yacht charter license

• License & Permits
• Commercial Licensing Information
• Commercial Saltwater Licenses

What the FWC Saltwater Charter License authorizes:

A Charter Captain or Boat License is required to carry paying customers (where a fee is paid directly or indirectly) for the purpose of taking, attempting to take, or possessing saltwater fish or organisms. 

To be a saltwater fishing guide in Florida, you must comply with U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) requirements.  The U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) requires all operators of for-hire vessels to have a Captain license/Merchant Mariner Credential.  

Charter, headboat and saltwater fishing guide operations must have an FWC charter captain or boat license to cover their passengers, who are not required to hold a recreational saltwater fishing license.  Customers authorized to fish under the vessel license are not required to hold a recreational saltwater fishing license.

Dive charters:   Scuba divers engaged in fishing or lobstering must have an individual saltwater fishing license and all necessary permits if the vessel they are on does not have the necessary vessel license.

Charter Captain Licenses allow a licensed captain to go from boat to boat to do business.  A current Coast Guard License to Operate or Navigate Passenger Carrying Vessel License must be provided in order to purchase these licenses.  Any vessel then used by a charter captain to do business must be commercially registered or have a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation with a commercial designation.

• Charter Captain - 4 or fewer customers  $201.50
• Charter Captain - 10 or fewer customers   $401.50
• Charter Captain - 11 or more customers  $801.50
• Charter Snook Permit  $10.00
• Charter Lobster Permit  $5.00

Charter Boat Licenses may only be used on the boat designated on the license and are available for vessels that are commercially registered.  A commercial vessel registration or U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation (with a commercial designation) must be provided in order to purchase these licenses.

• Charter Boat - 4 or fewer customers   $201.50
• Charter Boat - 6 or fewer customers  $401.50
• Charter Boat - 10 or fewer customers  $401.50*
• Charter Boat - 11 or more customers  $801.50*

*Issued to Coast Guard inspected vessels only.

How to Apply

In order to purchase an FWC Charter Captain license, you must have a Coast Guard Captain's license. Call 1-888-427-5662 for information on the Coast Guard Captain's license.  USCG charter boat captain information  is available on the USCG web site. The FWC Charter Captain and Charter Boat licenses and commercial registration can only be purchased at tax collector's office throughout Florida. For information about vessel registration visit the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Titles and Registrations .

What the FWC saltwater charter license authorizes:

• The vessel license holder to carry up to the number of fishing passengers specified on the license.
• The number of customers specified on the FWC vessel license to take, attempt to take, or possess a limit of saltwater fish or organisms for non-commercial purposes without purchasing a recreational saltwater fishing license.
• A person who holds the “Charter Captain” License does not need to purchase his own recreational saltwater fishing license to recreationally fish from a vessel.  He may use his “Charter Captain” because it’s tied to him, this does not apply to a Charter Boat/Vessel License.

What the FWC saltwater charter license DOES NOT authorize:

• Harvest in commercial quantities or the sale of fish.
• Passengers (whether licensed, not licensed, or exempt from licensure) in excess of the number specified on the FWC vessel license to take, attempt to take, or possess a limit of saltwater fish or organisms (even if licensed by the USCG to carry more paying passengers).
• The captain and crew to take, attempt to take, or possess a limit of fish or organisms under the vessel license.
• Freshwater fishing guides.

More Information for Charter Operators, captains and guides

Surf fishing and freshwater fishing guides and their customers are subject to Florida's recreational fishing license requirements.  The FWC does not require additional guide licenses.

A charter vessel captain who possesses a six-pack license under USCG and an FWC charter vessel license for up to 4 people may carry up to two extra passengers ONLY when they are NON-FISHERS.

Additional restrictions on charter boat captain and crew and for-hire guides on a keeping their limit of fish under their own valid recreational saltwater fishing licenses are species specific. Currently, for most species of saltwater fish, with the exception of snook, grouper and red snapper in federal waters, all persons aboard a charter vessel can keep a legal limit of fish if the paying passengers fish under the vessel license and the crew fish under their own valid licenses. For-hire guides may also keep a legal limit of fish while on duty with the exception of red drum, snook, grouper and red snapper in federal waters. 

• Red Drum (Redfish):  FWC regulations prohibit the operator or crew aboard a vessel for hire from harvesting or possessing a red drum. A vessel for hire means any vessel licensed to carry passengers for hire and has one or more passengers onboard who are paying a fee (directly or indirectly) to take or pursue any marine organism. You can read thee rule in the FAC , Chapter 68B-22.005(3).
• Snook: FWC regulations prohibit the operator or crew aboard a vessel for hire from harvesting or possession snook.  A vessel for hire means any vessel licensed to carry passengers for hire and has one or more passengers onboard who are paying a fee (directly or indirectly) to take or pursue any marine organism. You can read the rule in the FAC , Chapter 68B-21.004(1)(c).
• Grouper:   Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council regulations prohibit the captain and crew of for-hire vessels from retaining a federal recreational bag limit of any grouper while under charter in the Gulf of Mexico. Please review the NOAA regulations .  The FWC established a zero bag limit for Gulf gag, red and black grouper for captains and crew on for-hire vessels in or on state waters.  Current information about grouper rules is available from the FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management. You can read the rule in the FAC , Chapter 68B-14.0036 (2)(d). 
• Red Snapper:    In 2008 new regulations were implemented for red snapper in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico that, among other restrictions, prohibits the captain and crew of for-hire vessels from retaining the federal recreational bag limit. More information on federal action is available from the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council . Refer to the FWC saltwater fishing regulations for more information.  The FWC also established a zero bag limit for captain and crew of for hire vessels in Gulf state waters for red snapper.  You can read the rule in the FAC , Chapter 68B-14.0036(1)(c).

An occupational license may be required by the city or county where you are doing business.  Check with the city and county to see if you need an occupational license.

If you are operating a for-hire vessel in a park or a refuge (e.g., Everglades National Park), you may be required to have additional permits.  Please check with the park or refuge headquarters for any specific permitting requirements for those areas.

If you are operating a for-hire vessel in federal waters (outside of 9 nautical miles on the Gulf and 3 nautical miles on the Atlantic), you may need a federal charter vessel/headboat permit before fishing for certain species.  Contact the National Marine Fisheries Management Service , Licensing and Permitting Office at 727-824-5326 for information on federal charter vessel/headboat permits.

When Do You Need a USCG Captain's License?

Need a USCG Captain's License? It's a must for commercial ops and varies by state for private boating. Know the requirements.

If you own a boat or yacht, you might be wondering if or when you need a captain’s license. And if you do, which license do you need? The last thing you want is to be stopped by the Coast Guard and be unprepared.

This article will answer all of your boating license requirement questions.

Private boat captain license requirements

One of the most common questions boat owners ask is whether they need a license or not to captain their boat. The simplest answer is if you’re taking any paying passengers on your boat, you need a captain’s license.

There are other state requirements that you must comply with. For example, California requires everyone to carry a California Boater Card while driving a vessel powered by a motor of 15 hp or more. You obtain a Boater Card by taking a short boating safety course. Many other states have similar laws that require you to complete a course, and carry proof.

These requirements vary by state, so make sure to check your state requirements.

Note that a state boating card is different from a Coast Guard Captain’s license. A boat safety course qualifies you to operate your personal boat, and have your friends and family on board.

A USCG license is needed when you’re operating a vessel in a commercial manner. When people are paying you, you need a license to operate.

The two common USCG licenses are the Master’s License and the OUPV license.

OUPV / Six-Pack License

The OUPV (Operator of an Uninspected Passenger Vessel) license is one of the most common licenses. As the name suggests, this license allows you to operate an Uninspected Vessel .

An Uninspected Vessel is limited to six paying passengers, which is why the OUPV license is also often called the Six Pack license .

People choose to get their OUPV license even if they never plan on taking paying passengers on their boat. Getting your license will teach you more about navigation and maritime safety compared to the basic boating safety course that most states require.

This license allows you to do small fishing trips, sightseeing tours, dive trips, and other commercial activities in the eyes of the USCG. There are may be other state requirements that you must comply with along with your Six Pack license such as a commercial charter fishing permit.

These requirements vary by state, so make sure to check your state requirements. The OUPV license is also limited to vessels that are 100 gross registered tons and under (about 80 feet long). Any OUPV license can be used for a 100 GRT vessel, but there are 3 different license types that qualify you for bodies of water: Inland, Great Lakes, and Near Coastal.

If you want to have more than 6 paying passengers, or captain a larger vessel, you’ll need to get your USCG Master’s License.

Master’s License

The Master’s License is required if you’re taking 7 or more paying passengers, and for USCG-inspected vessels. This license also qualifies you to captain uninspected vessels. To qualify for your Master’s License, you’ll need to complete the application form for Merchant Mariner Credentials (CG-719B form). And you will need a minimum of 360 days of documented sea service.

There are different Master Licenses that qualify you to captain different size vessels and on different waters. For example, a 50-Ton Master Near Coastal license qualifies you to captain a vessel up to 50 GRT in Near Coastal and Inland waters. You can always apply for a new endorsement or increase in scope, such as 50-Ton Inland to 50-Ton Near Coastal.

General License Requirements and Process

As mentioned above, you don’t need a USCG license for your personal boat or yacht, unless you want to use it for commercial purposes.

Here are the requirements and steps you need to take to get your USCG license.

Requirements

OUPV / Six Pack

• Ability to speak and understand English.
• U.S. Citizenship, or permanent residency.
• At least 18 years old.
• Valid Medical Certificate.
• Pass USCG-Approved Drug Test.
• Paid Mariner Fees.
• 360+ Days of Sea Service, 90+ Days within 3 years.
• Complete CG exam or approved course.
• USCG Approved CPR / FA within 1 year.
• At least 19 years old.

Licensing Process

1. decide which license you want..

You can upgrade your license from an OUPV to Master’s, or from a 25-Ton Master to 100-Ton Master, but it’s better to decide which license you want, and obtain that one first.

Read : Which USCG Captain's License Should You Choose?

2. Obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Card

A valid TWIC is required for all mariners getting their first United States Coast Guard-issued credentials.

3. Document Sea Days

USCG licenses require 360 sea days and 90 of those days within the past 3 years. You’ll complete a CG 719S form and attach it to your application. The vessel and waters you were on during that time will determine the endorsement you receive.

You will be required to complete a general physical exam. Any physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner who is licensed in the U.S. or U.S. Territory can sign off on your medical exam on the CG-719K form.

5. Drug Test

You will need to have negative drug test results within 185 days of your application. The test must be a DOT | USCG 5 Panel testing for Marijuana, Cocaine, Opiates, Phencyclidine, and Amphetamines. The USCG won’t accept any other drug test.

6. First Aid/CPR

You will need to complete an in-person First Aid and CPR course within the past 12 months. We recommend finding an American Red Cross First Aid and CPR course near you.

7. Pay.gov Fees

The last step in this process before submitting your application is to pay the Mariner fees. The costs vary depending on the endorsement type and course fees. When you submit your application using MM-SEAS Perfect Application, the Pay.gov fees are included.

8. Submit Your Application

To get your MMC, you’ll need to complete and submit the CG-719B form. To get your MMC with the proper endorsements, you’ll need to provide proof of your sea service, that you have a TWIC or applied for one, and that you’ve paid your required fees.

We hope this made your life a little easier and if you have other questions the MM-SEAS team is always here to help!

MM-SEAS is free to use on your own and if you need some more personalized help you can upgrade to MM-SEAS Pro inside of the site.

No matter what, when you are ready to submit your application, you can choose to have the MM-SEAS staff create a perfect application, handle the USCG application fees and work with the USCG on your behalf to resolve any issues for a flat fee of $349 or you can choose to submit on your own.

Pro MM-SEAS members get access to unlimited live 1 on 1 calls with one of our USCG Licensing Specialists. We've found that answering questions live with screen sharing in a video call makes both of our lives easier. Pro MM-SEAS members can access these features inside of MM-SEAS under License Guidance.

Need to renew, upgrade or get your first USCG license? We're here to help.

About the author.

Sam Mckay is a NOAA Corps Veteran working on his PhD in Nuclear Fusion

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What are the Requirements for Earning a Captain’s License ?

U.s. coast guard requirements for national oupv or master up to 100 tons.

A Captain’s License is required to operate a commercial vessel or to take paying passengers out on your vessel. Understanding the Captain’s License Requirements is important prior to taking a captain’s license course. The prerequisites should be reviewed before applying for any U.S. Coast Guard credential. This is advised so you don’t spend your time and money pursuing a license that you don’t qualify for. For Maritime Institute’s fee-based credential services, click here  to get more info.

