Captain's license: online or in person?

[Stumble]

I took a class through Houston Marine here in New Orleans. Obviously it was the same information, but being able to speak with the Master-Unlimited who was our instructor gave a lot of insight that wasn't strictly in the books. They also did all of the paperwork shuffling and filing with the Coast Guard which made the entire process easier. All in all for the $1,000 it cost me I consider it money well spent.

[Dartanyon]

@bec.chandler Not that I don't want to do my on research ... but I'd love to talk to you either offline, or or here in messages about what options you find in Seattle. If you want to email, dartanyon@gmail.com

[ex-12m-guy]

An Admiralty lawyer of vast experience once advised as follows:

Unless you need a CG license as a requirement for employment, do
not pursue one.

Admiralty law offers some protection for being an idiot yachtsman as a defense against lawsuits resulting from an accident.

If you hold a professional license, you are held to a higher standard by the court and lose the idiot defense. You also risk further civil complications with the CG regarding your license.

If you don't really need one for a job, don't get a license just to pump up your self esteem

[doublewide]

Home study is fine. I did both the OUPV and 100-ton with sail endorsement that way
Read all of Chapman and most of Bowdich
I like the book, "Get Your Captains License" It comes with a CD ROM with self-tests that are very helpful
Buy Captain Joe's "Deck & MODU License Program". It is wonderful. It was the best thing I used. He works all the problems and organizes all the exam questions for quick learning.
the iPhone app, "Nav Rules" from Starpath is a wonderful study aid
Buy a copy of the 1983 tides and currents, and the charts for Columbia River, Block Island Sound, Long Island Sound and Chesapeake Bay that are used for the exam.
Buy plotting sheets and good quality dividers and compass and parallel rule
Mississippi river charts are on line
Instructions for getting your TWIC card, drug test and stuff are all on the USCG website
Exam Illustrations and questions are on line
Light Lists, Nautical Almanac, Radio Navigational Aids, International Signals, Stability Data Reference Book, and Coast Pilots are on line
CFR is on line
Master this material, and you will knock the exams stiff. The people at the USCG exam center are very nice, and the facilities are excellent. Don't worry.

[ddavis4464]

I'll throw my two cents on the pile.

Take the course in a classroom setting. There is a lot of information that is brought up during the course that will be beneficial. Group interaction is good. As the Old Salts told me when I got my master's ticket... go for tonnage. There is nothing that a six pack gives you that tonnage doesn't. But there is a lot of things you can do with a tonnage license not available to a six pack skipper. I have no idea why anyone would get both. Sounds like the school is running up the bill. It is like buying two tickets to the same movie.

When I took the exam the difference between the two was the deck general test, as I remember. It was the easiest of all the tests.

The trick to the test is really one of semantics. The test questions are written in Federaleze, a language spoken mostly in D.C. Once you learn the cadence of the stuff it's not to bad.

Oh yea, take the Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron courses first. Not the four hour class. Take the series of boating courses that both offer. It will probably take a year to go through them all. They are beneficial to any boater. Don't be confused, the Captain's course in not about learning to boat, as much as it is, about learning the official rules followed by Tanker Captains. The PS and CGAux courses will teach the rules but they also provide a lot of real world advice.

Good Luck.

[CSY Man]

. An Admiralty lawyer of vast experience once advised as follows:

Unless you need a CG license as a requirement for employment, do
not pursue one.

Admiralty law offers some protection for being an idiot yachtsman as a defense against lawsuits resulting from an accident.

If you hold a professional license, you are held to a higher standard by the court and lose the idiot defense. You also risk further civil complications with the CG regarding your license.

If you don't really need one for a job, don't get a license just to pump up your self esteem

Bull sh!t

[Schooner Chandlery]

My sis-in-law got a tonnage license and took the classroom route. She had a lot of fun with it and highly recommends that way. My bro-in-law is a self-taught sort of guy who sat down with the reference materials, memorized away and then took the exam. Different learning systems fit different folks. Neither hubby nor I have a license nor need it. If it comes up that we want do do a business, yeah, we'd sit the exam and do it. Hubby and I line up the same way as sis-in-law and bro-in-law, I'd take the class because I'd learn better that way and he'd self-study because that's his thing. Best of luck!

[Brunet27]

And to become an ADMIRAL?

[Anna09]

Doing a course and then giving the exam was far more easier. I would be lost without proper training. There were many courses that I had to choose from. I suggest you go through this site - Förarintyg, Förarbevis & Båtkörkort i Stockholm - Navigationsgruppen - Vi utbildar dig and see the courses that suit you the best, don't forget to use the google translate
Hope it helps!

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by ex-12m-guy

If you hold a professional license, you are held to a higher standard by the court...

Yeah, I call BS on this, also.

I hear it all the time. The question I always ask is, can you point to even one, single instance where someone with a captain's license, out on the water recreationally (that is, not actively exercising the privileges of the license), was involved in an incident and subsequently held to a higher standard than any other recreational boater because of having the license?

The answer is no. No one has ever been able to cite even one such case. If you know of one, please illuminate us. But I'm not going to hold my breath, because at this point I don't believe it has ever happened. So, again, I call BS on this urban legend that you will be held to a higher standard than any other recreational boater.

(And, once again, just to be clear--even though I know that someone will ignore this caveat--I am NOT talking about a situation where you are acting in a professional capacity, exercising the privileges of your license.)

[Chas.7]

Hello,
Getting a 6 pack license. Well it's up to you. Do you like studying? I would get Chapman book on smal boat handling and a copy of the Rules of the Road. Write out the rules every thirty days before the test and you will due fine. You have to get 90 % on rules. Touch base with people that recently took the test and find out what the CG is looking for, current hot topic.
Good luck

[Chas.7]

Originally Posted by Chas.7

Hello,
Getting a 6 pack license. Well it's up to you. Do you like studying? I would get Chapman book on smal boat handling and a copy of the Rules of the Road. Write out the rules every thirty days before the test and you will due fine. You have to get 90 % on rules. Touch base with people that recently took the test and find out what the CG is looking for, current hot topic.
Good luck

Consider the danger

[Dulcesuenos]

Realise the physical / health requirements. For some reason I have seen more than one person sign up and pass everything only to have CG deny them cause they have a minor health issue. I had minor shoulder and wrist surgery and it had to go to their medical review board before I could get approved. If youve had a dui, or mental counseling etc forget it.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Svanen]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Having it ... presented along with tips for taking the exam is a huge help. It also helps if you take the course and the exam from the same instructor.

John 11:35

[Svanen]

Originally Posted by ex-12m-guy

Admiralty law offers some protection for being an idiot yachtsman as a defense against lawsuits resulting from an accident. If you hold a professional license, you are held to a higher standard by the court and lose the idiot defense.

This is absolute nonsense.

Anyone acting in the capacity of master will be held to the standard of care of a prudent mariner; and there is certainly no such thing as "the idiot defence".

Negligent behaviour resulting in lose will not be excused by virtue of the tortfeasor's not holding a licence.