Captain School

[Sparky1]

Pascal, that brings me back to a point I made earlier about sea time. IMO that makes the six pack a joke. It's all about memorization and stating the number of hours you've spent riding around the bay drinking beer on your buddy's boat while he was at the helm. How that can qualify a person to take on the responsibility for six paying passengers is beyond me.

 

[Bill Allen]

I've done the test twice (let my ticket lapse, early senior moment, despite my wife telling me it was time). The first time I spent a whole winter studying everything. Second time I went to sea school. It's much easier to go to a class. It's amazing how little many of the people in the class know about boating. They teach the answers to the questions. I was disapointed over what I thought was any actual learning other then the answers. Since the class is geared only to passing the test and since they are quite good at it the amount of people that wind up passing is quite high. Out of a class of maybe 30 all put one or two didn't pass it.Since you can retest I'm sure they may have snuck them through as well in the end. I have no real respect for the ticket and find it amusing when people start calling themselves capt. Bottom line to me is you passed a test. Wheter you can run a boat safely, well thats another story many times. RIght away counts only in an accident, maybe. Hell if you are in danger the rule is do anything you can to not have an accident. I know in reality it's probally the best way they have to sort out the the good operators that should be running a boat for hire. But i'm not so sure they shouldn't have learners permits like driving a car, O yeah that works so well, nevermind. I do wish Ol sparky well and I'm sure he'll eat the test up. It's much like scuba, people get there cert. then many times think they really become something. They then take a few more course and start telling everyone how much they know and how to dive. I always tell them maybe spend less money taking class's and more money diving. There's just no subsitute for time spent doing it. Just my .02. Bill

 

[bobk]

I got my 25T license after taking a special course offered by a couple of Masters in our Power Squadron. It was pure study for knowledge, a couple hours a week for some months. No answers or sample questions. We were all fairly experienced boaters and we all passed.

When I upgraded to the 50 ton, it was all open book, covered commercial as well as recreational vessels and was absolutely the toughest test I ever took.

Randy, go at it for the knowledge rather than just answers and you will learn. By the way, you don't want 'timid virgins', they are no fun, just dull company. <grin>

Bob

 

[Sparky1]

I'm sure I could read up and find the answer (what fun would that be?), but I never understood the 25T and 50T master designation. Does that just allow you to take more than six paying passengers on a smaller boat?

 

[Walter P]

Bill Allen's post is pretty much in line with my observation. I know plenty of people who have their Master's ticket and are IMO dangerous skippers becuse of their lack of practical experience. There are relatively few professional's out there and they all have one thing in common....experience. No amount of sitting in a classroom and aceing an exam qualifies a person to take the very responsible position of a true Captain entrusted with the safety and welfare of his passengers and crew as well as his vessel. My personal observation of Bob Kassal in action and of Pascal for example serves to strengthen my point of view. They are both extremely proficient skippers (I'm sure there are many more members of this forum as well). They share a common asset....experience! lots of it.

My major peave about the process is that there are no requirements to demonstrate practical factors. Just pass a test and a medical exam and a first aid class, and have the time on the water, which can easily be fudged and you're in. In order to become a Coxwain in the CG or the CG Aux one needs all of the above plus lots and lots of "sign offs", during which you must demonstrate in real world conditions to a qualification examiner aboard a vessel that you expect to skipper. If anyone wants to get some good training FREE , just join either the CG Aux or the US Power Squadron and become active with them and participate in their available training for members. The Aux. is now even training and taking jobs in such things as communications room, and the boat crew program aboard regular CG vessels. All free.....I love this country.

Randy, you have plenty of experience and I'm sure you will be a fine skipper.

Walt

 

[Sparky1]

Thanks Craig, I guess that's kinda sorta what I said?

I did a little reading this morning and you are correct. What struck me as strange is that you can spend one day on a vessel over 5 tons and get a 50T Master. This is based on meeting the other requirements for sea time of course. Got this when I Googled...

A USCG license as Master 100 ton issues the full authority of the OUPV
license plus the additional authority to operate any inspected vessel within
the tonnage limitations of the license. These licenses are issued as Master
25 ton, Master 50 ton or Master 100 ton, depending on the size of
vessels the qualifying sea service experience was on.

If all your qualifying experience was on vessels of less than 5 gross tons
you will receive a Master 25 ton license. If you have any sea service
experience on vessels over 5 gross tons you will receive a Master 50 ton
license. Licenses from 50 to 100 tons are issued in 50 ton increments,
rounded up, based on the following formula:

Either the maximum tonnage that 25% of the qualifying experience
was on OR 150% of the maximum tonnage that 50% of the
qualifying experience was on.

 

[Sparky1]

Man, talk about frustrating, I went back onto the site a while ago for the folks teaching this course, and now I see they have added one in Knoxville starting in January. That's 20 miles away vs almost 100 more miles than that to the one I'm signed up for in Chattanooga. I have to go to Chattanooga today anyway, so it may be I won't know what my options are until I go to class in the morning.