Prerequisites for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV/”6-Pack”)

The National OUPV license is limited to uninspected vessels, of less than 100 gross tons, operating on U.S. domestic waters ONLY. Also limited to carrying six or less paying passengers. You must meet all of the requirements established by the USCG National Maritime Center in order to apply for this license. The USCG checklist of requirements is located here on the National Maritime Center website: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/checklist/ . Under National Officer Endorsements for Deck, click on National OUPV Less Than 100 GRT.

Important sea service requirements for OUPV:

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must be able to document 360 days of experience on a vessel, of which at least 90 days must be on Near Coastal/Ocean waters otherwise license will be limited to Inland Waters ONLY. ( See: What Counts as Sea Service )
• 90 days of sea service must be within the last 3 years of when you apply.
• 90 days of sea service must be on Ocean or Near Coastal waters or otherwise the license will be limited to Inland Waters only.
• If you are not a U.S. Citizen, you can apply for this license but it will be limited tonnage and restricted to undocumented vessels.

Prerequisites for Master up to 100 Tons on Inland Waters/Great Lakes

With a Master license you may operate inspected/commercial vessels and also take more than six paying passengers. You must meet all of the requirements established by the USCG National Maritime Center in order to apply for this license. The USCG checklist of requirements is located here on the National Maritime Center website: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/checklist/ . Under National Officer Endorsements for Deck, click on  National Master 100 GL and Inland.

Important sea service requirements for Master Inland/GL:

• Must be at least 19 years old.
• Must be able to document 360 days of experience on a vessel. ( See: What Counts as Sea Service )
• The tonnage of the license (25 Ton, 50 Ton, or 100 Ton) that you get, is determined by your experience. See USCG checklist in the paragraph above for the specific tonnage qualifications .

If you plan on operating an inspected sailing vessel, you must have a sailing endorsement along with the Master Inland/GL license. The required amount of sea service for a sailing endorsement on a Master Inland/GL license is: 180 days on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.

Prerequisites for Master up to 100 Tons on Near Coastal Waters

With a Master license you may operate inspected/commercial vessels and also take more than six paying passengers. You must meet all of the requirements established by the USCG National Maritime Center in order to apply for this license. The USCG checklist of requirements is located here on the National Maritime Center website: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/checklist/ . Under National Officer Endorsements for Deck, click on  National Master 100NC .

• Must be able to document 720 days of experience on a vessel, of which at least 360 days must be on Near Coastal/Ocean waters. ( See: What Counts as Sea Service )

If you plan on operating an inspected sailing vessel, you must have a sailing endorsement along with the Master Near Coastal license. The required amount of sea service for a sailing endorsement on a Master NC license is: 360 days on sail or auxiliary sail vessels.

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How to Get Your Captain’s License –A Step-by-Step Guide

From captain requirements to the coast guard application process – how to navigate the process of becoming an official boat captain.

Like all other areas of professional endeavor, getting a Captain’s license is an essential and non-trivial process. Despite the years between my earliest thoughts on having one and actually applying…or perhaps because of that time…I am quite proud to call myself Captain !

From the time I was Quartermaster aboard the Chesapeake Lightship back when she was berthed in Washington, DC, I had wanted to get my Captain’s license. We in her crew had plenty of sea time. The late Capt. Joe Murray, John Hart, and particularly Chris Krusa saw to it that each of us developed our skills and knowledge beyond the minimum that we needed for our jobs.  We met collectively with a Coast Guard officer to explore the options for us all getting licensed; however, the wind was taken out of our sails so to speak when he told us that since most of us were not 18, we were not entitled to take the written exam.

I left that session crestfallen but I put it all behind me as I moved on with a career in research physics. Later, I learned that what the officer SHOULD have said is that if we had just waited (a few months) until we turned 18, we could have taken the exams. Years later, my problem was that I could not meet the requirement to have 90 days of sea time in the last 3 years. My employer would have more than frowned on my having been gone so often. And all of us had not even bothered to ask for sea service forms or letters to document our time on the Chesapeake.

Fast forward 34 years and serendipitous events led to my being able to get signed sea service forms for my time on the Lightship. Shortly thereafter, I became a boat owner WITH vacation time afforded to a very senior engineer in the company.

Long story short, I am Capt. Rob Chichester –  200 Ton Master with Auxiliary Sail and Assistance Towing Endorsements.

Navigating the path to a Captain’s license can be full of the brambles of regulations, forms, and oddly worded requirements. In this article, I will try to clarify the process and help interested skippers decide what type of license, scope, and tonnage they should pursue. Then I will discuss the application process and all the elements needed to assemble a successful license application package.

More Resources: If you would like a one-on-one consultation to have your specific questions answered on this topic or others related to boating, please sign up for 30 minute video consultation with me!

The Basics of a Captain’s License

A first time applicant will need to decide while type of license to pursue. There are two types available to one applying for a new license.

• You may apply for a license to be an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) or the more familiar “Six Pack” license. It is so called because the holder of this license is limited to carrying no more than 6 paying passengers on any vessel within his tonnage rating regardless of the maximum capacity rating for the vessel.
• The other option is a Master’s license which allows you to carry up to the maximum number of passengers indicated for the vessel in question. Whereas a Master’s license requires US Citizenship, an OUPV license holder can be non-US citizen. Clearly holding a Master’s license offers more opportunities; however as I will explain later, the knowledge requirements are appropriately greater.

The scope or route for one’s license is the waters in which you are authorized to function in your licensed capacity.

There are effectively three such areas defined:

• The first is Inland which covers all inland rivers and bays not otherwise outside the demarcation line for the high seas. This may also include portions of the Great Lakes up to the International boundary line. (I will not explicitly discuss the Great Lakes or Western Rivers in this article but those waters are also covered by an Inland scope with a specific endorsement for each.)
• The second route is near-coastal which means ocean waters not more than 200 miles offshore. By extension, a near-coastal route endorsement includes inland waters as well.
• Lastly,  Oceans refers to all waters seaward of the Boundary Lines as described in 46 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 7.

Tonnage rating is determined by the size vessels upon which an applicant has served. The tonnage is not simply the weight or displacement of a given vessel. It is not how much stuff you had loaded on a boat. It is a calculation of theoretical displacement if the complete available interior volume of a ship were filled with material of density 1 (i.e., water).

There are formulas available to estimate that based on the dimensions and type of boat. The calculations are necessarily different for a sailboat and a power boat. On a very rough order of magnitude, a 100 Ton powerboat would be about 80 feet long and a 100 Ton sailboat would be about 100 feet long. The tonnage rating is a not to exceed limitation.

One need not necessarily serve on a 50 ton or 100 ton vessel to earn the equivalent tonnage rating (see the table below for specifics on that). One cannot be granted more than a 100 Ton rating on an initial license because higher tonnage requires that one has served in a licensed capacity before applying for the higher tonnage. When I renewed my license in November, I applied for a 200 Ton rating which was granted conditional to my successfully passing the mandated written test. By the time you read this, I expect to have taken that exam.

Tonnage and route are determined by one’s documented experience. While you may apply for a 100 ton rating, you may only be granted 50 tons (or less) if your experience does not justify the higher rating. Additionally, the greater the scope, the more sea time is required to qualify for the rating.

For example, while an Inland scope needs 360 days of total sea time with 90 days in the last 3 years, a near-coastal scope requires 720 days and again the 90-day recency requirement. The take-away here is that experience is a big determinant and should NOT be discounted in any way. Note that there is no path to being granted an Ocean scope except by being a licensed mate or master for at least 2 years with documented service on those waters. That is, it is impossible to apply for an Oceans scope on a first application.

It should be noted that an OUPV license is automatically issued with a 100 Ton rating. As coarse as this may sound, the reason is that it is assumed that with an OUPV license, the most damage one can do is to 6 people. Therefore, there is no particular benefit to issuing OUPV with varying tonnage ratings. New Master’s licenses are issued with ratings of 25, 50, or 100 tons. Discussions of ratings over 100 tons or Ocean routes are beyond the scope of this article. You may contact the author if you wish more information on those specific topics.

The table below is a guide to determining for what rating one may qualify.

Your Sea Time Experience

For a Near Coastal route, ideally, all of your time will be on Near-Coastal waters; however, you are allowed to substitute up to half of the 720 days required minimum with Inland route service. For the purposes of documenting sea time for a Near Coastal route, any time served beyond the 3-mile limit counts for that purpose. So if you charter in the Caribbean or crew on an offshore fishing trip, that time counts.

Just to be clear, sea time is not counted unless you are a working member of the crew of the vessel named on the sea service form. That is to say, just being a passenger is not sufficient.

To keep things on the up and up, the applicant is required to get the signature of the owner, manager, or master of the vessel on the sea service form. If the applicant owns the identified vessel, proof of ownership must accompany the form. Proof might be a Bill of Sale, vessel document, or a state registration.

Sea time is not counted unless you spend at least 4 hours of a given day underway . Being onboard the boat at the dock swabbing the decks does not count. Time underway is counted whether it is in route or adrift. Being anchored or moored also does not count. It can be tedious to collect and collate all of your sea service forms, especially after the fact. My best advice is even if you are only thinking about getting a license, keep blank sea service forms with you for the vessel operator to sign at the end of a trip. Note that the forms are not per trip but per vessel. There is room to document up to 5 years of sea time on any given vessel. There is room for five years of data because your license will be up for renewal every 5 years .

Technically, vessels over 200 gross tons now require a Service Letter from the employer or vessel manager. However at the time I applied for my original license, I submitted my time on the Chesapeake Lightship on a Sea Service form (CG-719S). That form was accepted for that as well as again when I renewed and requested an upgrade to 200 Tons. I may have been grandfathered so new applicants should verify their individual situations with the National Maritime Center .

Health and Medical

To be a Captain, one must be in good health and of reasonable physical ability. The Medical form ( CG-719K ) is the most extensive form one will need to complete. It also requires the signature of a licensed physician. Unlike an FAA pilot’s license, the physician need not be approved by the US Coast Guard. Your family doctor is acceptable.

For my part, I completed as much of the form as was reasonable. I then FAXed the form ahead of my annual physical so that the doctor could review what was needed and to be prepared to sign off on it. The only extra thing the doctor had to do was conduct color vision and standard wall chart vision test. Your vision need not be perfect without glasses but if that is the case, you should expect a requirement to be written on your license requiring corrective lenses to be used and a spare pair to be available when on duty. If your medical form is accepted, you will be issued a separate medical form which is to be kept with your Merchant Mariner Credential. There is a pocket on the back cover to hold it and the required Transport Worker’s Identification Card ( TWIC ). The TWIC will be addressed below.

Another form to be completed, this time by an authorized physician, is the DOT five-panel drug test . An applicant must submit proof of drug testing with no findings as determined by an authorized physician. Also be aware that to work aboard any vessel in any compensated capacity, you must have proof of participation in a drug test program, whether it be one in which you elect to participate as an individual or one required by your marine employer. Such proof is to be carried with you at all times just as your license and medical certificate must be. It is generally in the form of a letter attesting to your compliance and passing a test within 12 months of the date of the letter.

Criminal and National Security Background

One has always been required to agree to a criminal background and driving record check . As you can well imagine, adverse findings in either of these areas will negatively affect one’s application.

With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a requirement was added that licensed mariners have a TWIC card . In fact, anyone working in the transportation sector (air, rail, marine, trucking, etc.) is required to have a TWIC card. You will be investigated for any evidence of threat potential to national security. This is because as a licensed Captain, you may have access to vital and strategic marine facilities.

The TWIC card is issued by DHS through a federal contractor. There is an application to complete and a fee to pay. Furthermore, you must appear in person so that your photo and fingerprints can be taken. This bio-metric data is stored on the TWIC card and protected by a pass code. You must submit a copy of your TWIC with your license application; therefore, one must start the TWIC process at least four to six weeks or more before submitting one’s license application.

Separately, a photograph of the applicant must accompany the application. This can be a driver’s license or passport photo . It should be a state or federal government issued document. Others may be accepted but the applicant should verify this with the NMC before submitting the application to avoid processing delays.

• Coastal Navigation
• Deck General Knowledge
• Rules of the Road

Deck General includes a wide variety of topics including fire and safety, terminology, and laws and procedures. Rules of the Road covers exactly what it says. Bear in mind that even if you are applying for an Inland or Near Coastal license, the Rules of the Road test will include elements of International Rules. So when you are studying, do not neglect to familiarize yourself with those details. There are some variations in vessel precedence, sound signals, and lights and shapes displayed by vessels.

