Which license course is right for me?
What does the two-week course qualify me for?
Can I schedule a class at my location?
After I successfully complete the course, how long do I have to submit my license
application with my course certificate to the Regional Exam Center (REC)?
What subjects are included in the OUPV and Masters course?
How long is my license valid after issued?
How is sea time calculated?
Which license course is right for me?
If you qualify for the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) license, you will qualify for the Master’s level license!
The sea time requirements are defined in the Combined Federal Regulations (Title 46: 11.422). (e) “When the qualifying service is obtained upon vessels of five gross tons or less, the officer endorsement will be limited to vessels of not more than 25 gross tons. The tonnage level of your license will be determined by your sea service history. Your Masters license will be 25, 50, or 100 gross tons.”
Why limit yourself to the OUPV, only allowed to carry six passengers?
You earned it. Take advantage of your sea time and experience.
What does the two-week course qualify me for?
Upon successfully completing TSO’s USCG approved course of instruction, you will have completed the written examination requirements for:
Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels
or
Master of Vessels of not more than 100 Gross Registered Tons
Note: Depending on the location of sea service, license will be for one of the following routes: Great Lakes and Inland or Near Costal.
Can I schedule a class at my location?
Yes, TSO’s mobile training teams (MTTs) can accommodate your training requirements, conducting a class when and where you require. Please contact us for further information.
After I successfully complete the course, how long do I have to submit my license application with my course certificate to the Regional Exam Center (REC)?
Your Certificate of Training must be presented at a Regional Exam Center within one year of the completion of training, to satisfy the examination requirements of 46 CFR 10.207 for a license from OUPV to Master of Not More Than 100 Gross Tons all routes.
What subjects are included in the OUPV and Masters course?
- Rules of the Road
- Basic Navigation, including Chart Plotting and Publications
- General Deck Seamanship and Safety
- USCG Required Exams
- General – covers the basic rules, definitions and fog signals for both International and Inland Rules
- Lights and Shapes – covers lighting configurations as well as the day shapes required to be displayed on certain vessels.
- Steering and Sailing Rules and miscellaneous topics – this section covers the rules concerning meeting, crossing and overtaking situations and the sound signals associated with each as well as the hierarchy and penalty provisions associated with rule violations.
- Working with Time, Speed, Distance
- Chart Interpretation
- Navigation Publications
- Notice to Mariners
- Aids to Navigation
- Fixing Vessel Position – Visual and Electronic
- Calculating Tide and Currents
- Practical Plotting Exercises
General Subjects Covering Deck Seamanship and Safety
- Fire Prevention and Control
- National Maritime Law and Regulations including Pollution Prevention Regulations
- Basic Marlinespike Seamanship
- Onboard Emergency Procedures
- Radio Telephone Communications
Examinations
Four examinations are administered during the course. The examinations are similar in format and content to the examinations given at the US Coast Guard Regional Examination Centers (RECs) and are accepted by the U.S. Coast Guard in lieu of their exams.
The four exams, number of questions and minimum passing score are:
- Rules of the Road, 30 question, 90% required minimum passing.
- Navigation Plot, 10 question, 70% required minimum passing.
- Navigation General Topics, 20 questions, 70% required minimum passing.
- Deck Safety/General, 70 questions, 70% required minimum passing.
How long is my license valid after issued?
For first issuance of a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC): An original MMC is valid for a term of five years from the date of issuance.
How is sea time calculated?
To count your days of seagoing service accurately, you must understand that a “day” is defined in the regulations as “eight hours of Watch Standing or day-working not to include overtime.”
For vessels under 100 GRT:
- A day’s credit for less than eight hours, but in no case will the acceptable period be less than four hours.
- Thirty days are considered to be one month, and 12 of those thirty day months add up to one 360-day year on the Coast Guard’s calendar.
