Master, up to 100 or 200 Gross Registered Tons

Learn More About the Class

This USCG approved course serves in place of testing at the Coast Guard Regional Exam Center.  Upon successful completion, mariners qualify for near coastal or inland commercial captain's licenses up to 100 gross registered tons.  Topics include navigation, chart plotting, deck seamanship, deck safety, vessel administration, and rules of the road. 

​This course has three options: classroom, blended learning, or completely online.  The classroom version is 10 days in the classroom.  The blended learning version combines a week's worth of self-paced online instruction with 6 days in the classroom.  The online version is self-paced. For those who qualify for a 200-ton license, we have an extended module for that! 

Course Fast Facts:

• Cost: $475
• Length: 5 days for the blended version, 10 days for the full classroom version.
• Sea time required: 
  • Near coastal master: 720 days
  • Near coastal mate: 360 days
  • Inland master: 360 days
• Other requirements: Transportation worker card, medical exam, drug testing letter, CPR/First aid certification, USCG application.  

---

Assistance Towing or Sailing Endorsement

Set Up a Class Near You

These two USCG approved courses serve as endorsements to your captain's license.  The Commercial Assistance Towing endorsement authorizes you to conduct assistance towing for money either on your own or though a towing company such as SeaTow or Vessel Assist.  The Auxiliary Sail Endorsement authorizes you to work on commercial sailing vessels. 

Both these courses are often conducted in conjunction with a 100-ton or OUPV captain's course.  

Course Fast Facts:

• Cost: $25 each course
• Length: 4 hours for each course.
• Other requirements: 360 days under sail for sailing endorsements. No requirements for the assistance towing endorsement. 

---

Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels

Set up a Class Near You

This license is often called a "six pack" license because it authorizes you to take out 6 paying passengers aboard a vessel.  This USCG approved course serves in place of testing at the USCG Regional Exam Center.  Upon successful completion, mariners qualify for near coastal or inland captain's licenses for uninspected vessels up to 100 gross registered tons.  ​Topics include navigation, chart plotting, deck seamanship, deck safety, vessel administration, and rules of the road. ​

Course Fast Facts:

• Cost: $400
• Length: 7 days of instruction 0800-1700.
• Sea time required: 360 days
• Other requirements: Transportation worker card, medical exam, drug testing letter, CPR/First aid certification, USCG application. 

---

---

Rules of the Road

Set up a Class Near You

This USCG approved course serves in place of testing at the USCG Regional Exam Center for mariners seeking licenses up to 200 gross registered tons. 

​This course helps you understand the collision avoidance regulations and the U.S. inland rules of the road to keep you safe at sea.  Additionally, this course is valid for U.S. Coast Guard personnel seeking their original (DWO-INTO) or renewal deck watch officer test.   

Course Fast Facts:

• Cost: $150
• Length: 2 days of instruction 0800-1700.
• Other requirements: none.

---

Celestial/Oceans Navigation 500-1600 GRT

Set Up a Class Near You

This USCG approved course serves in place of testing at the USCG Regional Exam Center for mariners seeking to increase the scope of their license from near coastal to oceans.  Oceans licenses are valid outside 200 nautical miles from shore. 

This extremely challenging course covers all elements of oceans navigation including star fixes, running fixes, amplitudes, azimuths, and many other navigational math topics.  The course also includes sign-offs for applicable STCW topics on the Officer in Charge of Navigational Watches qualification.  

Course Fast Facts:

• Cost: $900
• Length: 2 weeks of instruction 0800-1700. 
• Other requirements: mariners should qualify for a near coastal mate or master license at the 500-1600 GRT level. 

---

Underway Captain's License Program

See the Yacht

Enquire about the Course

Check this out - go on vacation on a luxury sailing yacht and earn your captain's license by doing.  The 92-foot sailing yacht August Maverick is your classroom as you spend some time in the huge pilothouse learning about maritime topics. Then, you get to actually practice those skills aboard a 102-ton vessel.  During the day, you can navigate the vessel around the Virgin Islands or New England, and at night enjoy all the amenities of a luxury yacht charter with your family or classmates.  

Course Fast Facts:

• Cost: enquire. 
• Length: 1 week of instruction 0800-1400.
• Other requirements: see requirements for the OUPV or Captain's course above. Additionally, you must cover travel expenses to and from the yacht, but food and lodging is provided. 

---

---

About the Courses

When upgrading his own merchant mariner license after separating from the Coast Guard, Chris recognized two key things.  First, most of the training courses he attended were over-priced and under-whelming in quality.  Second, there is a huge deficit of licensed merchant mariners in the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy.  

Because of this, Chris teaches affordable, high-quality courses specifically tailored at helping military members and young sailors achieve their goal of a merchant mariner license.  He travels the country delivering world class training at a reduced price to select audiences.  Courses have been completed in places as varied as California, Alaska, Virginia, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, St. Croix, and Puerto Rico.  

Please consider donating to the project if you can afford to do so.  Your donation goes directly to defraying the costs of these excellent courses to military members and young sailors.  ​