If you are applying for a Master’s license, there are additional areas of test. The same is true if you are additionally requesting an endorsement for Sail, Auxiliary Sail, or Commercial Assistance Towing. The net effect is more questions overall.

You must score at least 70% in all areas except Rules of the Road for which you must have a minimum score of 90% to pass . Generally, that means you may miss no more than 3 questions to pass with a 90% grade. The Navigation questions will require you to work with a chart to plot position, routes, and so forth.

You may either pay an examination fee to take the exams administered by the Coast Guard or you may enroll in any number of approved Captains’ courses. You will receive a certificate of completion from the school to submit with your application in lieu of the Coast Guard exams; however, you will still take exams which include questions from the same list of questions that the Coast Guard uses. In the latter case, you will not need to pay an examination fee but obviously, you will have to pay a tuition for the course.

Completing your Application

The license application is not unlike many others. It is actually shorter than the medical form discussed earlier. There are two things to note on the application:

• Item 1 of Section IV describes how one may be asked to serve on behalf of the country in times of national emergency. An example of this was the massive sealift conducted in support of the first Gulf war in the 1980’s, Operation Desert Storm. This is a voluntary action. However it should be noted that during the call up for Desert Storm, more mariners were needed than responded. It is a possibility, particularly in these times, that another such national emergency could arise.
• Secondly, Item 5 of Section IV contains an oath to which an applicant must swear. If you present yourself in person you will be sworn in by Coast Guard personnel. If you choose to submit your application by mail or electronic means, you must provide proof that you appropriately took the oath as written. This generally means being sworn by a Notary or a local government official such as a county clerk.

Payment of all required application and examination fees is made online prior to submitting the application. You will receive a receipt which you should include with your application package. Pay close attention to the various fees and be sure you select all that apply but ONLY those that apply. An error either way will delay processing of your application.

Submitting your Application

When you apply for an original license and especially if you plan to take the Coast Guard exams , you will need to present yourself in person with your complete application package at a USCG Regional Examination Center (REC). Photo ID will be necessary as well.

One thing that happens if you appear in person is that you will raise your right hand and take the oath on the application. That was a very moving moment for me. Delivering your application package in person also allows you to interact with the personnel directly which could be very valuable if there are errors or omissions in your application package.

If you are not taking the Coast Guard exams and if you have been sworn by an authorized official, you may wish to submit your application by mail or electronically. Be aware that electronic submission has a limit on the size of the email attachment. My applications have always been larger than what is accepted by the Coast Guard mail servers.

Waiting for Your License

The Coast Guard has implemented a very good system of tracking your application and providing feedback at every step of the way. You will receive emails as the application moves through the system. It may take up to a week for the REC to review and forward your application to the National Maritime Center (NMC) in West Virginia. That was my experience with the New York City REC. It may be less in smaller, less congested venues.

By the way, you are not required to use the REC nearest to you. If you wanted to fly to Hawaii or Alaska instead of driving into Baltimore, you may do so. A good friend of mine drove from New Jersey to Boston to submit his application there because he heard the processing times were less than for New York.

Once the NMC has your package, the process usually will not take long at all. It is very likely you will receive 2 or 3 emails a day, often within minutes, as the application moves through the various approvals. Nothing beats the feeling you will have when you get the final email saying that you have been approved and your credential is being printed!

My original license took slightly more than two weeks from dropping off my application at Battery Park in New York to finding my MMC in my mailbox.

Once you get your license, look it over thoroughly. You may not necessarily have been granted the scope and rating you requested. Sometimes that reduction will be legitimate. Other times, it may be due to an honest mistake. Both my original and renewals had honest omissions. I was only granted a 50 ton rating on my original license when I had applied for 100 tons. I submitted the sea service form supporting the request for 100 tons after the fact and I received an endorsement sticker for the 100 ton rating a week later. Similarly with my renewal, I asked for an upgrade to 200 tons. My renewal was approved at 100 tons. When I contacted the NMC, they amended the approval and showed that I was then approved to take the required test for the 200 ton upgrade. So my message here is to not necessarily accept the delivered MMC as if it were carved in stone.

More Resources from Captain Rob

Being a licensed Captain is a great source of pride to me. I have enjoyed working with my clients as well as pursuing other commercial opportunities like relief captain jobs on various schooners, water taxi and tow boat jobs, and tour boat and ferry captain work. I look forward to many years of working on and enjoying the water.

If you would like a one-on-one consultation to have your specific questions answered on this topic or others related to boating, please sign up for 30 minute video consultation with me!

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Capt. Rob Chichester

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24 Comments

Hi, I am hoping you can help me out. I am a USCG vet that was stationed at a small boat station in NJ from 1983-1989. I am trying to get my sea time documented but I am having a very hard time finding out how to do that since the station records were not computerized at that time. I have contacted the NMC and they told me to call the station to get an Abstract of Operations report. They just laughed at me when I called the station. I have requested info from vetrecs.archives.gov but I am sure that will take some time just to get an answer as to wether they can do that or not. I was wondering if you knew how to go about getting the information that I need. I am sure I am not the only person with this issue and I can’t seem to find anyone that knows exactly how to go about documenting that time.

Thanks Jeff

Thanks for your question. I don’t have a lot of advice for you regarding USCG internal procedures. Perhaps you can contact the Office of Personnel and try to get a copy of your service record. Alternatively, is there anyone at that small boat station who knew you? Would the OIC be willing to write a letter? The last and least likely option would be to fill out your own sea service form and see if anyone there would sign off on it for you. Now the regulations speak of a Certificate of Discharge being acceptable. See for example 46 CFR 10.232 ( https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/46/10.232 ). If you already have that, you might be good to go!

So…start with your Certificate of Discharge and if you don’t have that, then contact the Office of Personnel to see if you can get the requisite documents. Let me know how you make out!

Hi Captain Rob, My name is Elton the 66 year old owner of a small 35 ft. Kingscraft houseboat. I spend a lot of time on one large lake. It is an older wonderful all aluminum vessel but weighs only about 8000 lbs. In the chart the lowest weight rating is 17 tons. I would love to educate myself and become a Captain. Is that possible at some level? I would also have to document my own time as pilot.

Sir, you have open to you both options that I describe in my article. You could pursue either a Master’s license OR an Operator of an Uninspected Vessels license. From what you have written, I see no inherent obstacles. You must be able to document your seatime, get a medical evaluation, and pass the 4 or the 3 parts of the written exam depending on which license you choose to pursue. In any event, you would qualify for an Inland license. Your tonnage rating would also depend on which license you pursue. Solely based on what you have said above, you would qualify for a 50 ton Master’s license. If you pursue an OUPV, that comes with a tonnage rating of 100 tons. For most people, the biggest challenge is acceptably documenting seatime. (It needs all be as captain. You can include time served as master, mate, or crew but NOT as a paying passenger.) If your concern is your age, I know a few captain’s in the 60s and 70s. I am one of the former myself. Good luck!

Capt.Rob I am US Army Veteran And I was wondering if their was a school i could attend to obtain a licence, I ask this because i have to decide what i want to go to school for and this job would be a top pick for me. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated thanks

There are MANY captain schools that can help you with the written tests but there are NO schools that can help you with the sea time requirements unless you are considering enrolling in a maritime college like Kings Point or Fort Schuyler in the New York State university system. I used Mariners Learning System for my written tests only because it was more convenient than going to the USCG REC to take the exams.

Where would I get sea service forms . I have owned and operated my own boats for over 30 years and am now being asked to get a captains liscence

There is a link in the article for the National Maritime Center. All the forms you needs can be found on their website. Alternatively, you can search for USCG National Maritime Center with your favorite search engine.

Couple questions. Would working as a divemaster on a dive boat in the Gulf of Mexico count for near coastal sea time? And if you were to have 8 hours of sea time in one day, could you potentially count that as two days at sea? Or would it still be just one day? Thanks for all the info this has been a huge help!

Any time spent aboard a vessel underway counts as long as the owner, manager, or master of the vessel will attest to that. When submitting Sea Service forms, your option for your role aboard the vessel are things like crew, mate, master, engineer, etc. You will need to determine what your position was. Divemaster is not recognized and does not speak to maritime skills necessarily. (For example, you can dive from shore never having been in a boat.) Regarding the near coastal time, you just need to verify that the vessel upon which you served was indeed in near-coastal or ocean waters. The form has spaces for days spent within the specified boundaries and outside those boundaries. I once saw an interactive chart online for finding the boundary lines in a given area. For your purposes, you cannot count 8 hours as two days underway. You need a MINIMUM of 4 hours underway to count that day. Being at anchor or otherwise moored or secured does not count. Good luck!

Capt. Lots of good and helpful info. I boated the Chesapeake for 10+yrs, from the Delaware bay to Virginia in a 27′ cruiser. i’ve not been on the water since 2012. So to be clear, I need to acquire some time on a charter vessel to even attempt the basic “6-pack”. I have my CG boating skills and seamanship certificates,and will work on the CG719S. Living in Florida, lots of opportunity, should have done this sooner !! Thanks

Thank you for your feedback. I am glad you found the article helpful. Apart from documenting your sea time, I found the most labor intensive aspect was verifying that a) I had all the documents that I needed and b) I had correctly completely all of the USCG forms. A lesser challenge may be in determining what correct application fees are. If you are not sure, contact USCG NMC by phone, email, or online chat to get clarification on what fees you have to pay. Good luck!

This is great info..

I am starting out (hopefully) as a plan is due to new lifestyle i desire to get an two oceans open ocean 800 expedition catamaran (again very expensive so fingers crossed) but the plan is while the vessel is being built, i can take several classes and get a few certifications prior to launch, then as life you see everywhere on youtube for example have the vessel at dock, then day trips, then a week trip and just push it a little further until you are ready for the maiden voyage, really looking to live off anchorage in around the philippines / guam area mostly philippines or south pacific area, mostly friends and family but my question is any licence for that type of boat, and also if you have heard of any schools in the philippines? I know they have a few courses that are completely certified like any american school but a fraction of the cost, just curious if any particular licence i need to get or have?

You did not say whether you intended to take passengers for hire. Generally, one only needs to be licensed if you are getting paid to carry passengers OR if you working in more advanced maritime fields like tug boats and large cargo vessels. If you are only operating your private vessel for your own personal or recreational purposes, you usually do not need any kind of license other than possibly taking a multiple choice test on local safety rules and rules of the road. I am not familiar with the licensing requirements in foreign venues like the Philippines. Each nation has its own requirements. I was able to find information at this link: http://www.marina.gov.ph/policies/MCs/mc170.pdf . You may find some useful information in that document.

Good luck! And safe sailing…

Your information was helpful, thank you. I have decided to pursue getting my License but I am starting from scratch. Should I take classes before looking to get sea time? And how does one go about getting sea time with no experience?

Any course work you take will typically culminate in a certificate of completion. However that certificate will only be valid for 1 year. Therefore, do NOT take any exams more than about 6 months prior to submitting your original license application. As for sea time, you can look for marine work that does not require a license like deck crew on water taxis or excursion boats. Time spent on a friend’s boat counts. Have that friend complete and sign a sea service form. Sea time never expires and can be counted from the age of 15. Learn your rules of the road and learn to feel your vessel. Driving a boat is a lot different from driving a car. As a licensed captain, you are expected to step up to the helm and handle the ship with relatively little training time. Good luck!

Great article, thanks for writing it! Does time spent aboard a recreational boat that I own, when I am the only person aboard, count towards sea time? If so how do I document that – there’s no one to sign for the time. Thanks again.

Time spent on your own boat absolutely counts. You would sign the CG-719S Sea Service form yourself where it says Applicant AND where it says Person Attesting to Experience. However, you will have to provide proof of ownership for the vessel. The Bill of Sale is usually what is used but the vessel’s CG document or state registration card should also be sufficient. Remember that seatime is counted only from the age of 15 and it is underway time of at least 4 hours per day. Time on the anchor or alongside do NOT count. The presence of others is irrelevant.

Hi Shane. Sea time is defined as time working aboard in any capacity relevant to the rating you are pursuing. For instance, if you are a bos’n or deck crew, that time it unlikely to count towards a engineer’s license and conversely, time in the engine department or work on mechanical systems would be difficult to apply towards a deck officer’s license. The highest rating one can get on an original (i.e., first) license is 100 Ton Master. It is likely that your Navy time would count; however, your challenge is getting an appropriate service letter from the Navy. You cannot submit a CG-719S for your Navy service as that form is for SMALL VESSEL service. Consult the USCG site at http://www.uscg.mil/nmc for more information. Also note that you may use any valid sea time accrued from the age of 15. Good luck!

