Getting your Captains License....

[BennyV]

Since I just went through the entire process - twice - figured I’d create a post for anything and everything related to getting you captains license.

I have applied for and will be receiving my 100 gross tons, near coastal masters license with towing endorsement.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have and I’ll do my best to answer them

 

[MakoMike]

Congrats Benny!

 

[BennyV]

Congrats Benny!

Thank you sir!

 

[Capt Richie]

congrats Benny

so now that you have one ..do you this it should be required ?

 

[BennyV]

congrats Benny

so now that you have one ..do you this it should be required ?

Required for what? Running charters, etc?

 

[BoatGuy]

I was thinking of getting my Captains license. No specific reason . I don't plan to charter my 17 foot boat. I just thought it is always good to learn. But a local course was $750. That was more than I was willing to spend since cash is tight.

 

[NoFlukenName]

Congrats! What School did you go through? I got mine two years ago and man, was it stressful going through the courses and tests. Hadn't crammed that hard since college....

 

[Fluke Whisperer]

I got my 6 pack back in 1983, took my tests at Battery Park Coast Guard station.
I took my courses at Rye Sailing School of all Places.
The people behind the desk that handed out the test wouldn't even talk to you until you passed the rules of the road.
I took the rules of the road twice, the first time I missed by one question,after 5 yrs I was supposed to upgrade to 100 ton masters, but a near fatal accident put the screws to that, I just never went back and upgraded, thinking about doing it after this pandemic goes away, which may never happen, yea, the rules of the road is the hardest test and should be required by all boaters to learn, IMHO

 

[flounderbound]

Congrats,capt Benny. Now you can get a party boat. Capt. Benny V sounds good.

 

[BennyV]

I was thinking of getting my Captains license. No specific reason . I don't plan to charter my 17 foot boat. I just thought it is always good to learn. But a local course was $750. That was more than I was willing to spend since cash is tight.

The price is steep, but since I plan on working as a Captain throughout the year along with possibly doing some transports, I view it as an investment.

In years past the school I used, Nautical School in Lindenhurst, offered a discount at the NYC boat show. Hopefully one day we will have boat shows again.

 

[BennyV]

Congrats! What School did you go through? I got mine two years ago and man, was it stressful going through the courses and tests. Hadn't crammed that hard since college....

I used the Nautical School in Linderhurst, NY. Captain Bill & Janine were very helpful throughout the entire process. The class time and the course work was definitely a commitment, but my instructor made it easy to learn the content and better yet made is easy to remember.

 

[BennyV]

Congrats,capt Benny. Now you can get a party boat. Capt. Benny V sounds good.

Maybe some day Pete.

 

[Fluke Whisperer]

The price is steep, but since I plan on working as a Captain throughout the year along with possibly doing some transports, I view it as an investment.

In years past the school I used, Nautical School in Lindenhurst, offered a discount at the NYC boat show. Hopefully one day we will have boat shows again.

Wow, I remember it cost me 300$, they gave you several books, Rules of the road, Chapman Piloting Seamanship and Small Boat Handling, US Coast Piloting, Course plotting tools, of course learning to do dead reckoning, course over ground and how to use the loran interpolation on local charts, learning to read the weather, things sure have changed since then.

 

[Tigashrk]

Are you changing your name to Capt Benny V?

 

[BennyV]

Wow, I remember it cost me 300$, they gave you several books, Rules of the road, Chapman Piloting Seamanship and Small Boat Handling, US Coast Piloting, Course plotting tools, of course learning to do dead reckoning, course over ground and how to use the loran interpolation on local charts, learning to read the weather, things sure have changed since then.

Rules of the road and charting & plotting are the hardest part to get down. You can only get 5 wrong out of 50 on rules and 1 wrong out of 10 on charting and plotting. Deck general and navigation aren’t bad at all.

Cost all-in for me was around $1200-1500. That includes everything including the OUPV class and materials, masters upgrade, towing endorsement, parallel rulers, compass, medical physical, and drug test. Also, I paid the school to fill out my application and submit everything. My luck I’d forget to dot an i or cross a t and they’d deny my application. Worth the extra money IMHO.

 

[Tigashrk]

Benny how about the place that was doing the physicals, was it hard to get an appointment? My physical is coming up soon and I’m gonna go back there.

 

[jpd]

I have that Chapman Piloting monster book somewhere, they test you on all the towing light combos?
I'd have to have a cheatsheet in the pilothouse.

 

[BennyV]

Benny how about the place that was doing the physicals, was it hard to get an appointment? My physical is coming up soon and I’m gonna go back there.

Was pretty easy. Land, Sea, & Air in Lindenhurst. Just give them a call.

 

[BennyV]

I have that Chapman Piloting monster book somewhere, they test you on all the towing light combos?
I'd have to have a cheatsheet in the pilothouse.

Yes sir. All of the lights. I bought a cheat sheet that is like laminated on Amazon a few years back. I’ll probably always keep that with my licensing paperwork in my boat bag just in case.

 

[jpd]

Yes sir. All of the lights. I bought a cheat sheet that is like laminated on Amazon a few years back. I’ll probably always keep that with my licensing paperwork in my boat bag just in case.

Cool, I test my memory watching the ships and barges go up Narrangansett Bay to Providence.
It's bad.