How does logging work? (for certification)

[jsc7]

I have read that the requirements for various US maritime licenses include experience. For example, the Master Near Coastal license requires "720 days underway experience". I presume that the applicant demonstrates this experience with logs of some kind.

(1) Does this experience need to be on a commercial vessel, or does the sailor need to be working commercially for these days to count?

(2) What is the process for logging "days"?

(3) Does the vessel have to be of a certain size or type to qualify? Can the applicant just go out for an afternoon in a skiff and log that as a "day of experience"?

[s/vPainkiller]

There is a USCG form that you complete to document your sea time. Separate form for each vessel. You can self-certify if it's your boat. Otherwise it needs to be signed by the Master/Owner of the vessel.


Experience does not need to be commercial. It can be recreational use on your own boat. I think 4 hours underway constitutes 1 day. Sitting at the dock does not. As far as I know there is no minimum size boat, but the type of license you get will be determined by the size (tonnage) and where your experience is - inland, near coastal, offshore, etc.


Hope this helps.
Scott

[Scot McPherson]

go to
www.uscg.mil/nmc


for requirements


Boats can be almost any boat. You fill out and sign Sea Service from the website above.


If you own the boat (you are self attesting) and need to have proof of ownership of said vessel for the timeframe claiming.
If the boat you are claiming time on is owned by someone else, that person needs to sign your sea service form attesting that it is true and accurate.
If you work for a company and are crewing commercially, a letter with company letterhead stating the nature and duration of your service is what the coast guard wants to see, but they'll accept the sea service form so long as the boats in question are less than 200 Gross Register Tons.


Don't go for the near coastal right away...You are going to find it's hard enough to back track all your time on a boat for 360 days let alone the 720 requirement for the NC. The Inland only requires 360 days and is good enough for nearly all uses unless you want to go passage making with paying passengers. However once you have your inland license, you have what you need to upgrade to near coastal in a year or two anyway, so that shouldn't be a big deal.

[Scot McPherson]

Originally Posted by s/vPainkiller

There is a USCG form that you complete to document your sea time. Separate form for each vessel. You can self-certify if it's your boat. Otherwise it needs to be signed by the Master/Owner of the vessel.


Experience does not need to be commercial. It can be recreational use on your own boat. I think 4 hours underway constitutes 1 day. Sitting at the dock does not. As far as I know there is no minimum size boat, but the type of license you get will be determined by the size (tonnage) and where your experience is - inland, near coastal, offshore, etc.


Hope this helps.
Scott

Size does matter to some degree...obviously bigger boats qualify you for greater tonnage license, but there are minimums. Unfortunately it at the discretion of the Coast Guard Commander at your regional exam center that decides what is the minimum size or type boat accepted, so you can't reliable find out what is the minimum accepted standard. Currently (but perhaps not anymore) if you send your application to Boston, you can even claim Kayaks and Canoes, but you will only receive a maximum credit of 90 days and all of that credit may only be used for inshore time claimed (wont count for near coastal). They really want to see experience on motorized vessels that actually need to be navigated and need to follow the rules of the road before issuing a license.

[Ivansgarage]

And if you try and BS the Coast Gaurd This could happen.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...1&d=1492793528

[jmschmidt]

Use Sea Service Form (CG - 719S). A “sea day” is defined as 4 hours continuously underway. Don’t go for two hours, anchor for lunch, and then go for another two hours, none of it will count. A “sea day” is also defined as within the same calendar day. If you depart at 22:00 hrs. Monday and complete your voyage at 02:00 hrs. Tuesday it generally will not count either. There is an excepting for commercial voyages over six hours spanning two calendar days which allows one sea day to be logged.

Sea service on any vessel, commercial or recreational, will count as long as it meets the above requirements. Row boats, kayaks and canoes (human powered) generally don’t count even though they may be considered “powered vessels” for Rules of the Road purposes. Strap an outboard motor on to your canoe and motor around for four hours each day for 360 or 720 day and you’ve got it. Don’t LOL, I’ve hear it’s been done.