Hi Capt. Rob, I have one question rather just some clarification regarding the time at sea, for the tonnage rating. Does “time at sea” mean just that or does it mean operating the vessel. I was in the Navy for several years as an operations specialist and I am not sure what level I would qualify for if I were to pursue getting a Captains license. Also I was wondering how much the entire process would cost.

Hey Rob, Thanks so much for taking the time to write this, it was really very useful to read. This has been on my mind for some considerable time, but I am now finally starting on the road to getting my licence and taking a nautical shift in my career. I have been a sailor all my life, was sailing single handed as soon as I could walk and now own a 38 foot Irwin racer/crusier.

My one big question is online study vs going somewhere to do the required course? I wonder how you gained your licence and what you might recommend?

My issue was primarily NOT wanting to have to take the tests at the NYC REC and to NOT attend intense 8-10 hour weekend classes. I was comfortable with the Rules of the Road and chart navigation issues as well the Deck General material. Since I got a Master’s license (versus the OUPV), there was more legal stuff to know in the category they call Ship’s Business. I did an online course through Mariner’s School in Princeton, NJ. The price was good and the location was convenient for when I did go to take the test.

The bottom line is do what works best for you given what you need to learn or refresh, how much time you have to do it, and where you will need to go to take the final tests.

(Please note that you can submit your application and/or take your tests at ANY REC anywhere. It is not a function of where you live or where you will sail.)

Great article Rob. Thanks for sharing your experience

Thank you for the feedback. Do please let me know if you have any further questions or if I may be of service in some other regard!

Comments are closed.

How Becoming a Charter Boat Captain is Easier than Ever

Table of Contents

Last Updated on July 23, 2024 by Boatsetter Team

Learn Some of the Best Ways to Make Money as a Captain

If you really love being out on the water and dealing with a wide variety of boating conditions, why not get paid for it? Especially if you already own a boat and plan on making it available for rent through Boatsetter , it might be a great idea for you to become a captain and personally take paying customers out on the water. Getting a captain’s license is actually not that difficult. You do have to take a course (usually up to 10 days that can be spread out over a few weeks), spend a fair amount of money upfront (no more than $800), and fill out a few standard documents showing that you are at least 18 years of age and in reasonably good health, but that is about all it takes. After you have received your license, you can easily recoup your captain’s license fees in just one weekend when you captain a boat charter. At Boatsetter, you can captain a boat rental of your own vessel or of somebody else’s vessel. We’re here to show you how to make money as a captain .

All Aboard! Why not Captain a Boat Charter?

When you captain a boat charter, you offer people the chance to experience things like big game fishing, sightseeing, and new water sports. Especially if you live near a resort or vacation destination like Miami, there will always be thousands of customers in need of your expertise. You will also have the opportunity of meeting all kinds of people from all over the world, so it is a great way of expanding and extending your boating network.

With Boatsetter, people can rent boats from private owners. If you learn how to become a captain , you can create a nice side hustle that you also enjoy. Often, Boatsetter customers are inexperienced boaters and they really need a licensed and knowledgeable captain to introduce them to the world of boating and allow them to relax and enjoy their trip. This is where you as a boat captain can be an invaluable resource.

The Process: How to Become a Captain

Much like when you are learning to drive a car, you will first need to earn a license before you can legally captain a boat charter. For this, it is necessary to apply through the United States Coast Guard (USCG). Check out their website for more specific information. In general, obtaining a license is not that difficult. It is usually based upon the following criteria:

• The total number of days you have sailed
• The types of waters you have sailed upon
• The total tonnage of your vessel

Your charter boat captain license qualifies you with a Merchant Mariners Credential, which is a combination of the former Merchant Marine Officers license and Merchant Mariners Document. The actual license appears in a small book that looks fairly similar to a passport. In general, there are four main types of charter boat captain licenses that you can get:

• Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vehicles License (OUPV)

Also called a 6-Pack License, this is one of the most popular types of boat captain license. You can apply for this if your boat is less than 65 feet and if you carry a maximum of six passengers. You need to have at 360 days of experience on inland or coastal waterways, and the purpose of this license would be to conduct fishing, diving or sightseeing trips.

• OUPV Limited Credential

Also known as a “launchtender’s license,” this has a limited purpose. Generally, it can be used to operate uninspected vessels for a short period of time. A good way to use this license would be to transport people to and from a dock to a bigger boat anchored further out in the water. To apply for this license, you need at least 90 days of experience. You will also need to complete a United States Coast Guard (USCG)-approved Safe Boating Course.

• Limited Master Credential

If your boat has passed the US Coast Guard inspection and if you have earned an inspection sticker, you should apply for this type of license. It requires 120 days of service as well as a completed USCG-approved Safe Boating Course . Your license can be extended to include sailing vessels if you have also completed 120 days of service on a sailboat.

• Master, 100 Tons Credential

You can use this license to operate all vessels up to 100 tons, and there are no restrictions in terms of the number of passengers you are allowed on board. To apply for this license, you must have at least 360 days of service on any vessel. There is a separate exam if you would like to qualify for a towboat assistance license.

Preparing for and Passing the Captain’s License Exam

There are three general areas of knowledge in this exam: coastal navigation, deck knowledge, and “rules of the road.” The questions will cover important aspects like boat terminology and general safety, the use of lights and sound signals, as well as a few questions about tides, nautical charts , and local boating regulations. There are some sample questions and practice tests online . It is a good idea to do as much research as possible before you apply for the exam. Much like driving a car, you should already know most of the information in the test. To receive your license, you will need to score at least 70% on the general portion of the test and at least 90% on the Rules of the Road section.

Taking Advantage of so Many Other Good Opportunities!

In addition to the boat rental opportunities offered through Boatsetter, as a charter boat captain you might be able to line up quite a lot of other paid assignments. You can captain fishing charters and sightseeing tours in beautiful locations, lead snorkeling and diving trips, be in charge of sunset and dinner cruises, help companies like Sea Tow or Tow Boat U.S. tow broken-down vessels, or even operate informal water ferry services between two nearby locations in your own hometown. Check out some of the cheapest ways to travel around the world by boat. Captain’s licenses generally last for five years or more, which is a lot of time for you to be earning extra money from your own boat , an expensive asset that you have already paid for.

So, do you think you’re ready to become a Boatsetter captain? All you have to do is answer some questions and fill in a few forms on our website. Always remember that you can captain a boat rental of your own boat or of somebody else’s boat. Sign up today and get ready for a whole lot of paid adventures over the next few years!

Boatsetter empowers people to explore with confidence by showing them a world of possibility on the water. Rent  a boat,  list  your boat, or become a  Boatsetter captain  today.

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What Qualifications Do You Need to Charter a Yacht In 2024

What experience or qualifications do you need to charter a yacht.

The simplest answer, is that in some locations you don’t, in other jurisdictions you do.  In some cases there are flat regulations, in others they are dependant on the gross tonnage of the boat. Even if you meet the sailing qualifications you require to charter a yacht in that country, the operator may have further restrictions to protect their fleet and to comply with insurance criteria.

It’s clear what qualification you I need to charter a boat is one of our most frequently asked questions. We have written a detailed article here to guid you, but please don’r hesitate to reach out to us with any query.

What Experience Do I Need to Charter a Yacht?

This is one of our most frequently asked questions. and for good reason..

Whilst skippers and crew offer some great advantages when on a yacht charter, going solo is great too. So let’s start by breaking it down:

• Comfort . What you are comfortable with. In most cases, you will be responsible for other people, and let’s not forget someone else’s boat.
• Charter Area . We rate our charter areas into 5 categories, from easiest, to the tricky. For those interested, the Ionian in Greece would be one of the easiest, sailing the English Channel would be the hardest.
• Charter Fleet Operator (CFO). These are the guys who are responsible and the insurance companies. Whatever your agent says, it is the CFO that makes the final decision.
• No restrictions . Areas like the Caribbean spawned the expression “ Credit Card Captain “. Which means you just need to convince the operator, and off you go.
• State Restrictions. Most countries have some kind of legislation. But as you want boats to come to your shores, regulations vary a lot.
• EU Restrictions. Some countries in the EU have signed up the EU’s laws.

What’s Normally Required?

To skipper a bareboat charter yacht or participate in a flotilla, outside the Caribbean, you are likely to need a practical sailing certificate equivalent to RYA Day Skipper Practical , International Certificate of Competence (ICC), ASA 103, 104 or above.

For charters in Greece now, you required to hold an ICC certificate . You must also be assisted by a member of the crew who is over 18. They don’t need to have a formal sailing qualification but will be named in the books.

For charters in  Croatia, Malta and the Canaries , at least one member of the crew or the skipper will also need a  VHF licence .

If you wish to take part in a flotilla but do not have an RYA qualification then you may like to choose our ‘ Learn on flotilla ‘ option in the Ionian.

Alternatively, RYA qualifications can be obtained through RYA sailing schools in the UK or from one of our overseas centres in  Gibraltar ,  Greece ,  Turkey,  or  Croatia .

What Experience or Qualifications do I Need to Charter a Yacht Quick Links

• 1. What Can I Do With My Sailing Qualifications?
• 2. Our Charter Qualification Service
• 3. What Qualifications Do I Need to Charter a Yacht?

4. ICC Accepted Countries

5. countries requiring additional proof, 6. not adopted but accepted.

• 7. What Qualifications Do I Need to Charter a Yacht – Inland Waterways

8. What Qualifications Do I Need to Charter a Yacht in Croatia

1. what can i do with my sailing qualification.

I have a sailing qualification, now where do I start?

So, if you have the experience and a qualification, then it’s likely you are going to be able to charter a yacht. The best option if you are looking for a yacht charter or flotilla , is to just ask.

Because the final answer and up to date requirements are always well-known by one of our agents and each  operator  – they always have the final decision.

2. Our charter qualification service

If we don’t know about a qualification – we know who does know and we can always ask.

We have never had a client refused at check-in, and we can ensure that it does not happen to you.

So, whether you are just curious, planning for the future, or looking to charter soon, figuring out qualifications is important.

So, we have created this simple article to help you understand what you are likely to need.

You check to see if you have the experience and qualifications required to charter a yacht

As we have pointed out, policies vary across countries and operators, so it makes sense to check. Whether you are a SailChecker customer or not, we will happily review your qualifications and experience.

3. What qualifications do I need to charter a yacht?

Recognised qualifications.

National Governing Bodies. The RYA is still the most globally recognised qualifications franchise. Other national frameworks such as the American Sailing Association ( ASA ) are all generally accepted worldwide.

International Certificate of Competency (ICC). In certain European countries, it is, in theory at least, mandatory to hold an International Certificate of Competency (ICC) if you want to bareboat charter a yacht. We discuss the relevance of that qualification here. It is a requirement for ALL Greek yacht charters.

Exceptions to ICC. There are notable exceptions, in Northern Europe and Scandinavia the ICC is generally not required; that said it is still best to check with the individual charter company before you book. For any SailChecker reliant on a resume of sailing, we will always check this out for you and advise you accordingly.

The ICC is Resolution 40 passed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). In essence, the ICC is designed to provide the documentary assurance, from one country to another, that the holder meets the levels of competence laid down in the Resolution.

The following countries have adopted Resolution 40 and officially accept the ICC as proof of boating competence within their territory:

• Czech Republic
• Netherlands
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

What Qualifications Do I Need to Charter a Yacht?

The following have again not officially adopted Resolution 40 but usually require some other proof of boating competence before allowing a bareboat charter:

• Russian Federation
• United States

The following have not officially adopted Resolution 40 but do accept ICC’s for use in their territorial waters:

7. What Qualifications Do I Need to Charter a Yacht - Inland Waterways

Inland waterways generally require an ICC with CEVNI (Code European Des Voies De Navigation Interieure (Revision 2)) inland endorsement. You will normally need to pass an examination to get an INLAND endorsement on an IYT International Certificate of Competence to operate a boat on European waterways. We always recommend researching the regulations contained in the European Code for Inland Waterways yourself and take the CEVNI examination and/or attend a suitable course.

One of the most tricky places to charter is Croatia. You can download an exhaustive list of all accepted qualifications in Croatia below. They have just updated in 2020 for new accepted qualifications.

Check it out click here to download the authorised list of qualifications require in Croatia.

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Sailing for the first time.

Everything went smooth, the paper processing, special requests and the specs of tht check-in procedure. Boat was also in good shape, so no complaints and a worry free holiday...

We had a great experience with booking through sailchecker.

Informative and looked for the best value for our family. Very good customer service on this side and in Greece. Great boat and skipper...

Fantastic holiday from start to finish.

