Documentation of Sailing Experience

[Sailor_Al]

I'm realizing That maybe I should be keeping a log of experience at sea. It may be helpful as I volunteer as crew, purchase boat insurance, and maybe apply for a six pack license. The biggest issue would be to save a few bucks on insurance.

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks

[Stu Jackson]

Uhm, take notes? Keep a log? I doubt you'd need video.

[Spindrift NH]

If you think you may go for an OUPC license it would be good to have documentation of your sea time, especially if that time is as crew on somone elses vessel. The CG wants registration/documentation/hull id info for vessels you've aquired sea time on, which can be difficult to obtain a year or two later.

[Sailor_Al]

Originally Posted by Spindrift NH

If you think you may go for an OUPC license it would be good to have documentation of your sea time, especially if that time is as crew on somone elses vessel. The CG wants registration/documentation/hull id info for vessels you've aquired sea time on, which can be difficult to obtain a year or two later.

I didn't realize that ... thanks

[toddster8]

The ASA logbook that is issued to students has a sort of standard format for recording training and sailing experience. But much like the little logbooks that are (or used to be) issued to scuba students, it is woefully inadequate for the real world. More suited perhaps, to racking up a few vacation charters.

Long ago, I started using Ben Meadows Field Notebooks to log dives, take notes, sketch dive sites. (I keep them in stock, for my work.) Seems like they would be equally handy for logging sail time. Be sure to have the skipper countersign your entries on Other People's Boats.

In this day and age, I suppose there must be an app for that...

[LTDsailing]

I'm not sure about having documented experience lowering your insurance rates - though it couldn't hurt to document it anyway. The biggest thing you may want the documented experience for in the future is getting a US Coast Guard License. If you ever decide to go down that road, you will need your experience documented on a USCG Small Vessel Sea Service Form. Here is a link to the form: https://www.uscg.mil/forms/cg/CG_719S.pdf

Otherwise - documenting on a regular log book will work fine. There are lots of options out there. The cool thing about documenting on a regular log book, or note book as previously suggested, is that you can document more about the experience. Great to look back on later on.

[design360]

Originally Posted by toddster8

In this day and age, I suppose there must be an app for that...

The American Sailing Association app has a nicely detailed Log Book built into it:

https://asa.com/sailing-app/

[inchcailloch]

Ive taken a yacht into maybe 30 countries and never been asked for documents for experience though i do have RYA qualifications plus ICC card. Sometimes insurance is requested but that is usually more if entering marinas..........though i have heard Greece has made it compulsory for qualification/experience certificates

[lesterbutch]

Be advised, doucument everything you do on
The way to certification. I didn't and really had
a tough time when I started the licensing
process. It took me nearly two years to gather
the verification needed to get my 1600 ton
license.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by lesterbutch

Be advised, doucument everything you do on
The way to certification. I didn't and really had
a tough time when I started the licensing
process. It took me nearly two years to gather
the verification needed to get my 1600 ton
license.

I had 28 years of Sea Time to document when I decided to get a license. Fortunately it was mostly on boats I'd owned, but not always easy to find the information on a boat you sold 25 years earlier.

Look carefully at the USCG form that was linked to above. Some of that information and getting the time attested to can be a challenge, but it's all worth it.

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by Sailor_Al

I'm realizing That maybe I should be keeping a log of experience at sea. It may be helpful as I volunteer as crew, purchase boat insurance, and maybe apply for a six pack license. The biggest issue would be to save a few bucks on insurance.

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks

A Power Squadron course would achieve the same amount of savings on insurance and cost a whole lot less.

[Capt Phil]

Before I was certified wth the US Coast Guard, almost all my sea time was aboard foreign flagged vessels in Canada. I had made 2 trips from Vancouver Island to Hawaii aboard racing sailboats but the rest of my sea time was aboard commercial towboats and fishing boats. I asked my skipper under who I worked to write a letter for me and also Nelson Bros. Fisheries to attest to the fact that I had skippered one of their seine boats for 6 years... total time at sea was around 18 years.
I received a letter back from the USCG telling me that I could sit for the 100 ton .Master license and could petition for a 500 ton if I wanted to. This was around 1980...
Easy Peasy! Used my license for many years in my delivery business but let it lapse about 7 years ago when I retired.
I know that if I wanted to charter, I would need to rewrite the exam again but I think .I would just hire a skipper! Phil

[bvisailing32]

all I can present is how I did it. My personal experience.

In order to sit for the U.S.C.G Captains License ( merchant marine capt ) I had to have 720 days at sea documented time.

