Free: 1-866-SEA-CAPT
Local: 1-609-987-0555

jb2sea · 12-29-2007, 07:13 AM

So how are you supposed to go about "remembering" what dates you were out on a boat? I've always thought the system was flawed when it comes to the USCG requirements and the way you have to go about it. No way I can remember a date 10 years ago that I was out on a boat. But that's basically what they are asking most people to do to meet this requirement. I don't mind taking a best guess, but there's that little signature line at the end where you have to sign saying the information is true. What exactly does that signature line say? I'm not real comfortable signing my name to something saying it's true when it's just my best guess. But unless you keep a logbook, there's no other way with the system they have.

JB

ColdBusted · 12-29-2007, 01:25 PM

I would say you either know you have enough time or you don't. Guess or not.

MarinersSchool · 12-29-2007, 08:28 PM

The exact wording of the signiture line is:

I certify that I have served on the above vessel as stated. I am making this statement in order that I, the applicant, may obtain a license/document to operate a vessel under the provisions of Title 46 CFR, as applicable. I understand that if I make any false or fraudulent statement in this certification of service, I may be subject to a fine or imprisonment of up to five (5) years or both (18 U. S. C. 1001).

No matter what system is put in place a large group of people will not agree with the process... So, by signing this document the Coast Guard is making you aware that there may be sever penalties if you knowingly falsify your statements... They also use the wording "may" I have seen some a portion of a applicants time being rejected for various reasons... The solution was simply showing additional days to make up for the rejected time...

So as long as you do not knowingly falsify your time on board a vessel you have little to worry about... However, if you are intentionally falsifying your claims of time on board a vessel the you will hold you accountable for those actions...

You would also be required to supply proof of ownership of any boat you are claiming to have served time on... Proof of insurance or vessel registration or Documentation would be acceptable...

A good example of knowingly falsifying this documentation would be if you made an agreement with one of your buddies that owned a boat in which you were never on to sign off your sea service form... Or claiming time on a boat that was not in the water during the period you claimed... Or if you live in the Northeast claiming day of sea service during a period of time that the water would be frozen... These are all examples that would cause the Coast Guard to take issue and not issue you a license...

The Coast Guard realizes that this process is not perfect... However, many of the other options would place an unfair burden on many qualified boaters to have an opportunity...

Bottom line never make a statement that can be disproved or is knowingly dishonest... As long as you are truthful and acting in good faith you have nothing to worry about... If the Coast Guard finds an error in your sea service form then they will require you to correct the error... For instance you made a mathematical error adding the days on the water... They would simply require you to come up with the additional days that were missing from the requirement...

jb2sea · 12-29-2007, 10:24 PM

I suspect most people think they have more time in than they actually do. Unless you work on the water, you have to do alot of fishing/boating in to get 360 days. I knew I had it, but was surprised how far back I had to go to get the 360 since I was just recreational fishing.

I'd venture to guess most applicants do guess at their service days. So they are, in effect, not turning in true information. Then they ask you to sign that little statement at the end. If I have to go back and turn in service days on a boat I owned 10 years ago, I seriously doubt I can remember any specific dates I was on the water. I can get dates of ownership on the vessel (maybe... once a vessel has been sold 3 times in my state, they can't find it by my name any more, so you'd better save those registration numbers) but I then still have to come up with dates out on the water. What if there was a hurricane blowing through on that particular date 10 years back? Only way I can think of to know for sure is to have a log book. Or an awfully good memory! If you take a guess at the dates you were out on the boat, then you are probably making a "false or fraudulent statement". I'd just as soon have a system that encourages honesty, rather than a system that requires most to 'take a guess at the dates" then tell them that they have the possibility of "a fine or imprisonment of up to five (5) years or both (18 U. S. C. 1001)".

I understand why they do it the way they do it. But I think they should recognize the reality and change the wording of that last few lines that you have to sign off on.

All that said, any captain's course is well worth taking if you're going to be out on the water. Regardless of whether you go after your ticket or not.

JB

MarinersSchool · 12-30-2007, 06:47 AM

I tell every one of our clients that the number one reason to go to one of our courses is for the education... The secondary purpose is for the license...

saltfisher charters · 12-30-2007, 09:43 PM

I got in the habit of making notes of fishing trips on calendars many years ago, before home computers. After years of these notes, I could go back in time and see what fish bit where when I had a fishing trip planned. When I finally got the nerve to try chartering and getting a license, I had really good records to qualify my time with. If the CG had needed to see some proof, I had something to show them

7mag · 01-02-2008, 09:37 AM

My bust.