They were very responsive and very quick to answer questions via email and instant chat. They had extensive knowledge of the area...

We will most definitely use their services for our next bareboat sailing vacation.

Sailchecker were professional from start to finish - and were awesome dealing with a problem! Our first Yacht had serious issues and sail checker helped us to resolve it...

They are easy to deal with, straightforward and honest and I would recommend them to anyone planning a charter holiday.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Kate and her colleagues at Sailchecker have performed brilliantly. They have been considerate and highly efficient in re-organising our Turkey charter and also provided lots of assistance in getting our Yacht Security Deposit insurance policy transferred to match our revised charter dates.

Truly worthy of a 5 star rating!

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Sailchecker.com arranged a sailing cruise her family of 2 sons, daughter & hubby in the BVI with their own.

It was sail in the day… party at night. We couldn't have wanted a better skipper or a Spring Break!  Good times...

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All bookings and confirmations was always accurate with no delays. Our boat was also fabulously maintained and the Skipper new the area extremely well...

Everything was down to the tee.

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What Qualifications Do I Need to Charter a Yacht?

In this post we look at what qualifications you need to skipper a bareboat yacht charter. There are several certificates available, such as the ICC, from the Royal Yachting Association. Requirements vary from country to country so please check the list in the article below. You can also find some information about how to get a yacht license, and how long it takes to learn to sail.

The thrill of embarking on a great ocean adventure is second to none. If you’re planning a first-time charter trip and new on the sailing scene, you’re probably realizing there’s a heap of information to filter through. For starters, novice sailors in the early stages of planning often ask themselves “what qualifications do I need to charter a yacht?” To ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of everyone aboard, it’s important that this question be answered accurately and specifically before you set sail. That’s where we come in!

What Qualifications Do You Need to Sail a Yacht?

Thinking about pushing off on your own into the big blue? Awesome! Chartering a yacht is a relatively straight forward process, however qualifications vary based on which country you want to sail in. Above all, proven experience is the highest qualification you can possess when it comes to bareboat charter.

A charter company is likely to feel more comfortable renting to someone who demonstrates competence and a license, as opposed to someone with a license but very little experience. There are some charter companies that will rent to anyone regardless of qualifications or experience, however keep in mind that you’ll likely face the consequences if something goes wrong, so please be careful.

Additionally, some countries and regions do require an official license and you won’t be able to travel their seas without it. The best bet is to check the specific country requirements or ask Boataffair to review your qualifications and weigh in.

Do I Need a License to Sail a Yacht?

It depends. There’s no cut-and-dry answer to this question; whether or not you need a license to sail a yacht is contingent upon your location. Some local authorities and charter companies require you to have official certifications to sail their waters. In other countries, you may just need to prove that you know what you’re doing, i.e. provide a sailing resume to showcase your sailing experience. Sometimes you’ll need to provide both a formal certificate and proof of experience.

In some scenarios you may find that first-hand knowledge trumps an official certification. As previously mentioned, experience goes a long way in getting a charter company to trust you as a competent skipper. But remember, it’s never good practice to exaggerate the depth of your practical knowledge.

The best way to approach this question is to focus on the region you plan to explore and research the local regulations adhered to by marine authorities. Below, we’ll look at which popular destinations require you to have a license to sail a yacht, and how to get a license if you need it:

United States/Caribbean

In the United States, there are several states that don’t have any legal requirements for boat operators, however this is not the norm for the rest of the country. Most states do at least mandate a boat safety course, oftentimes depending on the operator’s age. It’s a good idea to look into individual state requirements before planning a trip. If you plan to navigate down to the Caribbean, a sailing resume should be prepared although no official certifications are required. Be ready to answer some competency questions related to handling tidal ranges and currents, safely navigating reefs, and what to do if a squall suddenly pops up.

Europe/Mediterranean

Sailing the inland waterways of Europe and around the Mediterranean require an International Certificate of Competence (ICC) or the RYA Day Skipper certification . Failure to produce proper documentation to authorities upon request could result in a fine or your vessel being impounded. Charter companies will ask for this certificate as well as your boating experience. You can apply for your ICC here .

United Kingdom

Although part of Europe, the U.K. differs to the mainland continent when it comes to yacht charter qualifications. In fact, no formal licensing is needed to sail the U.K.’s offshore waters. However, if you’re planning any inland waterway discoveries (e.g. The Broads), you’ll need a Boat Safety Scheme Certificate (BSSC) and boat insurance. If you’re tempted to hop over to France once you charter a boat in the U.K., remember that you’ll need the ICC first.

Similar to the U.S., Australia’s yacht qualifications change depending on the territory. In Queensland, no boat license is needed. Some basic boat knowledge is expected. Victoria is another story. This territory does ask skippers to have a  marine license . Make sure to check the regulations in whichever territory you plan to visit.

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia remains one of the more elusive charter destinations due to the region’s often- perceived complicated requirements. But don’t worry, there’s almost always a work around. For  example, while Indonesian and Thai regulations sound confusing, Boataffair can help you clear the obstacles and get you on your way – as long as you’re a competent boat operator. Typically, an ICC (not always necessary) coupled with adequate experience is enough to get you a charter in Southeast Asia. It’s wise to consult the charter company via Boataffair to find out if your documents and boating knowledge is up to par.

In short, it’s a good idea to obtain a certificate and formal training before chartering your own yacht. The safety of you, your passengers, and the boat is your responsibility when you get behind the wheel.

How to Get a Yacht License

If you’ve got some experience, but no credentials to back it up, you’re probably wondering how to get a yacht license. Below you’ll find some information on starting that process. 

The ICC is one of the most recognised competency certificates out there and is a good starting point for novice sailors. The ICC—a set of standards created by the United Nations under Resolution 40 and signed by mostly European countries—is basically an assurance from one government to another that the person captaining the boat is competent to do so. If you’re eligible for an ICC , earning this certificate requires passing a one day assessment administered by a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) instructor. Upon successful completion, the ICC qualifies the certificate holder to captain a sailboat up to 24 meters and/or a powerboat up to 10 meters. 

Procedures differ slightly for U.S. and Canadian citizens because these countries did not sign the Resolution 40. Americans and Canadians can still obtain an ICC, but it must be done in one of the three RYA’s North American locations; Florida, Toronto, or Halifax. If this isn’t possible, NauticEd offers an equivalent certificate accepted by every charter company and port authority in the Mediterranean; the Sailing License and Credentials (SLC).

How Long Does It Take to Learn to Sail?

If it’s your first time chartering a yacht in a destination that doesn’t require a license and you don’t have the experience or the certificates, is it possible to learn to sail in a couple hours before you shove off?

This is a question many beginners ask, and the answer is yes. Basic lessons can be completed before setting sail. Check in with Boataffair to ask if they can connect you with some local on-site lessons.

If you’re playing the long game (i.e. determined to perfect the art of sailing), RYA and the American Sailing Association (ASA) provide ample courses and certificates necessary to reach your A game.  

*******************************

So in summary, there’s no clear-cut answer when it comes to charter qualifications or license requirements; it depends on location, type of boat, local authorities and the decision of the individual charter company.

We recommend independently researching the requirements and qualifications you need to charter a yacht in the specific destination before you go. If you’re unsure, reach out to us here at Boataffair, and we will happily dig deeper and provide clarity on the technicalities that cause confusion!

You can email us at  [email protected]  if you have any questions about charter yacht skipper qualifications.

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Want to get your USCG Captain’s License? Here’s how.

By: American Sailing Standards

There are many reasons, professional and personal, to get a United States Coast Guard Captain’s License. In many cases the recreational mariner doesn’t need a USCG license, but would like to have one to improve their sailing resume, cement their knowledge of maritime rules and regulations, and pave the way toward sailing professionally.

For sailing instructors, the USCG license can often be essential. While your ASA training and certification are what prepare you to be an excellent teacher of sailing, most instructors are also legally required to have USCG captain’s license. This is due to strict rules related to carrying passengers, skippering for hire, and the type of boat involved. We created a handy chart to help determine which instructors are required to have a USCG license. In short, if you receive any compensation, if the boat has auxiliary power, and if you’re operating in USCG waters, you MUST have a captain’s license.

Whatever the reason, if you’re interested in getting a license, how do you go about it?

The most common type of license is called the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV). This allows you to operate a vessel of 100 tons or less with as many as 6 paying passengers on board. For that reasons, it’s often referred to as the “6-pack license.”

“Knowledge” refers to the test you must take in order to get your license. Be warned: this test is no walk in the park. Serious study and preparation is needed to pass it, as it will test your knowledge of seamanship, rules and regulations, navigation, and more. Taking a course is highly recommended. Select ASA schools offer USCG classes in addition to ASA curriculum. Check with the schools in your area to see if they do – if not they may be able to make a recommendation, as their instructors probably have USCG licenses!

Getting your USCG captain’s license is not easy, but if you achieve it, along with ASA certification, you will be part of an elite group of sailors with the experience and training to get the most out of the sailing lifestyle. Best of all, everyone will have to call you captain!

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INTERNATIONAL SAILING LICENSE AND CREDENTIALS (SLC™)

Enter the slc number on the holder's card or their email address to verify its authenticity and view their sailing resume, how to gain the slc™.

How to gain your SLC Mediterranean Sailing License

WHAT IS THE SLC™

The International Sailing License and Credentials (SLC) is a recreational sailing license valid for all yacht charter companies worldwide including Europe and the Seychelles. To gain an SLC, the candidate must take online theroy knowledge self-paced classes, log previous sufficient sailing experience on boats of reasonably similar size, and demonstrate practical sailing skills according to internationally established sailing standards.

• If you are verifying an SLC document that a client has presented to you, enter their SLC number above
• NauticEd is a United States Coast Guard recognized Sailing Education Body and recognized under the American National Standards by this official letter of recognition

ABOUT THE SLC™

Sufficient documented and recent experience.

An SLC holder must have logged a minimum of 50 days of sailing, 25 of which must be as master of the vessel. Additionally, the SLC card shows the vessel size endorsement. This size is calculated as the greater of either: 10 feet (3 m) greater than the largest size of vessel the holder has sailed as master of the vessel at least 5 times.

In addition to the above, when issued or re-issued, the holder must have sailed at least 10 times within the past two years or 5 times in the past year.

Practical Competence to Internationally Recognized Standards

Gaining an SLC requires an on-the-water assessment of the candidates sailing skills and knowledge. The requirements for passing the SLC assessment exceeds the requirements for the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) as well as the American National Standards. This assessment must be completed by an SLC qualified instructor who verifies the student's competence for international bareboat charter worthiness including navigation. See the SLC Sailing License Assessment rubrics here .

International Sailing Theory Knowledge and Testing

An SLC holder has completed a minimum of 40 hours of international sailing theory education and testing - namely, the NauticEd Bareboat Charter Master Bundle of courses . Topics include Skippering, Docking and Maneuvering a Sailboat Under Power, Coastal Navigation, Electronic Navigation, Anchoring, and Bareboat Chartering. And if the Catamaran vessel type is checked on the SLC, the holder has taken a course on Catamaran sailing and maneuvering and logged at least 1 day of catamaran sailing in addition to the experience requirement listed above.

Verification of Theory Knowledge

In additional to the general sailing education and testing, an SLC holder has recently taken a separate and independent 100-question test to verify their theory knowledge. This test must be taken every 3 years to remain current.

Test modules include:

• Weather and Sea Conditions
• Boat Systems
• Rigging and Sails
• Collision Prevention
• Slip Departures and Returns
• Communication
• Navigation: Charts and Marks
• Navigation: Calculations
• Navigation: Tides and Current
• Navigation: Plotting
• Navigation: Electronic
• Anchoring and Mooring
• Safety and Emergencies

Logical Safety Restrictions on Vessel Size, Type, Tonnage, and Distance

The SLC states the safety restrictions placed on the holder. These restrictions are based upon the holder's real practical experience of skippering vessels in the past such as: maximum length, type, and gross tonnage of the vessel in addition to the distance allowed off shore.

WHY THE SLC

Quite frankly, there are too many organizations "selling" certifications. This endangers the holder of those certifications, their friends, their family, close by boaters, and charter-boat vessels. This practice raises insurance rates for the responsible sailors, soaks up search and rescue resources, and gives false confidence to poorly trained and inexperienced sailors.

NauticEd takes a stand for quality and ensures its students are confident and competent. Thus, the SLC. It is a verification of the Sailing License and Credentials of a worthy sailor.

