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Old 19-01-2022, 11:47   #1
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Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

In 7 years, My end goal is to own & captain a 4 cabin 4 head boat 40 to 50 feet long. Where I can rent out to 3 other couples & sail to Europe or in bvi or Australia or coast of Florida or Hawaii or.... Or do I need to stay in one area/country to keep the red tape from getting out of control?

I live by a marina two blocks away on the Illinois river.

Would getting my captain's license now help later for licensing/insurance for bigger boat Bluewater/coastal?

I could pick up a cheap sail boat here. & think marina fee is around $1,000 & state of Illinois would want its cut of course. & then insurance.

For licensing would a certain size boat count better towards license for 40 to 50 foot?

What licenses would I need? Multiple people said a 6 pack will not suffice.

Fishing/ snorkeling/ going to beach is what i really enjoy. Illinois River isn't most ideal for these.

I don't really want to spend money unless it has potential to make me money.
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Old 19-01-2022, 12:19   #2
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

Ok you need to think. Do you want the lifestyle? Do you want high profits? You could become an IT security specialist that allows you remote work in many places and pays very well dependent on ability and skill. Or you can run charters that sustain your desired lifestyle of living on a boat providing hospitality. Providing hospitality on a charted cruise boat requires more than certificates and legal licences. It involves a personality style that fit's that career choice. If you're chasing the money it will not be a good choice. If you're chasing the lifestyle it is something to consider.

Many of us have brainstormed this idea decades before you. It's not impossible but it does take more than certs. It takes a specific personality and attitude to create a successful business. And it has never been an ultra lucrative business.
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Old 19-01-2022, 12:54   #3
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

I'll leave the whole "Why would you want to do this" questions to others.



6-pack = 6 or less passengers for hire. 3 couples = 6 people so 6-pack should be good for your plan. Size doesn't really matter for what you intend. Get any boat, get your time, get your license.
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Old 19-01-2022, 13:14   #4
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

A 6-pack will not cut it for any underwriters that I know of for what you want to do.

Please identify boat models in the size range you describe with 4 cabins (bedrooms ? ) and 4 heads.
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Old 19-01-2022, 13:19   #5
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

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Ok you need to think. Do you want the lifestyle? Do you want high profits? You could become an IT security specialist that allows you remote work in many places and pays very well dependent on ability and skill. Or you can run charters that sustain your desired lifestyle of living on a boat providing hospitality. Providing hospitality on a charted cruise boat requires more than certificates and legal licences. It involves a personality style that fit's that career choice. If you're chasing the money it will not be a good choice. If you're chasing the lifestyle it is something to consider.

Many of us have brainstormed this idea decades before you. It's not impossible but it does take more than certs. It takes a specific personality and attitude to create a successful business. And it has never been an ultra lucrative business.
I've successfully had awesome people rent out rooms in my house for past 14 years on a more month to month basis. Just about Any of them I'd be glad to have back & they would be glad to let me crash at their place if I was traveling by them. & stay in touch with many of them. Might be my 1st customers to charter with me. I work in a service industry. Working with some drunk people. Side note & walking through some of these ports & dealing with drunks at work I've considered taking some karate classes. Altho my verbal self defense isn't bad.

I don't care if it's that lucrative. BUT i don't want to pay to work either. Been there done that on past business ventures. I do want to enjoy the journey. & if it ends up just my gf n I enjoying living on a sailboat with lots of bathroom choices after we go snorkeling I'm good with that & we should be financially set up to do that with some planning & hard work over next 7 years. Where I'm not worried telling someone that i don't think I'm the right charter for them. Aka I'm not gonna enjoy being on a boat with them. Which I've done with some past potential renters.

So i gotta figure out licensing & if i want to own a sailboat on the Illinois river. One guy was doing sunset cruises here & was pretty booked until he had some health issues. I'll maybe approach him.

Although definitely I'll have to work very hard to become an extremely safe disciplined sailor. So maybe there's my answer that a sailboat two blocks away is a good idea even though it will cash flow negatively. But still need to plan for licensing on a 50 foot charter boat. & maybe licensing now for sunset cruises. Or maybe another market of weekend sailboat trips for people.
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Old 19-01-2022, 13:22   #6
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

I just read your previous posts.
I retract any comments.
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Old 19-01-2022, 13:34   #7
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

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A 6-pack will not cut it for any underwriters that I know of for what you want to do.

Please identify boat models in the size range you describe with 4 cabins (bedrooms ? ) and 4 heads.
Working on identifying that here:
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ds-259991.html

So far catamaran:
Lagoon (some issues with it being french built for jones act or something)

There are 3 head 3 cabin 2010 Jeanneau 44is out there (I have one and love it), and the 4 cabin 2 head versions from charter service. Cheers

Beneteau Oceanis 50 'Family

Named ‘Best Charter Boat’ in Cruising World’s 2017 ‘Boat of the Year’ competition, a Crewed charter aboard The Moorings 4500 takes first-class travel to the next level, with the added luxury of a dedicated 5-Star Crew at your service.

