Captain School

[Sparky1]

As of this Saturday, I'll start on a journey that will end with y'all having to call me Captain Sparky.

Heck, I'm so into this thing that I've even reserved a floating cabin for studying purposes this week-end and next. Maybe I'll hook an outboard up to it and run out from the marina and back each night to add to my sea time. Seriously, the folks at the marina made me an offer I couldn't refuse, and it's only about 20 minutes away from where the school will be held. Too bad ole' Freebird is still all torn apart or I'd just stay onboard. The two hour drive back and forth to Chattanooga is going to be a pain next week as I'll be commuting back home since the classes run from 6PM to 10PM through the week vs 9AM to 6PM on Saturdays and Sundays. I'll be going for my 100 ton master and towing endorsement, all at the same time, just to get it out of the way while I'm at it.

These folks instructed us to do no prior studying for the course, so I've followed their instructions. It should be interesting, informative, and entertaining at the same time as I really am a boat junkie at heart. Maybe this is what I was meant to do all along. I'll keep y'all posted as things progress, but if I see I'm talking to myself, I'll shut up. Funny how some of you never quite figured out that concept before.

[Jaxfishgyd]

I think "Capt Dildo" would be a better fit for you, what with Capt Ron already being taken..... Who's putting the class on"?
I went thru Sea School when I got my capt/master capt license in the 80's.
But good luck.....

[Sparky1]

"Capt Dildo"?

Here's the info on the outfit who's running the school...

www.TrueCourses.com

[Traveler 45C]

Perhaps Capt Crunch would be better.

[yachtsmanbill]

I think "Capt Dildo" would be a better fit for you, what with Capt Ron already being taken..... Who's putting the class on"?
I went thru Sea School when I got my capt/master capt license in the 80's.
But good luck.....

You know who'll be putting the class on Charlie!! ws

[Blaine Thorpe]

Randy,

There will be a new USCG physical form that is to be used after the first of the year. If you submit for your license after 01JAN2010, you will need to use the new form.

I found out when I was talking to the USCG Exam Center in St. Louis about renewing my license.

Blaine

[Sparky1]

Hey! Good luck Sparky!

I also went through the Sea School course, I don't know how your school will be, all sea school taught us basically was the answers to the test questions, hope your teaches a bit more.

I hope you cruising days are outside the cool regs, for ocean operator, or maybe they changed that requirement.

Anyway good luck again.

Thanks Craig. I'm certainly not opposed to learning new info and look forward to that, but at the risk of sounding arrogant, if I could pay an extra $100 and just get the license without the school or test, I'd do it as I'm confident in my skills. Let's face it, short of knowing the rules of the road, navigation and nav aids etc., you'll never need most of what you have to memorize as I understand it.

Now if I planned to point my bow to the other side of an ocean, things would be different. My ocean experience (which started over 20 years ago) has been near coastal which is what the master will be assuming all goes well. Short of running the rivers (been doing that since I was 10), I don't see myself ever doing more than running the ICW or coastline with trips to the islands.

Randy,

There will be a new USCG physical form that is to be used after the first of the year. If you submit for your license after 01JAN2010, you will need to use the new form.

I found out when I was talking to the USCG Exam Center in St. Louis about renewing my license.

Blaine

Thanks Blaine, I'm assuming these folks are up on all the latest, but they will be taking care of the physical with their own doc and will be submitting all the forms. I just need to set up an appointment to get my TWIC card while I'm near that office in Chattanooga.

[Sparky1]

Nah man, I didn't take it as you raining on my parade, nor did I mean to come across as knowing everything there is to know. I've just seen some other people talk about how a lot of these questions are more a memory exercise than anything that they would ever put into practical use.

As for the towing endorsement, I just figured that would be one more feather in the ole' hat, and it doesn't take much more to get it. There's no doubt I'll have a lot to learn about plotting, but that in itself is a waste of time IMO. Given the fact I'll never find myself on a boat with less than two GPS units, I don't plan to use that knowledge. If both units crap out, it's just a matter of using the compass to get within sight of land again assuming I was out of sight in the first place. I might burn a few extra gallons of fuel by not plotting a more precise course, but that would be about the extent of it.

[yachtsmanbill]

Yeah RIGHT! I'm glad I never need charts on the lake either... Just run a course long enough and youll hit dirt... yup...oops... head east outa Miami and youre bound to hit Bimini... yup...
I seem to recall you trying to get yer GPS chipped for that river trip... yup... now iffen ya'll only had a sextant and a good timepiece... yup...
C'mon Randy ! You really do need to take an advanced piloting class...yup...yup... yup ws

[hyperfishing]

It is never that simple when you are in a storm and it is blowing white so you can't see anything, your chart plotter shorted out in the salt spray, the coast guard is announcing on the radio "watch for floating body" (from a flipped over 21 foot boat), seriously injured coasties from trying to save the guy have to return to base, the compass is spinning wildly in the massive waves, and your wonderful wife is using a handheld etrex to perfectly navigate you into a narrow inlet invisible in the sea spray.

Tail end of Hurricane Kyle off East Rockaway Inlet, NY.