Captain School

[Brian Degulis]

Actually, I went in early to do some more practice plots and was given the opportunity to take the test earlier than the scheduled 5PM start time. As best I recall, I started the test around 2PM and was finished by about 5PM. Yes, that was all four modules of the test.

At the risk of sounding like a smartass, you either know this stuff or you don't. I took extra time doing the plotting as that's something that's still new to me in terms of set and drift problems. Quite frankly, I don't see ever using the plotting skills I learned in this class, but at least I know how to do it now.

I also double checked all my answers on ROR as I knew that was the section that required the highest percentage of correct answers. Lots of tricky crap in there as opposed to just a cut and dried test of knowledge. Turned out I missed one anyway, but the instructor told us the CG won't allow the tester to reveal which questions were missed after testing.

Things have changed when I took it it had to be at the CG office. You started at 8AM I started with around 20 others 6 of us passed and of that 6 no one was finished before 3PM. At that time the test was the same for a 6 pack or masters the sea time was the determining factor.


Brian

 

[Freeebird]

As far as I know, nothing has changed in terms of the numbers of questions or the four modules of the test. I'm not really sure what the master's class and test will cover, but I guess I'll find out starting tomorrow. Seems to me that would just be based on sea time as well, but they obviously changed things in that regard.

 

[Brian Degulis]

I'm confused again aren't you done taking tests?

Brian

 

[Freeebird]

I'm confused again aren't you done taking tests?

Brian

I finished with the OUPV yesterday, and as of about an hour ago, I'm finished with the towing endorsement. The master's upgrade starts at 9AM tomorrow and ends with a test on Sunday. At that point, I will indeed be done taking tests... for a long time. I'm about tested out.

 

[Brian Degulis]

I finished with the OUPV yesterday, and as of about an hour ago, I'm finished with the towing endorsement. The master's upgrade starts at 9AM tomorrow and ends with a test on Sunday. At that point, I will indeed be done taking tests... for a long time. I'm about tested out.

Ok that explains it I took everthing the same day.

Brian

 

[Freeebird]

Brian, did you take a captain's class or do the test on your own?

I guess it could be that some schools will teach all the different courses and test on one day, but that certainly wouldn't be my preference. The test for the towing endorsement took about 20 minutes. I'm not sure how long the master's test will take, but I can't see it all adding up to a 6-8 hour deal.

 

[Brian Degulis]

Brian, did you take a captain's class or do the test on your own?

I guess it could be that some schools will teach all the different courses and test on one day, but that certainly wouldn't be my preference. The test for the towing endorsement took about 20 minutes. I'm not sure how long the master's test will take, but I can't see it all adding up to a 6-8 hour deal.

When I took the test and this is going back 30 years there was no Sea School or any major companies giving classes. The only place to learn about the test were guys teaching classes out of they're homes in the evenings so that's what I did. The test could only be taken at the CG Regional exam center in my case Battery Park NY. Before sitting for the test you were interviewed if they didn't like your responses to they're questions you were told to come back in not less than 30 days. They would try to rattle you. At that time the test had a 15% first try pass rate. You started at 8 AM and you had untill 4PM to finish. You could break off after completing any one section and come back the next day to finish if you wanted to.

When I completed the interview the guy told me I'll see you in an hour or so. I asked him what he meant. He said this test has a 15% pass rate and you don't strike me as one of that group. Nice right.

I did pass but ran out of time for the local knowledge section and had to come back the next day. I almost didn't end up with a license because I took the test on my 19th birthday and 19 was the minimum age to sit for a masters. So the question came up what time was I born. I didn't know but my mom remembered LOL and it was 2AM so I had to prove that with hospital records because the time was ilegable on my birth certificate.

After passing the test for the masters the CG guys were like diffrent people all lovy dovy I guess rattling you was part of they're job. When I sat for upgrade tests they were nice from the jump. But the first one was quite a ride.


Brian

 

[Freeebird]

Hey, there is absolutely no doubt things would have been different for me had I been forced to do this on my own. These schools do have some control over which questions appear on a test, and they are geared more toward recreational boating.

God only knows how much studying one would have to do in order to cover just a fraction of the material from which the USCG could pull questions. I personally think the school approach is better in terms of driving home the points needed for the proper operation of a pleasurecraft, and I'm sure I'll retain what I've learned. Having to memorize load ratings of certain types of bulkheads would be gone the day after the test.

 

[Freeebird]

Well, it's finally over. I passed my master's test this afternoon and just need to get all the paperwork squared away. For those of you who have boats I've been on over the past few years, be expecting a little something in the form of a PM about near coastal sea time.