So those are ones so far. Appreciate Any others might be worth investigating.
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Old 19-01-2022, 13:45   #8
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

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I just read your previous posts.
I retract any comments.
Appreciate any input. I'm pretty ignorant right now. Lots of black space. Trying to get myself oriented.
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Old 19-01-2022, 14:07   #9
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

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Originally Posted by tennis4789 View Post
Appreciate any input. I'm pretty ignorant right now. Lots of black space. Trying to get myself oriented.
Have you done any cruising ?
Have you owned a cruising boat
When your engine overheats can you diagnose and repair ? Can you tell if its the raw water or engine side ?
When a damperplate breaks can you replace it ?
When your alternator melts do you have a replacement onboard and can you replace it ?
When your primary and secondary clog can you deal with it ?
When your sail drive corrodes can you deal with it ?
Do you know the difference between galvanic corrosion and stray current corrosion and how to address either one.

These are things that cruisers deal with on a routine basis and untill ytou have a thorough understanding of marine electrical and mechanical systems ... well I'd suggest you are starting at the wrong end of the spectrum.

Learn this stuff first ... Marine Survey 101, pre-survey inspection
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Old 19-01-2022, 14:42   #10
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

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Originally Posted by tennis4789 View Post
In 7 years, My end goal is to own & captain a 4 cabin 4 head boat 40 to 50 feet long. Where I can rent out to 3 other couples & sail to Europe or in bvi or Australia or coast of Florida or Hawaii or.... Or do I need to stay in one area/country to keep the red tape from getting out of control?

I live by a marina two blocks away on the Illinois river.

Would getting my captain's license now help later for licensing/insurance for bigger boat Bluewater/coastal?

I could pick up a cheap sail boat here. & think marina fee is around $1,000 & state of Illinois would want its cut of course. & then insurance.

For licensing would a certain size boat count better towards license for 40 to 50 foot?

What licenses would I need? Multiple people said a 6 pack will not suffice.

Fishing/ snorkeling/ going to beach is what i really enjoy. Illinois River isn't most ideal for these.

I don't really want to spend money unless it has potential to make me money.
Right now you have a Dream. Not a plan. Nothing wrong with dreaming, if you want to turn your dream from a wish to a realistic plan.

You need to figure out what a 6 pack will allow you to do.
Then come up with a plan which can be fulfilled with a 6 pack.
Then decide if going to the effort of getting a 6 pack is worth your time and effort. (I would suggest it is, there are lots of options on how to use)
The sooner you start the better, you will need 365 days of recorded time. Which will take a while to get. You may have some already.

So part 1 how do you get a 6 pack.

Can a small owner operator charter boat work, It’s not easy but some people do it.
I left it at the Dream stage, I found it would require way more work and commitments than I wanted to make. I also figured the chances of success were not high.
I modified my dream to working as a sailing instructor, I found it quite enjoyable as a recreational pursuit but not lucrative enough to make a living. It was fun though. And I got to sail some nice boats.

Next part, where, your American so Florida and Hawaii are both possible. For you. You will need a minimum of the 6 pack. For local domestic charters.

Next part. You also need to have a boat certified and insured for the commercial voyage you intend to take.
Once you get into further distances, this gets a lot more stringent. So getting yourself and a boat certified to sail offshore for commercial voyage not easy.

But chartering a 40 ft boat locally quite plausible. Not easy either but plausible.

As for exotic locations, most have their own rules for who can operate a charter boat in their waters, so not just qualifications you will also need work permits.

You can do international charters, again you need to figure out what qualifications you will require and what sort of boat you will need to be able to do international voyages.

Good luck with your dreams.
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Old 19-01-2022, 15:12   #11
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

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Right now you have a Dream. Not a plan. Nothing wrong with dreaming, if you want to turn your dream from a wish to a realistic plan.

You need to figure out what a 6 pack will allow you to do.
Then come up with a plan which can be fulfilled with a 6 pack.
Then decide if going to the effort of getting a 6 pack is worth your time and effort. (I would suggest it is, there are lots of options on how to use)
The sooner you start the better, you will need 365 days of recorded time. Which will take a while to get. You may have some already.

So part 1 how do you get a 6 pack.

Can a small owner operator charter boat work, It’s not easy but some people do it.
I left it at the Dream stage, I found it would require way more work and commitments than I wanted to make. I also figured the chances of success were not high.
I modified my dream to working as a sailing instructor, I found it quite enjoyable as a recreational pursuit but not lucrative enough to make a living. It was fun though. And I got to sail some nice boats.

Next part, where, your American so Florida and Hawaii are both possible. For you. You will need a minimum of the 6 pack. For local domestic charters.

Next part. You also need to have a boat certified and insured for the commercial voyage you intend to take.
Once you get into further distances, this gets a lot more stringent. So getting yourself and a boat certified to sail offshore for commercial voyage not easy.

But chartering a 40 ft boat locally quite plausible. Not easy either but plausible.

As for exotic locations, most have their own rules for who can operate a charter boat in their waters, so not just qualifications you will also need work permits.

