captain's license reading material

[Sunspot Baby]

Getting Your Captain License and Chapman's do cover it all. The disk that comes with GYCL has all the USCG questions in it and you can take sample tests endlessly.

A school that test is easier because they don't get into some of the arcane stuff that can be on the USCG test like knowing what the upper tween deck is.

If you know everything in Chapman's then you know everything needed for the test with exception of plotting, an area hard for some, easy for others.

George

[ess105]

Originally Posted by Reality Check

You may want to get copies of the CG-7195 form and start pulling your data together as you do it. More info is required if your sea time is on a boat not owned by you.

I am and have been logging my sea time. However, I may not be collecting the correct data. Can you tell me about the CG-7195 form? Is this some form of log template? If so - could someone send/upload a scan?

[Sunspot Baby]

You can get copies of all forms on USCG web site.

USCG National Maritime Center

George

[GordMay]

Small Vessel Sea Service Form CG-7195:
http://www.uscg.mil/forms/cg/CG_719S.pdf

From The USCG Licensing Application and Form Downloads:
USCG National Maritime Center - Licensing Application & Form Downloads

[JusDreaming]

' NavRules for Windows ' in Lifestyle/Hobbies > Sports > Boating folder is a good program

[cptnandy]

"The Map work is generally the most difficult and don't be too surprised if some are a bit tricky."

FAILED... if you called them maps you would have been kicked out of my class. charts and maps are not the same thing

[Roy M]

I've had my license for over twenty years, now. Because I don't log enough sea time or do enough deliveries, I take "Deck Officer refresher courses" every five years to renew the licenses. The first time I took my entrance exam, it was scheduled to last over two days at the Coast Guard center in Long Beach. Because I had paid my money and taken the initial prep course, I learned the material in a manner that allowed me to sit down at 8 A.M., and leave by 10 A.M., having passed every part of the exam with high grades.

The Coast Guard exam, like most professional exams, is designed to trip folks up and has, often, little to do with the real world. Professional schools are alert to that and teach you to pass the exam, the first time, with minimal frustration. So, my point is this: How valuable do you rate your time? If you take a course from a professional school, you will be taught how to pass the exam, period. You will attend classes where you will be taught the answers to the exam. You will also become a better skipper in the process, but that is only a benefit. You will spend some money, get the license you are most qualified for, and then you can upgrade in the future by taking more classes. After you look at the hours and dollars, you will easily observe that this was the most cost effective and satisfying solution to your objective. Then you can get back to work making bucks to pay for your training. And you can deduct those costs on your income tax. And best of all, you will have your license sooner than if you had tried to "beat the system".

Remember that many people view their licenses as something which renders them god-like. It's merely a preliminary exercise to weed out the folks who can't take examinations. Your capacity as a captain takes much more than learning how to answer a test question. But you have to have the license, first. Take the courses.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by Roy M

Remember that many people view their licenses as something which renders them god-like. It's merely a preliminary exercise to weed out the folks who can't take examinations. Your capacity as a captain takes much more than learning how to answer a test question. But you have to have the license, first. Take the courses.

This conversation ha quickly fallen apart into people trying to convince me to take the course which, I must not have made clear, is what I've always intended to do. I just don't have the sea time yet to take the course and the test. My intention was to ask about what reading resources are available in order to get a head start on the test, not to bypass it. Thank you guys very much for all of your help and advice though it has been very informative.

[Roy M]

Sorry, my bad. I wasn't paying attention to what you were actually saying. In light of what you have just reminded us of, why not go visit Mariner's License Preparation School on Rosecrans, in Point Loma. They are one of the best outfits in this type of training (I went there twenty some years ago, and have taken several refresher and radar course from them). They can help you document your sea time (for 6-pack or for higher classifications) and give you clearer advice on what to study in advance, so as to use your time best and ensure your success.

[unbusted67]

No worries I do the same thing myself all the time. I will look into that link.
Thank you.