Commercial License

[Xavierp]

Any of you able to take less than 6 paid passengers on your sailboat for short cruises?
I started a search with the ISCG but they kept sending me from one link to the other and in the end I was completely lost.
All I got from was that I need the OUPV…
But how / where do I take the test?
How / what do I study?….

Any info appreciated!!

Thx

[flee27]

Google OUPV (six pack) license and you will get many options. You can self study, validate you requirements, then test through a testing center or you can pay a company that will hold classes, provide study material, and provide testing and a package. The study can be done online or in person depending on the class structure you want.

Good luck
Foster

[capt jgw]

I taught the OUPV/Master courses for 20 years. It's about $1000 but nearly everyone passes. You can go to a USCG REC center and take the exams yourself, but very few people pass on their first try. Application fee to the CG was $150 last time I checked, and you need to add a physical, drug test, and First Aid/CPR class. Hardest part for many is documenting the sea time required.

[Xavierp]

Originally Posted by capt jgw

I taught the OUPV/Master courses for 20 years. It's about $1000 but nearly everyone passes. You can go to a USCG REC center and take the exams yourself, but very few people pass on their first try. Application fee to the CG was $150 last time I checked, and you need to add a physical, drug test, and First Aid/CPR class. Hardest part for many is documenting the sea time required.

Fantastic info!!
I see a lot of private companies offering to prep for the exam
Do you have any recommendations ?
BYW I am in Milwaukee

[Xavierp]

Originally Posted by flee27

Google OUPV (six pack) license and you will get many options. You can self study, validate you requirements, then test through a testing center or you can pay a company that will hold classes, provide study material, and provide testing and a package. The study can be done online or in person depending on the class structure you want.

Good luck
Foster

Thx Foster!
Do you have any recommendations as far as training programs or facilities?

[capt jgw]

The two schools I did classroom for are no longer in business. If you want to do the at home online version Mariners Learning System is pretty good. I proctored their live exams and the test score averages were very high, like 98%. Much higher than the classroom scores. But I have no idea how many bought the course and didn't stick it out to the test. They now do the final exams online too.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Xavierp

A
All I got from was that I need the OUPV…
But how / where do I take the test?
How / what do I study?….

Originally Posted by capt jgw

Hardest part for many is documenting the sea time required.

Look at sea time requirements first, then how you'll document your times.

Then maybe wait 'til you're close to meeting sea time requirements -- if you're not already there yet -- before you spend money on classes.

-Chris

[psk125]

If you want to take passengers out for hire don't forget that you will also need liability insurance. The cost for this is a big reason that more people don't do this with their boats.

[BigBoater917]

Originally Posted by psk125

If you want to take passengers out for hire don't forget that you will also need liability insurance. The cost for this is a big reason that more people don't do this with their boats.

This along with having your vessel inspected.





The National Maritime Center has a list of all the approved providers for courses.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by BigBoater917

This along with having your vessel inspected.

You won't necessarily have to get the boat inspected. There are some additional equipment requirements for Uninspected Vessels but the CG does not check that you complied. They are, after all, "uninspected". If you had an incident and were found to not be in compliance however, you could be in deep doo-doo. The state of Michigan, and maybe others, do require the boat to be inspected by the DNR and their requirements are way more stringent than the Federal.

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by BigBoater917

This along with having your vessel inspected.

Fortunately, there is no USCG requirement for inspections for vessels Captained by holders of the OUPV (Operator of Unispected Passenger Vessel) license. It is usually practically impossible, and always uneconomical, to pass a passenger vessel inspection with a vessel that was not specifically designed and built to those standards.

There are various local requirements, but those are usually quite easily met.