How to document time on board owned boats?

[robillard]

Couple questions regarding calculating and documenting time served for a 6-Pack captain's license (ala CG-719S, the "sea service" form)... Most of my confusion centers around terms such as "sea service" and "master" when applied to a recreational/non-commercial setting, so please bear with me...

- for my personally-owned boat (37' power express cruiser), am I supposed to be keeping track of all days of "deck service"? since I would be both the applicant and the owner/master of the vessel, do I really need to fill out the "sea service" form for each time I go out?

- how does this work when doing a bareboat charter? do I need to get the owner to endorse a "sea service" form? or am I considered the "master" and can thus endorse it myself?

- how about when sailing on a friend's boat, do I get him to sign a "sea service" form for me?

- I spent much of my time growing up, and as a young adult, boating on smaller inland boats, like ski boats (16-18') and aluminum fishing boats (14' or so?). I'm assuming those don't count, although in looking at the rules, it is not clear? In fact, I even stumbled across a CG doc suggesting that some limited amount of sea service can be credited for "jet-skis, kayaks and canoes"?!?

- It's also not clear (to me) at what age I can begin counting boating experience towards the 360 days of "sea service"?

Thanks in advance for any advice/clarification folks can provide!

[sparrowhawk1]

The form is how many days per month. If it's your own boat just fill out the form. if its on someone else's boat they have to sign off. I can't remember whether it needs to be notarized but I don't think so. And you don't have to be the master, I know people that worked on cruise ships that got their sea time

[sharkbait]

In SF Bay the sea service form inspires some of the greatest fiction writing in our area.

[denverd0n]

On bareboat charters I've had the manager of the charter operation sign the form--they are acting as the agent for the owner.

[belizesailor]

"Master" simply refers to being in charge of a vessel. Commercial/recreational does not matter.

Sea service forms summarize time on a given vessel (look at the table on the form for this), not per instance you serve on the vessel.

Not sure about the context of "age" in your last question. Do you mean your age? Someone else's age?

[sparrowhawk1]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

On bareboat charters I've had the manager of the charter operation sign the form--they are acting as the agent for the owner.

Same with boats I've worked on

[robillard]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Not sure about the context of "age" in your last question. Do you mean your age? Someone else's age?

My age, yes. Again, I'm not sure that recreational use of small boats counts, but if it does, from age 12 through 18 I spent every summer boating. But I suspect experience when so young would not count?


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[Tempest245]

I've completed a separate form for each vessel served upon. (stated on top of the page)

For vessels not your own, you need to have the Master or Agent sign off. If you acted as master state that, if you were a mate note that.

For your own vessel you log and certify your own time, notary not required. It's a sworn document when you sign it. One page holds a years worth of time.

As I recall, your time can be dated as far back as you can determine, however there are recency requirements that must be met.

You probably want to separate inland vs beyond the boundary line time if applicable, and tonnage in your personal logs, so that you can enter that info in the bottom of the form where it asks for # of days on great lake/ shoreward of boundary and beyond boundary line. The boundary line..is not the colregs line.

it's this: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx...r7_main_02.tpl

Good luck..

[sparrowhawk1]

I forgot to mention that website you just have forms printed out an you'll know all the information you need to give them and they'll explain everything on this website. Not to be picky Tempest, but you can put at least 5 years on each page. It's kind of funny how small the spots are to fill out your sea time

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by robillard

My age, yes. Again, I'm not sure that recreational use of small boats counts, but if it does, from age 12 through 18 I spent every summer boating. But I suspect experience when so young would not count?


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Not so much a function of age, but of how many years in the past. Applicants must be over 18 and (IIRC) time logged must be within the past 5 years. Don't know where they draw the lower limit on class of vessel, but you can confirm on NMC web site. Very helpful folks if you have questions too (just placed my license in "continuity" and they were quite helpful).

http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/default.asp

[Tempest245]

Originally Posted by sparrowhawk1

I forgot to mention that website you just have forms printed out an you'll know all the information you need to give them and they'll explain everything on this website. Not to be picky Tempest, but you can put at least 5 years on each page. It's kind of funny how small the spots are to fill out your sea time

Right you are Sparrow..I am happy to be corrected. It's been 4 years since my last renewal, I'm due again this spring, so I'm a little rusty myself.