This means that the holder of an SLC has:

• a valid national government boating endorsed license
• sufficient documented on-the-water sailing experience; on a properly sized vessel
• recent documented on-the-water sailing experience
• been assessed to the ICC standard for on-the-water sailing competence
• completed and passed at least 40 hours of theory study including Coastal and Electronic Navigation
• completed a 100-question test on all aspects of skippering, sailing, bareboat chartering, and navigation
• authentic credentials; all data is secured and verified online through this portal

Finally, the SLC exceeds any other international required standard for bareboat chartering. You should extend any bareboat chartering courtesy possible to the holder.

Enter the SLC number of the card holder above to view and verify their Sailing License and Credentials as well their full sailing resume.

Back to Top | How to gain your SLC Mediterranean Sailing License

BY WHOSE AUTHORITY?

NauticEd is the only government and US Coast Guard recognized sailing body in the USA.

• This international proclamation document shows that the authority NASBLA is the sole agency in charge of issuing boating licenses in the USA.
• This official verification letter shows that NASBLA recognizes and awards NauticEd as meeting the American National Standards for sailing training and assessment.
• This NASBLA verified course approval website lists the USA sailing bodies (including NauticEd) who conform to the US Coast Guard approved American National Standard.

Thus, as a government recognized sailing body, once NauticEd deems a student has met the licensing and credential requirements above, NauticEd issues the SLC. This SLC serves as a valid Sailing License accepted internationally.

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•  /  USCG Captain’s License: Ultimate Guide

USCG Captain’s License: Ultimate Guide

When do you need a captain’s license.

Sometimes, maritime training instructors also need a captain’s license. Another reason you might need a captain’s license is for insurance purposes. Some insurance companies require that the boat has a licensed captain onboard, while others offer discounted rates.

To carry up to six paying passengers on a vessel of up to 100 gross tons you need an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) Captain License – also called a six-pack captain’s license. The 6-pack captain’s license requirements include that you are at least 18 years old. You do not have to be a U.S. citizen, but you have to provide proof of permanent U.S. residency.

If you are intending to carry more than six paying passengers you need a Master Captain’s License – the highest level captain’s license issued by the USCG. The master captain’s license requirements include that you are at least 19 years old and a U.S. citizen.

How to become a boat captain

1. captains license sea time requirements.

Sea service time can be counted from your 16 th birthday. It must be documented on the Small Vessel Sea Service Form , or detailed in a letter, and signed off by the owner/operator/master of the vessel on which you conducted the service. If you did your sea service on more than one vessel, a separate form must be used for each vessel. If you are the owner of the vessel you must present proof of ownership.

Eight hours underway (not moored or anchored) in a 24-hour period counts as one day of sea service on vessels over 100 gross tons. For vessels less than 100 gross tons, no less than four hours underway counts as a day. It is important to identify the waters (inland, great lakes or near coastal) that the vessel was operating on as this will determine the type of captain’s license you qualify for.

USCG captain’s licenses are issued to operate vessels either inland, on great lakes or near coastal. To become a boat captain on great lakes you need at least 90 days sea service time on great lakes. The sea service requirements for operating a vessel near the coast depends on whether you are applying for an OUPV Captain’s License or a Master Captain’s License .

The gross tons of the vessel is also important to document – especially when applying for a Master Captain’s License . Tonnage refers to the volume of the boat and not the weight. If the tonnage of the boat is unknown (check the vessel’s documentation), the length, width and depth can be filled in on the Small Vessel Sea Service Form in order for the USCG to calculate the tonnage. The registration/identification number of the vessel must also be provided or the USCG will not accept the sea service form.

You will be quizzed on the following sections:

• Rules of the Road (you need to correctly answer 90% of 30 questions)
• Navigation General (you need to correctly answer 70% of 30 questions)
• Chart Navigation (you need to correctly answer 70% of 10 questions)
• Deck General and Safety (you need to correctly answer 70% of 60 questions)
• For a master captain’s license : Master 25/50/100 Ton (you need to correctly answer 70% of 70 questions)

You can find up-to-date captain’s license practice test questions, released directly from the U.S. Coast Guard, at USCGQ.com .

3. Additional requirements

• Pass a physical
• Pass a drug test
• Obtain a CPR and basic first aid card
• Request a criminal background and driving record check by applying for a Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) card at the Department of Homeland Security.

• Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) Application Form ( CG-719B )
• Copy of Certificate of Training
• Copy of your CPR & First aid card (front and back)
• TWIC application receipt
• Conviction Disclosure Statement (if convicted of anything) ( CG-719C )
• Small Vessel Sea Service Form ( CG-719S )
• Medical Form ( CG-719K )
• DOT/USCG Drug Testing Form ( CG-719P )
• Receipt of payment (you can pay applicable fees at Pay.gov )

You must apply at your USCG regional exam center in person, by mail or electronically. Your application must be accompanied by photo identification.

How much does it cost to get a U.S. Coast Guard captain license?

You need to pay the USCG for the issuance of the Merchant Mariner Credential ($45) and for processing the license application ($100). If you are undertaking the examination at a USCG exam center (and not with an approved course provider) you also need to pay the examination fee ($95).

But it doesn’t end there. You need to pay the TWIC enrollment fee; for the physical exam and drug screening; and for First Aid/CPR Training.

A good tip is to submit your application to the USCG before enrolling in a course. Once the application is approved by the USCG, in terms of the required documentation, you will receive a notification indicating “Approval to Test (ATT)”. That way you can be sure your application will be approved before paying course tuition fees.

Also see USCG captain’s license renewal requirements, upgrade requirements and endorsements .

USCG License Upgrade

USCG License Renewal

USCG Captain’s License Endorsements

Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC)

USCG Master Captain’s License

USCG OUPV (Six-Pack) Captain’s License

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Yacht Crew Licenses & Certifications: Q & A

Captain Mark Fry, of International Yacht Training , answers your questions.

Q : How does one substantiate the requirement of actual cruising time as a qualification for the "6 Pak" license? I have been boating for at least the last 15 years and have substantial hours, however I never maintained a log. I am afraid that this requirement has and will keep guys like me from going for their licenses. Thanks, Dick B.

A : To substantiate sea time for the US Coastguard "6 pack" license on your own vessel, you are required to complete the "small vessel service form" from the USCG. As the owner of the yacht you can sign off your own sea time and have it notorised from someone who can substantiate it such as a dock master, yacht club commodore or such like. If you are not the owner of the boat(s) where you have done your sea time, you must, unfortunately, have each individual boat owner sign each form; then each form must be notarized. Needless to say, this can be a very difficult and tedious task.

____________________________

Q : I am interested in starting a crewed charter business either based in BVI or AVI 1) Is their any captain licence that covers both or do I need two Licences? I am currently located in Newark, DE. USA. 2) Do you have any sugestions for me as far as schools or study guide courses? 3) I have plenty of sea time but mostly on smaller yachets. How can I gain my tonnage ratings for large sailing vessels 100 - 200 Ton Master? David M.

A : It is very interesting that you have brought up this question at this time. The British Virgin Islands passed a law on Feb 1st 2005, that any vessel chartering in their waters must have a qualified Captain on board with a qualification recognised by the BVI. Here at IYT, we issue dual certification for American citizens. That is a 200 Ton Yachtmaster Offshore certificate and a USCG 200 Ton Masters license. This helps satisfy both administrations so you can work in both the BVI and the USVI. IYT holds the dual Yachtmaster course once a month in our Ft Lauderdale facility. Details of entry level requirements, course schedule and pricing can be found on our website.

Q : Is it true that boat insurance goes up dramatically when one obtains a Captains License? We have heard this, but would think that the opposite should be true - that a licensed captain should be a lower risk. Rebecca V.

A : You are absolutely correct, there are a number of companies that will give you a reduction in your boat insurance if you hold a Captain license or a recognized certificate of competency. But like car insurance, you should shop around for the best deal.

Q: How do I get an International Certificate of Competency (ICC) to charter in Spain? William C.

Here at IYT in Ft Lauderdale, we are licensed to issue ICC's on behalf of both the U.K. and the Irish Governments. Generally speaking however, you must be a resident of one of these countries in order to obtain an ICC. We are trying to find out how we can issue ICC's on behalf of the US Coastguards but so far have been unable to get a satisfactory reply. We have also requested permission from the Irish Government to issue ICC's to non-Irish residents and are currently awaiting a reply. If we get permission to issue ICC's in the US from the Irish Government, then as part of the EU this certificate will be good to charter anywhere in Europe. You will be able to obtain this certificate here is the USA. As soon as we get an answer we will update you.

Q : I'm a bit confused...."Yachtmaster" is a registered Trade Mark of the UK's Royal Yachting Association. Your website doesnt even mention the RYA and you seem to have no affiliation with it!! As a long term holder of RYA certification, I would not like to see my qualifications degraded or indeed the Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean tickets confused with anything other than the "real thing"! Tony N-W

A - Hi Tony, International Yachtmaster Training ( IYT ) is a U.S. Corporation and has absolutely nothing to do with the British recreational yachting organisation called the Royal Yachting Association or RYA. This is why there is no mention of it on our website. The term "Yachtmaster" actually belongs to the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) who were the first to coin the phrase and issue yachtmaster certificates as the Board of Trade as far back as 1932. In 1973, RYA were given permission to issue "Yachtmaster " certificates by the MCA. In 1999, International Yachtmaster Training was also given permission by the MCA to issue "MCA Recognised Yachtmaster certificates. Yachtmaster certificates are also issued by the Australian Yachting Federation, the Irish Sailing Association, the Cruising Association of South Africa and the Canadian Yachting Association although their certificates are not recognised by the MCA. All of these organisations are recreational yachting associations run by recreational yachtsmen and they issue recreational yachtmaster certificates. Some of these organisations issue yachtmaster certificates with a "commercial endorsement", and certain administrations question the authority of recreational yachting organisations to issue "commercial" certificates.

International Yachtmaster Training on the other hand, is a professional yachting organisation, fully approved by Det Norske Veritas as a Maritime Training Center of Excellence. It is run by professional yachtsmen and we issue professional, commercial Yachtmaster certificates. Our standards are higher than the other organisations including the RYA, as they are fully compliant with the International Maritime Organisation rules for the Standards of Training and Certification of Watchkeepers, or STCW as it is commonly known. IYT does not allow "direct entry" into its examination system as the RYA do, one has to actually sit our courses to obtain our certification. All of our examiners worldwide are professional mariners, not so with the RYA.

The IYT Yachtmaster program is so successful, it is now recognized by 24 Governments worldwide including not only the MCA but also the U.S. Coastguard among others. The demand for our certification as a standard of excellence is such that we now have 33 licensed schools in 20 different countries and this is growing every week. With regard to the RYA registered trademark in the U.K., it is interesting to note that the MCA, who coined the phrase, refuse to recognise the RYA registration. The "International Yachtmaster Training" name and logo, is however a federally registered trademark in the United States.

In conclusion, the IYT Yachtmaster Certificates have become the certificates of choice throughout both the professional international yachting community and recreational yachtsmen. Their compliance with the STCW convention for Basic Safety Training and insistence on completion of all aspects of the training courses ensures a well qualified individual trained to professional international standards. So Tony, when you are ready for the "real thing", contact us, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Q - I keep my boat in Belize. We plan to cruise the Caribbean in a few years (live aboard). Is there any good reason to get my 6-pack license in this case? Mark P.

A - The U.S. is the only country in the world that issues a "license" to drive a boat. All other countries issue a "certificate of competency" which includes a practical examination to prove that you are competent to command a boat. There is no reason to get your six-pack license unless you intend to operate your boat as a commercial charter boat in the US Virgin Islands. The Coast Guard License is only a requirement is you wish to carry passengers for hire or reward in the U.S. or U.S. territories. It consists of a series of multiple choice questions. It is also largely unaccepted overseas as there is no practical component to the training and no "on the water" examination. The most internationally recognised qualification for yachting is the IYT Yachtmaster certificate which also carries a reduction in your insurance if you hold such a certificate.

Q - I intend to operate a charter boat on the USVI. I heard that the USVI have special regulations, different from the USA. What kind of license is needed in those islands? Does the boat have to be US flagged? Knowing that I will be based from the USVI, am I allowed to do charterers pick ups in the BVI? Thank you very much. Joe S.

A - If you are going to be chartering in the USVI, you need to be qualified to US Coastguard standards. This would mean a "Six-Pack" license or similar to take paying passengers aboard your vessel. It is always in the best interests of your qualifications to complete the 5 day Basic STCW training courses (not the 3-day version), which will be acceptable to the BVI. With regard to where you flag the vessel, the best people to talk to are the US Virgin Islands Charter League. You can contact Pamela Wilson at 1.800.524.2061. With regards to being able to pick up charterers in the British Virgin Islands, there have been some changes recently so I would suggest you contact the British Virgin Islands Maritime Authorities for their most recent update.

