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

MarinersSchool · 12-28-2007, 10:42 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 minimum 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.

miike · 01-08-2008, 10:30 PM

do the hours have to be on a commercial boat?

prowlersfish · 01-26-2008, 10:51 PM

bosunscrew · 05-21-2008, 10:47 PM

If the boat has been registered to you, then you can sign off your own hours...you basically have to give a sworn statement saying you have completed said number of hours. The best thing to do is call the Mariners School main office and ask them exactly what they want and in what form as each one of them is different. Toll .Free 1-866-SEA-
CAPT

Trydent · 06-24-2008, 02:05 PM

GP-TJ-

If you can locate copies of your boat registrations (insurance binders are helpful too) since 1993, the coast guard will accept that as proof of ownership. From there, you will need to conservatively estimate the number of days you spent on the boat each year.

capecodder86 · 07-08-2008, 02:52 PM

so if you ran a 20 foot harbormaster boat for 4 summers you can qualify for tonnage?

MarinersSchool · 07-21-2008, 10:57 AM

A simple explanation of the tonnage requirements is as follows:

If you run a vessel up to 30 feet you will receive a 25 Ton Master License
If you run vessels up to 45 feet you will receive a 50 Ton Master License
If you run vessels greater than 45 feet you will receive a 100 Ton Master License.

The above guidelines are very general if you wish a more precise accounting of how the Coast Guard determines the Gross Tonnage of a vesse l I am including a link on the Mariners School website that can be found under the assist me tab. This link contains a guide for determining the gross tonnage of your vessel:

http://www.marinersschool.com/default.asp?contentID=626

It is important to remeber that if you are issued a 25 Ton Master License and do an additional 180 days on a 5 gross ton vessel then you will be qualified to upgrade your license to a 50 Ton master level. The process would also be the same once you had your 50 Ton Master License. Their is no additional testing necessary to complete the upgrade process. There is a $45.00 fee to the Coast Guard to process the paperwork.

mainebaker · 09-18-2008, 12:15 PM

Hey Captain Bob,

For about two years, I was running boats at a marina into the slings of a travelift. I never kept a log of any of this and spent an average of 30 minutes on each trip on boats from 30-50 ft. Sometimes I was driving, sometimes I was crew. Can I use this as sea time?

Maverick1701 · 10-10-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

mainebaker - 9/18/2008 1:15 PM

Hey Captain Bob,

For about two years, I was running boats at a marina into the slings of a travelift. I never kept a log of any of this and spent an average of 30 minutes on each trip on boats from 30-50 ft. Sometimes I was driving, sometimes I was crew. Can I use this as sea time?

yes....."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"

HighMark · 10-16-2009, 02:28 PM

in filling out the forms. if I do not remember the boat numbers for that boat. it's been some time sence it was sold. How do I fill ou those area's of the paparwork.

Mariners School · 10-17-2009, 06:55 AM

One possible solution is to go to your Division of Motor Vehicles. Here they can do a certified search of all vessels that you have owned and registered in that state. Most states can go back ten years and some as far back as fifteen years. The Coast Guard will use the certified search document provided by the DMV as proof of ownership. You will not be required to provide hull numbers since this search is based on your Social Security Number.

You can also use bill of sail, insurance documentation...

CaptWill · 10-25-2009, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mainebaker

Hey Captain Bob,

For about two years, I was running boats at a marina into the slings of a travelift. I never kept a log of any of this and spent an average of 30 minutes on each trip on boats from 30-50 ft. Sometimes I was driving, sometimes I was crew. Can I use this as sea time?

Mariner's School will please correct me, but I would say no, since:
1. the boats never left the marina; does CG consider this acceptable?
2. were you under way at least 4 hrs minimum per day (as req'd)?

Mariners School · 10-26-2009, 07:28 AM

The vessel needs to be underway but not necessarily making way. What this means is that you cannot be attached to shore via a line, you cannot be on a mooring ball, nor can you be at anchor or on the dock. As little as four hours may count as a day remembering the the USCG is the issuing authority who will look at your total time on the water and determine whether or not you have met the time requirement. So, if you were working an 8 hour day pulling boats and four hours or more was spent moving these boats the Coast Guard would give you credit for those days. A letter from your employer would be submitted for their review and assessment of the time they would actually count...

Ocean_Breeze · 10-26-2009, 11:09 PM

Hey Captain Bob - how many female captains do you know. I am female and spent my entire childhood out on a boat - When I get to buy my own - I plan on eventually getting the licence - just curious if you have any advice for me (except that its a "mans" job - I am not your avg female)

Mariners School · 10-27-2009, 09:06 AM

Now that Mariners School is offering our Coast Guard approved courses online we have seen a surge of woman now seeking their license. Without the possibility of being the lone woman in a classroom of alpha males the online courses have seemed to open the door for women who wish to seek their license.

These women seem to fall into one of two categories... First, we see those who want to use their license professionally and then the larger group of women who are seeking the knowledge and safety that comes from the education.

I would also like to point out that there is a large demand for female Captain's especially in the tourism business.

Bottom line... It does not matter whether you are a male or female there are plenty of opportunities in our industry for those who are seeking employment. If you are a good Captain then you are a good Captain.... Regardless of your sex.

Ocean_Breeze · 10-27-2009, 06:42 PM

well tourism is what I'm going for - I plan on doing a dive/fishing tours in S. Florida - Thanks for the info - and I'll the online course! (or see if there are some by me)

g3Cat · 10-28-2009, 08:42 PM

so how do i go about filling out my time on the water? like do i need it on a certain form? i am 18 and probably have about 150 days on the water since i was 15 so i would have a lot to record but i would like to get started on recording it so that when i do get my 360 i can get everything done quickly. thanks

Mariners School · 11-04-2009, 07:40 AM

You can download the sea service form from our website www.MarinersSchool.co and select the "Assist Me" tab on the left hand side of the page once there go to the Forms and you will be able to download and print you need.

Here is the direct link:

http://marinersschool.com/forms.html

g3Cat · 11-04-2009, 08:16 PM

is the small vessel sea service form the one i need to record it on?

Mariners School · 11-04-2009, 09:01 PM

That would be the one... You need to fill out one form for each vessel you plan on using to meet the time requirement. If the time was done on friends or families vessels they can sign off the time for you.