It took me five years working as a sailing, and motor vessel instructor, and taking out charters.

I renewed it every five years thru sea time and or testing. On the fifth issue The U.S.C.G. upgraded my license it to 500 tons ( limited to near coastal ). That was an adendum ( see revers) on the back of the 100 ton certificate.

I had all of my paper work in order, and my long list of the vessels that I had sailed as " Crew", I could not list them as captain .

Name of the vessel, type, CF or Documentaiion number, length of the vessel and area sailed.

Also, I had the endorsement of the Newport Sailing Club, and my own log book. They had all of my time on the computer .

Actual event at the U.S.C.G. testing office. The U.S.C.G. is a United States of America military organization. I was a veteran ( U.S Naval air-Vietnam) and understood military bearing. And, being 100% organized.

A showed up at the U.S.C.G testing office Long Beach, Calif. groomed, clean shaven, dressed in pressed pants and a shirt and nice sweater. I reported 15 minutes early just like you do when relieving a watch.

I was standing there, when a burly, unshaven , hair amess, and dirty clothes, applicant butted in line ahead of me. I kept my mouth shut.

The USCG Lt. asked him what he needed. He was there to take his captains test. The Lt took is paper work and looked up something in his own paperworkd and said "you are late ". Well the applicant made some excuse, that did not work.

the LT handed the applicant back his paper work and told him to call on the phone, and make another appointment.

Now , I walked up, the LT looked over my paper work, that was organized and had all of the required documentation, and said,

" You want to go for your 100 ton ? "

" Yes sir, I would. "

The testing began in another room. There are several different sections to the exam. You take the first section, 90% to pass. If you fail any section, you stop and return the next day. I just kept on going. l Most of the sections required a 90%, some were 70%. It took me all day to go through all of those sections, which do have time limits. If you fail the same section again, then you went home and studied up and could return in 30 days.

The next day, I came back for the Navigation part. 90% required to pass.
That took 3 hours. And you could not be more than a lead pencil point off.

Passed, and the Testing Office typed up my 1st issue of the 100 ton lic.

What really helped was not only my 5 yeas of experience and attaining those 720 days sea time, was attending a U.S.C.G License Preparitory Class.

Well, I thought I was pretty knowledgeable, but I learned so much in that class that was taught in an interesting and simple way, that I actually passed on that easy to learn knowledge to my students.

So, the above is actual fact of how I attained my license and continued on for 25 years.

It was necessary for me to work for compensation to have the U.S.C.G Captains License. All seven of our instructors went thru the same prep class and all passed the exams. We just happened to take them on different days.

As to the six pack, I have no idea as to if the test is the same as the 100 ton, but i took the testing very seriously, but also was excited about learning every thing that I could to be a professional capt, and impart that knowledge to our member / students.

Hope this helps.

[helise]

Originally Posted by Sailor_Al

I'm realizing That maybe I should be keeping a log of experience at sea. It may be helpful as I volunteer as crew, purchase boat insurance, and maybe apply for a six pack license. The biggest issue would be to save a few bucks on insurance.

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks

Hi!

The NEW YACHT LOGBOOK that has a sort of standard format for recording navigational activities and sailing experience. Furthermore, it is compulsory under SOLAS 2014, Regulation 28 on every vessel engaged on international voyages.

You may get it at USD38.00 per unit excluding postage from Info.marine@rocketmail.com or +6019-7990170. Its came with world distance table, distress signal, lights & shapes and many more.

REGULATION 28 - Records of navigational activities

SOLAS Chapter V – 1/7/02
All ships engaged on international voyages shall keep on board a record of navigational activities and incidents which are of importance to safety of navigation and which must contain sufficient detail to restore a complete record of the voyage, taking into account the recommendations adopted by the Organization. When such information is not maintained in the ship's log book, it shall be maintained in another form approved by the Administration.

[Acadia Traveler]

I know this is an old thread but I didnt want to start a new one. I am also working towards my six pack and got 28 days of sea time working on a tall ship schooner this summer. I have a letter for that but I also sailed my own boat in the early 90's from San Francisco to Maine through the canal. CG says I need to show proof of ownership, etc, After 25 years, a divorce, and countless moves I don't have any paperwork(asking the ex to look in her stuff). The boat was documented but I don't think it is anymore because I did a search by name on NOAA and nothing comes up. Any ideas on what to do?

Her name was Cirrus and she was a Hans Christian 38 built in 1981 if someone here knows of her.
Thanks!
John