I put a call in to the guy who runs this outfit but wasn't able to reach him. It sure would make it easier if I could switch to this later class, so we'll see what happens. Strange thing is, when I click on info for this Knoxville course, I get sent to the course in Chattanooga that starts tomorrow. It would be my luck that they will allow me to change locations only to find out there won't be enough people in the Knoxville area to make it happen.

Why can't anything ever be easy for me?

 

[Traveler 45C]

Good luck Skip....

 

[SportFishCruising]

Why can't anything ever be easy for me?

LOL...why should you be any different than the rest of us Randy?
Some people say... if it is easy then it is not worthwhile doing.

 

[Sparky1]

I am SOOOOO HAPPY!!!

Got a call back from the guy at TrueCourse who told me it would be no problem to transfer me to that upcoming class in Knoxville. This will save me over 1,000 miles of driving, not to mention the time and money it will save. It will be much easier for me to concentrate on the work at hand, and I won't have to leave work early to make the weekday classes.

The Knoxville class starts on January 9, so I'll shut up until then except to respond to anything else that comes up on this thread. It's a good thing I've been talking about this on the net as it was shear luck a friend of mine asked on Facebook how long the course took. I honestly didn't remember, so I looked at the website and just happened to see they had added this new date. Oh yeah, the class has already been confirmed.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

So what are the exact dates and times that you will be in class? I need to know so I can break in and steal your gun safe.

Just kidding. But, don't you worry sometimes about posting too much personal info on the web? You just never know who's reading this stuff.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

So theirs gonna be 3 of ya'll in that class? Readin' ritin' and cipherin' ! lemme see here... theres this little red dot thingy on the map and the course says about 180 degrees for 15 minutes at 11.5 kn. then hang a right till the boat stops for more beer. Cool. OOPs... dont ferget to add 3 degrees plus per year for variation, then subtract 7 degrees for deviation off yer card... AHOY!!! Timid virgins ahead!! Grab the bubba keg and spoolem' up! ;-0 ws

 

[Sparky1]

So what are the exact dates and times that you will be in class? I need to know so I can break in and steal your gun safe.

Just kidding. But, don't you worry sometimes about posting too much personal info on the web? You just never know who's reading this stuff.

I sold all my guns, remember?

Nope, I don't worry about posting too much personal info on the web. I may be dumb, but I ain't stoopid. There's a key to my front door buried in a Mason jar buried beside the statue of a rooster. The alarm code is 1-2-3-4-5-6, and that's the combination to my safe as well, just in case you want to verify I sold all my guns. Lock up on the way back out, would you?

Oh yeah, the times and dates are on the link I posted about the school. Or at least they will be later I assume.

 

[Sparky1]

So theirs gonna be 3 of ya'll in that class? Readin' ritin' and cipherin' ! lemme see here... theres this little red dot thingy on the map and the course says about 180 degrees for 15 minutes at 11.5 kn. then hang a right till the boat stops for more beer. Cool. OOPs... dont ferget to add 3 degrees plus per year for variation, then subtract 7 degrees for deviation off yer card... AHOY!!! Timid virgins ahead!! Grab the bubba keg and spoolem' up! ;-0 ws

3 degrees variation per year? Man, I got to get me one of them coolers like you got. Especially if it stays that cool after exposing it to 180 degrees for 15 minutes. Even my BubbaKeg don't do that good in 98 degrees in Miami.

 

[stormchaser]

Don't forget to let your insurance company know you got your ticket. My insurance dropped by over 30% when I remembered to tell them about my 100T. I only wish they would have made it retroactive and refunded me back for the YEARS I didnt bother to tell them about it. I

 

[SportFishCruising]

Don't forget to let your insurance company know you got your ticket. My insurance dropped by over 30% when I remembered to tell them about my 100T. I only wish they would have made it retroactive and refunded me back for the YEARS I didnt bother to tell them about it. I

OUCH!

 

[Sparky1]

Don't forget to let your insurance company know you got your ticket. My insurance dropped by over 30% when I remembered to tell them about my 100T. I only wish they would have made it retroactive and refunded me back for the YEARS I didnt bother to tell them about it. I

That's interesting. Who is your insurance company?

The reason I ask is that State Farm only offers discounts if you've taken a safety course. Having a 100T master doesn't mean a thing with them, and I know other guys with with their tickets who have said the same thing of their insurance companies.

 

[Boatsb]

Interesting. My insurance company would not give me a discount if I got the license and even talked of increased rates if I had it. The said it increased their exposure. Then of course if I took the power squadron course they would take a discount on the hull insurance. I told them to keep it and dropped the hull insurance anyway.

half a mil Liability $700.00

Add $50K hull insurance it went up to $4700.00 with a $13K hurricane deductible or an $11k normal one.

Never had an accident nor a claim. no ticket in 20+ years.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

Yup, had my master's for 17 yrs now....no more discount for it than a person in Ohio who has a stupid bass boat and attended a one day boating class...

 

[Walter P]

Allstate (my insurer) gives me a substantial discount for having Coxwain qualification in the CG Aux. The same as a civilian Capt license. I suspect that some companies are concerned that if you have a ticket you may use your boat for business reasons and not report it as such. In any event, I would ask to talk to an underwriter about it if you can't get satisfaction with an agent,

Walt