6pak captain license

[chuckg5]

Does anyone know of a correspondence course that can be taken to get a 6pak captain's license? Any school in the USA?
thank you.

[Nathan West]

Try Seasources.net or google oupv (that's what the USCG calls a 6 pak license-stands for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel) but in any case you will have to go to the school or the Coast Guard to set for you test

[nolatom]

or you might just look for a test-prep book. That's all I did years ago for an Ocean Operator's license some years ago. Might save you some money.

[chuckg5]

Many thanks for the reply. I'll google oupv and look for a test-prep book to start this off.

[tommyt]

There might be a correspondence course available that I have not seen as yet. The course is quite detailed, including some difficult Nav work.You will have to pass the USCG test in one way or another. There are courses that are taught at different locations and the instructor is qualified to test as well.
In the Midwest you should go to www.CaptainBryan.com for information. I believe that Bryan will work with you until you pass the test if you are taking his course.
On the East Coast including Florida I know of www.MarinerSchool.com as an option.

Good Luck

[RyanC]

I was researching the same thing the other day... stumbled over this site...

http://www.coastalsailing.net/Featur...nsesTable.html

Provides some good detail, and links to US schools offering the class. Self study is great, class time is better. In the long run, what is 800 bucks anyways?

I do IT (tech), which as most know is plagued by certifications and schools offering them. The biggest problem is that most certs can be obtained through self-study and ready-prep quiz materials, enabling anyone to be certified in something they have no extenisive knowledge in or formal training. This should never be the case for licensed boating.

If I were you, I'd seek formal training - specifically geared to teaching you the information, not just passing the test. Otherwise you end up with something you know is just a piece of paper.

Good luck with whatever route you take.

Ryan

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by RyanC

I was researching the same thing the other day... stumbled over this site...

http://www.coastalsailing.net/Featur...nsesTable.html

Provides some good detail, and links to US schools offering the class. Self study is great, class time is better. In the long run, what is 800 bucks anyways?

I do IT (tech), which as most know is plagued by certifications and schools offering them. The biggest problem is that most certs can be obtained through self-study and ready-prep quiz materials, enabling anyone to be certified in something they have no extenisive knowledge in or formal training. This should never be the case for licensed boating.

If I were you, I'd seek formal training - specifically geared to teaching you the information, not just passing the test. Otherwise you end up with something you know is just a piece of paper.

Good luck with whatever route you take.

Ryan

Coastalboating.net is an excellent resource. I'd have to agree about the formal training vs. just pure test prep. When you're out on the water, the formal training is worth a lot more.

Like Ryan C, I too work in the IT field, and have seen more than my share of certified, but worthless, people...who don't have any real-world knowledge of how things work.

Having the theory is fine, but when the stuff hits the fan, the on-the-ground knowledge that you've learned through experience and formal training is worth a lot more, as the real world is generally not kind enough to throw you into a situation where the paper-knowledge is going to cut it—at least without you taking some serious lumps.

[chuckg5]

Thank you for the leads. I agree, experience on the ocean is what's needed. 30 years ago I lived on different sailboats an sailed inside an out up an down the East coast an all thru the Carribean.Then the wife had to go an become pregant- said it was my fault- an then wanted a nest on land.
Now I'm getting back to sailing an want to take people out on the boat an photo them at the wheel, I'll need this license- not my idea but the law's.

[nolatom]

Originally Posted by RyanC

I was researching the same thing the other day... stumbled over this site...

http://www.coastalsailing.net/Featur...nsesTable.html

Provides some good detail, and links to US schools offering the class. Self study is great, class time is better. In the long run, what is 800 bucks anyways?

I do IT (tech), which as most know is plagued by certifications and schools offering them. The biggest problem is that most certs can be obtained through self-study and ready-prep quiz materials, enabling anyone to be certified in something they have no extenisive knowledge in or formal training. This should never be the case for licensed boating.

If I were you, I'd seek formal training - specifically geared to teaching you the information, not just passing the test. Otherwise you end up with something you know is just a piece of paper.

Good luck with whatever route you take.

Ryan

I agree that a test-prep book shouldn't be used to pass a license test where the applicant is otherwise lacking in depth of experience or knowledge. But if the applicant already knows the material (and some do), then he/she just saved 800 bucks and a lot of time.

[Surfesq]

Hi Chuck. Even if you can read everything by correspondence, you will have certify that you have completed the requisite hours of sailing or piloting a boat. It doesn't sound like you have the hours just yet. Sorry dude.