Q - As a professional skipper, I have been asked several times if I could perform a wedding on my boat, which is based in US waters. If I do, can I deliver a valid wedding license? What is the real validity of this whole thing and how does it REALLY work? Or is it just a gimmick? Please elaborate since it could be an interesting marketing tool for my business. Sincerely, Capt. Gene

A - It was once possible for a ship Captain to marry people at sea. However, this is no longer the case. There are extreme cases where a couple could be married in dire circumstances such as a sinking vessel or someone about to die. But this could only be done in International waters. It is however possible to marry someone on your boat inside territorial waters (3 miles ) provided the person giving the ceremony is duly qualified to do so by the State, such as a public notary. I was married aboard a yacht 7 years ago here in Ft Lauderdale. I would suggest contacting the State authorities to find out how this could be done, it is rather good fun to do so.

Q - I am starting a Skippered Yacht Charter business in St. Vincent & the Grenadines later this year and I see a lot of comments about the "6-pak" license requirements. I am qualified to RYA Yachtmaster Offshore. Do I need any further qualifications (over the YM) to operate the business in SVG ? Graham

A - The "six-pack" license that you refer to is a U.S. Coastguard license which is required for operating vessels that carry up to six people in U.S Territorial waters. This includes the United States mainland and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It can only be taken by U.S Citizens and will be of little or no value to you in St Vincent and Grenadines.

Q - What are the qualifications needed by the different Caribbean countries to run a crewed charter yacht?

A - This is a matter for the Flag State Authority or Maritime Authority on each Island. The problem is there are many different countries involved. There are U.S. British, Dutch, French, Bahamas and all the independent islands who make their own decisions on what qualifications are acceptable for which yachts.

The qualifications will depend on the status of the yacht, whether it is private or commercial (this means engaged in trade or accepting money for a charter), the Flag State or where the yacht is registered, the tonnage of the yacht, whether it complies with a classification society for safety and construction, the number of guests it will carry, whether it is power or sail, its compliance with the code of safe working practices and sometimes the nationality of the crew and / or the number of crew it will carry.

There is also the issue of work permits from the various islands. For instance, one might be suitably qualified to run a charter yacht out of the British Virgin Islands but without a Work Permit from the V.I. Government to do so, it could mean big trouble. The same applies from the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A lot of people think that they can buy a yacht and suddenly start a charter business in the Caribbean. Having spent 6 years running commercial yachts throughout all the islands, I would strongly recommend conducting some research before embarking on such a venture.

Lastly, with regard to RYA Yachtmaster certificates, I would caution that a number of Flag States (including the French Islands) will not accept the RYA Yachtmaster certificates even with a commercial endorsement as they do not believe that a recreational sailing organisation with no quality management system and no auditing requirements in place should have the authority to issue commercial certificates. They also do not comply with the STCW convention as laid down by the International Maritime Organisation.

Before deciding to run a commercial yacht in the Caribbean, I would strongly suggest contacting the Government of the Island to find out as many rules and regulations as possible. The number of yachts doing so is strictly governed, otherwise there would be a "free for all" with no controls in place.

Q - I have limited (almost none) sailing experience. I would love to bareboat charter. How much experience is needed before a bareboat charter company will turn the boat over to you. Were do you get experience? I know a course would be in order but if I go to the expense of a course that leads to a bareboat certification is that enough?

Depending on where you live, approach a reputable sailing school (there is no other way to do this). I recommend Offshore Sailing School ( http://www.offshore-sailing.com ). They have many outlets all around the country. Or any Certified ASA school.

Q - A quetion about lowering flag from a yacht club yard arm has arisen here in Marblehead, MA. Specifically, the Canadian flag was flown from the yardarm before and during the Marblehead-to-Halifax ocean race recently. Clearly, the U.S. ensign is the last to be lowered ceremoniously, as you say. But which of the other two that flew should be lowered first, the Canadian flag or the yacht club's burgee? Bud P.

A - The flags should be lowered as follows 1) Club burgee first 2) Canadian flag second 3) US Flag last

Q - I understand that with a US flagged vessel I could operate a charter vessel outside US territorial waters without the need of the "six-pack" license, am I correct? And in the event the charter is based in one of the "non US" Caribbean Islands, is it the authority of the starting island of the charter that gives permission to Charter or do I need a permit from every other "island country" on the way, if it is different than the one at the start of the charter??

A - To run a charter yacht, you are required to comply with Flag State regulations irrespective of where in the world you operate. To operate a US flagged yacht, you would need to be US Coastguard qualified such as a 50 ton or "6 pack". Other islands have the authority to confine a charter boat to harbor if the Captain is not properly licensed. I would also doubt very much if an insurance company would insure you to operate a charter yacht without the proper license as the insurance would probably be void if there was an accident.

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Do You Really Need a Captain’s License? Here’s What You Need to Know

Do you need to be licensed as a captain to operate a boat? What’s the difference between a boat captain and a boat operator? How do you get a captain’s license if you need it, and how do you even know when you need one?

We get asked questions like this from people concerned they’re missing a license to operate their boat. Also, some are fearful that they may be at risk of fines from the Coast Guard or Marine Police for violating laws they didn’t even know existed. 

  USCG Licensing

If you operate a personal boat recreationally, you do not need a United States Coast Guard boat captain’s license. 

You do need to have a captain’s license if you plan to operate a vessel commercially. That could be anything from a chartered fishing boat where clients pay you to take them out to see so they can fish, to a tour boat operator, to the captain of a massive cruise ship.

As long as you are not accepting money to operate the boat from the people on board, you’re not considered a captain. Because you are not a captain, you do not require a captain’s license for most recreational vessels under 26 feet.

What Size Boat Requires a Captain’s License?

If you are operating a boat over 26 feet long, the United States Coast Guard requires a valid captain’s license. The larger a ship is, the harder it is to operate. 

What is a Captain’s License?

A captain’s license is a credential issued by the United States Coast Guard when you qualify to become a boat captain. There are two main kinds of licenses you can get through the USCG. These are:

• OUPV/Six-Pack
• Master License

These licenses can be obtained after learning the coursework and passing the exam to qualify. You’ll also need to meet physical requirements, pass a background check, and have logged several boating hours to qualify. The courses cost several hundred dollars, and both could set you back over $1,000.

Once you have obtained a captain’s license, you can improve upon it later by adding endorsements for things like towing or sailing .

You must have a captain’s license to operate a boat commercially. The OUVP license allows you to operate a vessel with up to six paying passengers. The Master’s License will enable you to carry six or more. 

What Does it Mean to Operate a Boat Commercially?

There are various jobs that you can do that would qualify as commercial. You don’t always have to have passengers on board to still be the boat captain who requires a license, either. Here are some examples of jobs you can do that would require you to have a captain’s license:

• Tugboat captain
• Running sea trials
• Charters for tourism or fishing
• Delivery captain transporting boats for clients
• Ferry captain

A Question from a Reader

One of our readers sent us this, representing a situation that may be more common than you think. It covers that gray area where it can be unclear whether you’re working as a captain.

“A friend of mine was boarded by the Marine Police and the Coast Guard while fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. Since he had friends on board, they separated the people and asked them if they were paying him to take them out. Of course, they were not, they were just friends on a fishing trip. 

What troubled me, and of course him, was the fact that he was told by the Coast Guard that if you share the cost of the fuel, that is considered a charter. Heck, most of us that fish all the time together share in the cost of the fishing with one another. Is this statement made by the Coast Guard true and could he have been fined for not having a captain’s license if his friends decided to help pay for some of his fuel costs? What regulations cover these sorts of rules, for if this is true a lot of us are in trouble.”

What is a Passenger for Hire?

It can be very confusing to know what is meant by ‘passenger for hire.’ Luckily, the term is clearly defined, as stated below.

• SEC. 506. PASSENGER FOR HIRE .
• Section 2101 of Title 46, United States Code, is amended by inserting between paragraphs (21) and (22) a new paragraph (21a) to read as follows:
• “(21a) ‘passenger for hire’ means a passenger for whom consideration is contributed as a condition of carriage on the vessel, whether directly or indirectly flowing to the owner, charterer, operator, agent, or any other person having an interest in the vessel..”
• DESCRIPTION – The determination of what constitutes the carriage of a “passenger for hire” must be made on a case by case basis. This determination is dependent upon the actual operation of a vessel and the flow of consideration as determined by the facts of each case. In general, there needs to be some form of tangible consideration or promise of performance being passed for a “passenger for hire” situation to exist.
• SEC. 507. CONSIDERATION 
• Section 2101 of Title 46, United States Code, is amended by inserting between paragraphs (5) and (6) a new paragraph (5a) to read as follows:
• “(5a) ‘consideration’ means an economic benefit, inducement, right, or profit including pecuniary payment accruing to an individual, person, or entity, but not including a voluntary sharing of the actual expenses of the voyage, by monetary contribution or donation of fuel, food, beverage, or other supplies.” Additionally, employees or business clients that have not contributed for their carriage, and are carried for morale or entertainment purposes, are not considered as an exchange of consideration.

In a nutshell, this means a passenger for hire would not be on the boat if they weren’t paying to be there. They’re not a friend or family member or invited guest; they are a client or customer. 

What Happens If You Operate a Commercial Vessel Without a Captain’s License?

In 2015, the United States Coast Guard began cracking down on non-commercial vessels operating as charter boats. If you get caught taking money from passengers on a vessel that isn’t licensed, there can be severe penalties. Aside from potential criminal charges that can be laid if a paying passenger were injured or killed, boat owners and operators can be fined as much as $35,000 per day for violations. 

The Bottom Line

If you are operating a boat under 26 ft recreationally, you probably do not need a captain’s license. Many boaters get a captain’s license to improve their knowledge and skill set. Also, there’s some cache that comes along with being able to call yourself a captain legally.

As long as you are not charging passengers to be on your boat, then you don’t technically need to have a captain’s license. If you’re out on a boat with friends and everybody is chipping and money for gas and food, that doesn’t count as having paying passengers. In that case, you would not need a boat captain’s license either.

About Chris

Outdoors, I’m in my element, especially in the water. I know the importance of being geared up for anything. I do the deep digital dive, researching gear, boats and knowhow and love keeping my readership at the helm of their passions.

Categories : nauticalknowhow

Todd Feinroth on October 25, 2023

If I have a 24 foot powerboat and I want to take paying passengers do I still need an OUPV license?

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Do I need a sailing license to charter?

Are you ready to book your first sailing charter vacation? Or perhaps you’re a returning guest and need to determine whether you’re a qualified skipper? If you haven’t yet acquired a formal sailing license, is your experience enough to skip the hired captain on your next charter? 

Let us walk you through the various scenarios. First of all, not all destination countries require formal sailing credentials. But when you book with Navigare in our Mediterranean destinations like Croatia , Greece , and Spain , as well as Sweden and Seychelles , you will be asked to produce an official license that we must submit to the local port authorities ahead of your departure. In Croatia, you are also formally required to hold a radio (VHF) license. 

In our other destinations in Thailand , the Bahamas , and the Caribbean, Navigare will require a sailing resume demonstrating your sailing knowledge and experience . 

To ensure the safety of our guests and our fleet, we’ve summarized below what is acceptable documentation for a bareboat yacht charter. It comes down to providing proof of your skills and experience, as well as proper licensing where the destination country requires it.

What are formal sailing credentials?

There are three forms of formal sailing credentials, referred to as licenses; the following are accepted in Europe for recreational bareboat yacht charter sailing:

The International Certificate of Competence (ICC)

The international proficiency certificate (ipc), the international sailing license and credentials (slc).

An International Certificate of Competence (ICC) is a certificate, which may be issued to those who complete certain national boating licenses or pass an examination to prove the necessary competence for pleasure craft operation. ICC is the only sailing license approved by the United Nations as a legitimate recreational sailing license under Resolution 40. European countries that signed the resolution have each appointed an official sailing body in their own country to issue the ICC. 

In the UK, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) issues the ICC. 

Although the U.S. and Canada are not signatories to Resolution 40, the RYA is still able to issue the ICC for U.S. and Canadian citizens. The downside, however, is that you have to find an RYA school. There are only four RYA schools in North America (one in the U.S. and 3 in Canada).

In most countries, you can get an ICC by getting the right national boating licenses. After that, you can apply for an ICC with the right authorities, or you automatically get the ICC if it's integrated with the national license. 