 

[Freeebird]

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/msc/interactive_tonnage.asp

or search this site for identical boats, you'll find the actual tonnage.

a 53MY for instance is 37GT,a 58MY is 43GT, etc...

OK, I did NOT bump this post to start an argument, but either these GT figures are wrong or the GT on my document info for my (and Willie's) 58TC is wrong at 58GT. It would also appear that the GT on my 41DC is 36GT so the 53MY has to be more than that.

Pascal, assuming your 53MY is documented, what does it list as your GT?

How about you Ang, what is shown on your 58MY?

Any other 41DC, 53MY, 58MY, or 58TC owners, feel free to jump in. I just want to make sure I get this straight.

 

[Freeebird]

Just looked up the GT on the 55C I ran last summer, and it shows 55GT.

 

[Freeebird]

Now I'm really confused. This is another Hatt Trick which appears to be a 41DC or 41C.

(7 of 7) Vessel Name: HATT TRICK USCG Doc. No.: 519813
Vessel Service: RECREATIONAL IMO Number: *
Trade Indicator: Coastwise Unrestricted, Fishery, Recreational Call Sign: WYX7488
Hull Material: FRP (FIBERGLASS) Hull Number: *
Ship Builder: * Year Built: 1966

Length (ft.): 40.9
Hailing Port: LYNCHBURG VA Hull Depth (ft.): 7.5
Owner: R SCHAEFER OGLESBY
2309 HERON HILL PLACE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24503 Hull Breadth (ft.): 14
Gross Tonnage: 28
Net Tonnage: 22

 

[Pascal]

my doc (53MY) shows 39GT, not 37... (typo in my post)

Sanctuary (58MY) is 43GT as per the USCG database (not some 3rd party service...)

That said, i looked up the GT of a 72 53MY on the USCG database and it shows 45GT... more than a 58MY.. go figure. and a 1977 53MY listed at 26GT but it shows a depth of 4' which is obviously wrong, it should be 7' like mine.

i doubt a 41DC can be 36GT... for instance, i see a 43DC in the USCG db with a GT of 26...

if you want to get this right, find the specs of the boat (hull depths, beam, and length) and calculate it yourself using the formula found in the attached PDF. using the numbers from existing doens't mean much, as proven by that 53MY listed with a 4' hull depth!

if you want to get this wrong, look up boat name in the members list, and search them in the USCG DB

the official data can be searched at
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/CoastGuard/VesselByName.html

 

[Freeebird]

That site is the one I used to get the info I posted on the two Hatt Trick's. So am I to understand the CG takes whatever figure an owner submits or do they verify these things?

I'll be getting a copy of the old document for my 58, so I'll be able to confirm it is in fact 58GT. Then again, Bill confirmed his numbers match mine.

 

[Boatsb]

For my 41c
Gross Tonnage: 24
Net Tonnage: 19

Without me on it.

 

[Freeebird]

Oh Lord, now somebody is going to point out that your weight has nothing to do with gross tonnage.

I'm assuming the 41DC and 41C should be the same GT, but it would seem numbers are all over the place for the same boats. I see plenty of errors in reporting waterline length and beam widths as well as varying depth measurements. If calculating gross tonnage is that simple, it would seem the manufacturers would supply that information on all their boats, and there would be no variations.

 

[Pascal]

indeed, these errors (like the 53MY listed and calculated with a 4' Hull Depth) shows that teh USCG doesn't (and frankly probably can't ) verify all the data. so unless someone needs to get the data checked and recorded correctly.

also, i believe that when you are transfering an existing documentation, they will use the old nrs, which in case of our old boats would have been calculated, 20, 30 or 40 years ago. so this is why you're going to have some discrepancies.

teh document i listed explains how you can do a formal measurement or simplified... this may indeed explain the difference between what seem to be the same boats.

since tonnage is based on volume, a MY and a convertible should NOT have the same tonnage since the cockpit of a convertible is much lower than the aft cabin of a MY. on boat between 40 to 55', the difference should be 5 to 8GT BUT since in the simplified measurement you take the hull heigh amidship, the convertible would end up being much closer to a MY, the only difference being that the convertible is typically a little lower amidship than a MY. the whole aft area (cabin vs cockpit) would not have an impact.

 

[stormchaser]

OK, I did NOT bump this post to start an argument, but either these GT figures are wrong or the GT on my document info for my (and Willie's) 58TC is wrong at 58GT. It would also appear that the GT on my 41DC is 36GT so the 53MY has to be more than that.

Pascal, assuming your 53MY is documented, what does it list as your GT?

How about you Ang, what is shown on your 58MY?

Any other 41DC, 53MY, 58MY, or 58TC owners, feel free to jump in. I just want to make sure I get this straight.

My document shows 39grt for Gross Tonnage (1980 53MY).