The Sea Service forms must be sign by the vessel owner, captain or other authorized person connected with the vessel or its owner. Years ago they had to be notarized but no more, it’s the honor system. I go to the USCG Vessel Documentation Center website and look up the vessel by name (only US documented vessels) or Official Number. That record will show who owns the vessel, their address and data about it, including Gross Registered Tonnage for you license up-grade. I select “print preview” on the web page with the information on screen, print it out and affix it to each copy of the Sea Service form I’m going to submit to the USCG. Sea days on any vessel, foreign or USCG documented, state registered or not registered at all are usable if supported by complete information.

I don’t know about the “inland water” endorsement but if you can’t get to 720 sea days but can come up with 360, or will soon, go for the 6-Pack. You can go offshore with that and the training at an approved licensing school is exactly the same as all designations from 6-Pack up to 100 ton master. Another little known fact: Any Merchant Mariner license under 100 tons is automatically good for 6-Pack type operations on a vessel up to 100 tons as long as there are no more than 6 people onboard and there is no cargo being carried for hire. The 6-Pack license itself is no good for carrying cargo only people.

[Scot McPherson]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Use Sea Service Form (CG - 719S). A “sea day” is defined as 4 hours continuously underway. Don’t go for two hours, anchor for lunch, and then go for another two hours, none of it will count. A “sea day” is also defined as within the same calendar day. If you depart at 22:00 hrs. Monday and complete your voyage at 02:00 hrs. Tuesday it generally will not count either. There is an excepting for commercial voyages over six hours spanning two calendar days which allows one sea day to be logged.

Sea service on any vessel, commercial or recreational, will count as long as it meets the above requirements. Row boats, kayaks and canoes (human powered) generally don’t count even though they may be considered “powered vessels” for Rules of the Road purposes. Strap an outboard motor on to your canoe and motor around for four hours each day for 360 or 720 day and you’ve got it. Don’t LOL, I’ve hear it’s been done.

The Sea Service forms must be sign by the vessel owner, captain or other authorized person connected with the vessel or its owner. Years ago they had to be notarized but no more, it’s the honor system. I go to the USCG Vessel Documentation Center website and look up the vessel by name (only US documented vessels) or Official Number. That record will show who owns the vessel, their address and data about it, including Gross Registered Tonnage for you license up-grade. I select “print preview” on the web page with the information on screen, print it out and affix it to each copy of the Sea Service form I’m going to submit to the USCG. Sea days on any vessel, foreign or USCG documented, state registered or not registered at all are usable if supported by complete information.

I don’t know about the “inland water” endorsement but if you can’t get to 720 sea days but can come up with 360, or will soon, go for the 6-Pack. You can go offshore with that and the training at an approved licensing school is exactly the same as all designations from 6-Pack up to 100 ton master. Another little known fact: Any Merchant Mariner license under 100 tons is automatically good for 6-Pack type operations on a vessel up to 100 tons as long as there are no more than 6 people onboard and there is no cargo being carried for hire. The 6-Pack license itself is no good for carrying cargo only people.

Inland is just a limitation of how far out you may go out in the water as a skipper for hire.

Great Lakes being a special grouping that allows time to count towards service other than inland.

Inland > Near Coastal > Upon Oceans

Any by the way, boston currently does accept kayaks and canoes and rowboats, but only to a maximum of 90 days of credit in inland waters.

[Stumble]

Jim,

You are correct but...

Most examiners are far more liberal when the license you are going after is a small tonnage inshore than a larger vessel offshore. This isn't official policy to th best of my knowledge, but the general sense from speaking with examiners is that sea time for a six pack is pretty much just accepted as written, and it isn't until you get to a 100 ton or offshore whichever comes first that anyone really cares.

At least for mine they didn't even look at the numbe of days I had, the only thing they cared about was enough time on a vessel of appropriate size.

[zstine]

I'm going to be bareboat chartering. The charter company does not own the boat and the owner is not available. Is there an excepted method/person to log my time while chartering?
thanks

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by zstine

I'm going to be bareboat chartering. The charter company does not own the boat and the owner is not available. Is there an excepted method/person to log my time while chartering?
thanks

Yes. Most charter companies, in fact, are familiar with this issue and will know exactly who to point you to. It is, essentially, the person at the charter base who is ultimately responsible the boats. For USCG purposes, that person is considered the "master" of the boats.