Boat Captain Certification
A boat that carries paying passengers in American waters must be commanded by an operator or "captain" licensed by the United States Coast Guard. The entry level of professional marine certification is the six-passenger license. To qualify, you must meet age, health and identification requirements, document experience on board and pass a written examination.
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Qualification
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A trip on a small boat like this counts toward your experience requirement. You must gather recent documentation that proves you have 360 days' experience in deck service working on boats in operation. Legal copies of log entries, certificates or letters from owners or captains of the vessels will be accepted.
Getting Started
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Certification for all maritime licenses is administered by the National Maritime Center. You can find Regional Examination Centers at 17 locations around the country (see Resources).
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The Checklist
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To qualify to take the examination you must be at least age 18, pass a physical exam and drug test, and submit three letters of recommendation along with documentation of your sea service. You must also document CPR and first aid training (see Resources).
TWIC
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You must prove your identity and be fingerprinted. If you have a Transport Workers Identification Card (TWIC), that document will be accepted to satisfy the identity and fingerprint requirements. If you do not have this document, you will be required to visit the Regional Examination Center for processing.
The Examination
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A successful score on the written exam will demonstrate competence. The 120-question written examination is administered by appointment at the nearest Regional Examination Center (REC). You will be required to demonstrate your knowledge of Rules of the Road, navigation, safety and environmental controls, then solve a series of chart plotting problems.
Medical Certificate
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You may be denied certification if you have heart disease, diabetes, psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea or if you are a chronic drug user. For details of medical and drug testing required of all candidates, see Resources.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit speed on the water image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com speed boat image by Wimbledon from Fotolia.com Thumb Print image by Andrew Brown from Fotolia.com taking test image by Petro Feketa from Fotolia.com