You can do international charters, again you need to figure out what qualifications you will require and what sort of boat you will need to be able to do international voyages.

Good luck with your dreams.
Thank you.

Plans are dreams with a time-line?
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Old 19-01-2022, 15:21   #12
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

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Originally Posted by boatpoker View Post
Have you done any cruising ?
Have you owned a cruising boat
When your engine overheats can you diagnose and repair ? Can you tell if its the raw water or engine side ?
When a damperplate breaks can you replace it ?
When your alternator melts do you have a replacement onboard and can you replace it ?
When your primary and secondary clog can you deal with it ?
When your sail drive corrodes can you deal with it ?
Do you know the difference between galvanic corrosion and stray current corrosion and how to address either one.

These are things that cruisers deal with on a routine basis and untill ytou have a thorough understanding of marine electrical and mechanical systems ... well I'd suggest you are starting at the wrong end of the spectrum.

Learn this stuff first ... Marine Survey 101, pre-survey inspection
Thanks. I'll have to give the link a read through.

Maybe I'll go talk to the marina about a part time job. Half joking half serious.

No cruising. 3 houseboat trips. 4 ocean ncl cruises. Lots & lots of fishing using relatives boats. Couple times intentionally flipping over sunfish sailboat as a teenager. Soloed in gliders & single engine cessna. 4 f16 rides do the sailboats go faster than f16s? Ha.

Yep lots to think about.
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Old 20-01-2022, 05:18   #13
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tennis4789 View Post
In 7 years, My end goal is to own & captain a 4 cabin 4 head boat 40 to 50 feet long. Where I can rent out to 3 other couples & sail to Europe or in bvi or Australia or coast of Florida or Hawaii or.... Or do I need to stay in one area/country to keep the red tape from getting out of control?

I live by a marina two blocks away on the Illinois river.

Would getting my captain's license now help later for licensing/insurance for bigger boat Bluewater/coastal?

I could pick up a cheap sail boat here. & think marina fee is around $1,000 & state of Illinois would want its cut of course. & then insurance.

For licensing would a certain size boat count better towards license for 40 to 50 foot?

What licenses would I need? Multiple people said a 6 pack will not suffice.
6-Pack may be OK for U.S. operations, assuming you follow those rules. I saw where others elsewhere said you'd need more than a 6-Pack for international operations or for operations in another country.

Anyway, see here for USCG licensing: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/national_maritime_center/

Note specifically it takes more than just sitting a test or four; documented hours at sea are required (minimums vary for 6-Pack vs tonnage, and for inland vs near coastal vs open ocean).

Local jurisdictions in the U.S. usually impose some additional business licensing requirements. In our case, one of those controlled by our State Dept. of Natural Resources... so for fishing charters (for example) we need an additional DNR registration/license over and above the USCG credential. And then I also need a state "Fishing Guide" license, also issued by our DNR (and that optionally addresses some issues about fish and seafood processing and sales).

(Also, for parties above 6 pax, the boat itself must be "inspected" too. That's a whole additional topic.)

Insurance requirements and costs are higher than it would be for private ownership with no chartering involved.

Look up stuff about the Jones Act. Has to do with foreign built vessels versus operations within the U.S. Mostly you can't operate commercially from U.S. port to U.S. port with a foreign built vessel unless you apply for an get a Jones Act waiver. Reading suggests that not impossible, but it's another hurdle you'll need to consider.

I dunno about foreign operations, but I can imagine having to multiply all that above by the number of different countries you envision operating in. Under their laws, not U.S. law.

Boatpoker offers some typical examples, but the shorter version is that you will likely need to repair, service, or replace something EVERY DAY. (A bit of hyperbole there, but not much.)

-Chris
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Old 20-01-2022, 06:07   #14
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

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Originally Posted by boatpoker View Post
Have you done any cruising ?
Have you owned a cruising boat
When your engine overheats can you diagnose and repair ? Can you tell if its the raw water or engine side ?
When a damperplate breaks can you replace it ?
When your alternator melts do you have a replacement onboard and can you replace it ?
When your primary and secondary clog can you deal with it ?
When your sail drive corrodes can you deal with it ?
Do you know the difference between galvanic corrosion and stray current corrosion and how to address either one.

These are things that cruisers deal with on a routine basis and untill ytou have a thorough understanding of marine electrical and mechanical systems ... well I'd suggest you are starting at the wrong end of the spectrum.

Learn this stuff first ... Marine Survey 101, pre-survey inspection
daaang you giving me useful detailed information to read! how dare you? thank you. switched over to my kindle to read your article. i didn't realize how much more to check out on a sail boat. i was thinking's it wouldn't be a ton more than a 18 foot freshwater boat.

i started my current job about 10 years ago. I had a background in what I do. & kind of arrogantly thought that i could do it without much training. i definitely needed the training.

i probably need to backup & listen more to advice given on here.
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Old 20-01-2022, 07:39   #15
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Re: Get 6 pack license now on river be advantageous for ocean charter captain.

Maybe look to see what licensing charter companies require and work for them first.
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