The American Sailing Association (recently renamed “American Sailing”), offers the ASA training and certification program which has been around since the 1980s. It offers an IPC which can, in some instances, take the place of an ICC. ASA offers the IPC for a small fee for any student who has completed coursework through ASA Bareboat 104. US Sailing also offers the IPC after completion of their bareboat handling courses. The IPC and ICC are not interchangeable in the eyes of European governments but most yacht charter companies with European charter bases will accept either.

Did you know that Navigare Yachting in the Bahamas is an ASA school? Connect with your Navigare charter specialist to learn more. We also offer a two-week sailing school option in Croatia every summer. To learn more, visit our sailing school page.

NauticEd's International Sailing License and Credentials (SLC) is another good option. The SLC is a valid international sailing license. It's probably the easiest and least expensive option for US residents.

NauticEd , founded in 2008, is a training and certification body recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard and NASBLA (the boater licensing authority accepted by each state). 

To obtain NauticEd’s SLC, you’ll take NauticEd's Bareboat Charter Master Course with about 40 hours of online instruction and an on-the-water assessment of competence with a NauticEd Instructor. The SLC is accepted by all yacht charter companies and European port authorities and is additionally written on the official ministry list of acceptable licenses in Croatia.

If you wish to get your SLC while sailing in BVI, don't hesitate to get in touch with your Navigare charter specialist for assistance. 

Submitting the required documentation

In doubt, please don’t hesitate to contact Navigare Yachting before booking your bareboat charter anywhere in the world. We will advise you on what documentation is required for bareboat chartering in the country where you wish to sail. 

When you contact us, we will ask you to submit your sailing resume , or a sailing license (or both). You should prepare one for yourself and your first mate detailing your history of sailing experience and any certifications or licenses you hold.

If your sailing experience is deemed insufficient, Navgiare reserves the right to place a hired skipper on your vessel at your cost, pending skipper availability.

If the charter company requires a license and you don't have one, you'll be denied the ability to bareboat. In that case, you can either try to obtain a license before chartering or you might even consider different countries that may be less restrictive.

If you wish to acquire a formal sailing license, you may be interested in our Croatia sailing school .

Note: A U.S. Coast Guard OUPV license (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels, known as a “six-pack”) or Master’s license is not accepted as a formal sailing license. 

Sailing credentials aren’t enough

While sailing certification can be a great start, no license will be a substitute for skill and experience on the water. Without practical experience on vessels of similar size to the one you plan on chartering, your sailing credential will do little in the way of ensuring the safety of the vessel and your passengers. This is why most yacht charter companies require a current sailing resume in addition to the sailing license that may be required in your destination. 

Sailing skills you should master through on-water practice before you skipper your next charter include docking, maneuvering in tight quarters, knot tying, reefing, anchoring and mooring (including Mediterranean mooring), and heavy weather sailing, plotting a course, understanding, and troubleshooting marine systems, and seeking emergency assistance. 

While obtaining your certification will “check a box”, nothing will replace hands-on experience. Until you’re able to captain your bareboat vessel, you may have to hire a professional skipper or ask a more experienced sailor friend to tackle the job.

Investigate before you book your charter!

Before you commit to your next bareboat charter, we urge you to consult Navigare Yachting and our charter specialists. We will help you navigate the requirements of your destination. Some countries have some additional requirements; for example, Croatia requires a VHF license.

Then check online resources like NauticEd.org , RYA.org.uk , as well as ASA.com , and ussailing.org for the best way to gain a license that suits your needs. 

Take the requirements of sailing credentials seriously and work on your resume ahead of time, or you may end up losing time and money; who wants to start their sailing vacation by getting denied a boat upon arrival? Planning will prevent a last-minute scramble to hire a professional captain.

We can’t wait to see you sailing with us!

Do you have any questions? Ask away! We are here for you.

Request info, yacht charter request.

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Which USCG Captain’s License Should You Choose?

February 18, 2024

Captain's License: Which License Should I Go For?

↓ watch the video ↓.

Common Questions About Choosing the Right Type of Captain's License

1 which uscg captain's license should you get.

The staff at Mariners Learning System recommends that you seek the highest level license you can qualify for . There are a couple of options depending on your citizenship status and boating experience.

To learn more, see our  One Minute Guide: Which Captain's License is Best For You?

2 WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF CAPTAIN'S LICENSES? 

The two main types of captain’s licenses issued by the Coast Guard are the Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels , also known as the Six-Pack or charter boat captain’s license, and the 25, 50, or 100-Ton Master License.

The Six-Pack Captain’s License allows the holder to carry up to six paying passengers plus crew on uninspected vessels up to 100 gross tons, hence the term six-pack. These are usually recreational vessels that are normally engaged in charter fishing, scuba diving, or tour cruises.

The 25, 50, or 100-Ton Master License allows the holder to operate inspected and uninspected vessels. Any vessel authorized to carry more than six paying passengers must have a captain who holds a Master's license on board. Ferry boats, harbor tour boats, whale-watching boats, and water taxis are examples of inspected vessels.

3 WHAT ENDORSEMENTS CAN YOU ADD TO YOUR CAPTAIN'S LICENSE?

Two additional endorsements can be added to your USCG captain's license. The Towing Endorsement may be issued to those who hold a Six-Pack or Master license and would like to engage in assisting vessels for a fee. To commercially assist other vessels that may be aground, disabled, out of fuel, or experiencing some other malfunction requires an endorsement for commercial assistance towing.

Licensed Masters may also be endorsed for sail or auxiliary sail as appropriate. This endorsement authorizes the holder to operate inspected sale or auxiliary sailing vessels within the scope and limitations of their license.

Whether you're a sailor chasing the wind, a power boater in search of the next big fish, or a cruiser looking for the perfect sunset, earning your captain's license will open the door to new opportunities.

One Minute Guide: Which Captain's License is Best For You?

4 DO YOU NEED A CAPTAIN'S LICENSE TO BE A FISHING CHARTER?

Yes, if you want to be the captain of a fishing boat with paying passengers, you need a USCG captain’s license. To be a fishing guide for up to six passengers, you can obtain an OUPV/Six-Pack captain’s license. To be the captain of a ship with more than six paying passengers, a Master's license is necessary.

The key is that if you plan to take paying passengers on waterways navigable by the Army Corps of Engineers (which includes most U.S. waterways), then yes, a captain's license is required.

5 SAILBOAT CAPTAIN'S LICENSE VS. ASA AND US SAILING COURSES

The American Sailing Association (ASA) and the US Sailing Association both provide sailing certification programs. These programs are different from taking a course for the USCG Sailing Endorsement, which can be added to your captain's license. The Mariners Learning System Auxiliary Sailing Endorsement - Online Course and Exam will prepare you for this certification, whereas ASA and US Sailing courses will not.

GET READY FOR YOUR PATH TO OBTAINING A CAPTAIN'S LICENSE

• Read our article:  Can You Drive a Boat Without a License? Here’s the Answer…
• Take our product quiz to find the course you need
• Purchase the  OUPV/Six-Pack Captain’s License - Online Course and Exam or  25/50 or 100-Ton Master Captain’s License - Online Course and Exam

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Do You Need a License to Drive a Yacht?

Owning a yacht embodies luxury, freedom, and adventure on the open waters. However, amid the allure of yacht ownership, there's a critical aspect often overlooked—the necessity of possessing a valid yacht license. This article delves into why having a license to drive a yacht is indispensable for aspiring owners. But do you need a license to drive a yacht? The team at Yacht Management , a leading provider of yacht maintenance services, provides all the information you need to know here.

What to Know About Yacht Ownership

What to Know About Yacht Ownership As a leading yacht maintenance company, we understand that yacht ownership represents the epitome of luxury and an unparalleled sense of freedom in the realm of maritime indulgence. It embodies an aspirational lifestyle coveted by many, symbolizing not just a possession but being amid a world of opulence and unparalleled experiences.

The allure of owning a yacht extends beyond mere ownership. It encapsulates the spirit of adventure and the thrill of exploration on the open seas. Picture the sheer liberation of charting your course, unfettered by land-bound constraints, navigating through pristine waters to your chosen destinations. It's a lifestyle that harmonizes luxury with the freedom to explore remote coves, pristine islands, and exotic locales, all within the sanctum of your private vessel.

Yacht ownership is more than a status symbol; it's a gateway to a unique way of life where one can escape the ordinary and immerse oneself in the extraordinary. The sensation of being surrounded by boundless azure horizons, the sun painting the sky in hues of gold during sunset cruises, and the gentle rhythm of waves against the hull—all contribute to an unmatched sense of liberation and tranquility.

Owning a yacht brings unparalleled freedom, allowing one to embrace the spontaneity of travel and the luxury of seafaring without limitations. It's an embodiment of personal expression, where the yacht becomes an extension of one's identity, reflecting individual tastes and desires amidst the vast expanse of the ocean.

Being a yacht owner is not solely about possessing a magnificent vessel; it's an invitation to a lifestyle where luxury, adventure, and the boundless freedom of the seas converge, creating an experience that transcends the ordinary and defines the extraordinary. But do you need a license to drive a yacht and make the lifestyle your everyday experience?

Why Having a License for a Yacht Is So Important

There is more to know beyond answering the question, "Do you need a license to drive a yacht?" Knowing why you want one to be in your possession is important. Below are some of the main points our yacht service experts want you to remember. 

Legal Compliance and Regulations of a Florida Boating License

The operation of a yacht demands meticulous adherence to a myriad of legal frameworks and maritime regulations. These encompass licensing requirements, registration obligations, and adherence to safety standards stipulated by international and regional maritime bodies. Understanding and complying with these legal mandates is not merely a formality. It is the cornerstone of responsible yachting. Moreover, a profound comprehension of maritime laws ensures the safety of all onboard, mitigating risks and fostering a secure environment for crew and passengers alike.

Mastery of Navigation at Sea

Navigating a yacht presents unique challenges that demand a comprehensive grasp of navigation techniques. Unlike land-based travel, yachting requires proficiency in understanding nautical charts, interpreting weather patterns, and employing navigation tools specific to maritime environments. Mastering these skills is imperative for ensuring safe passage, efficient handling of the vessel, and the ability to navigate diverse and often unpredictable waterways.

Handling Emergencies at Sea The vastness of the seas brings with it the potential for unforeseen emergencies. From inclement weather conditions to mechanical failures, being equipped to address these difficulties is non-negotiable. A thorough understanding of emergency protocols, swift decision-making in crisis scenarios, and possessing the skill set to manage emergencies effectively are paramount. Whether it involves first aid proficiency, knowledge of distress signals, or executing evacuation procedures, preparedness is vital to ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone aboard. Do you need a license to drive a yacht and handle these emergencies? The experience comes with the practice that only a license will present to you.

Obtaining a license to drive a yacht extends far beyond a legal requirement. It embodies a commitment to safety, proficiency, and responsible seamanship. Mastery of maritime laws, navigation skills, and preparedness in handling emergencies form the bedrock of a conscientious and adept yacht operator, ensuring not just compliance but also the safety and security of all involved in the yachting experience.

The Process of Obtaining a Florida Yacht License  "Do you need a license to drive a yacht?" This question often marks the outset of one's journey toward navigating the world's waters aboard one's own vessel. Addressing this query initiates a multifaceted process involving stringent prerequisites and comprehensive training to ensure the mastery of essential skills integral to responsible yacht operation. Our yacht care professionals are masters in all things related to navigation. Here, they present things you must know when you are undergoing the process of obtaining your license.

Florida Boat License Requirement and Training Acquiring a yacht license requires fulfilling specific prerequisites that vary depending on the region and the license type sought. Typically, applicants must meet age requirements, undergo a thorough medical examination to ensure physical fitness and complete a specified number of logged sea hours. A fundamental understanding of maritime laws and navigation principles is also essential through formal education or training courses.

Training programs for yacht licensing encompass a comprehensive curriculum covering seamanship, navigation techniques, safety protocols, and emergency procedures. These programs, often conducted by certified maritime institutions or accredited training centers, offer theoretical instruction complemented by practical, hands-on experience aboard vessels. They equip aspiring yacht operators with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate, operate, and manage a yacht proficiently and safely.

Variations of the License for Boating in Florida  Yacht licenses vary in scope and designation, catering to different yacht sizes, navigational zones, and purposes. Common categories include licenses for recreational yachts, commercial vessels, and specific endorsements for operating in coastal or open waters. Licenses may also differ based on propulsion systems, accommodating both sail and motor yachts. The scope ranges from inland waterways to unrestricted navigation in international waters, reflecting varying degrees of competency and experience required for each category.

Beyond the fundamental yacht license, endorsements or supplementary certifications augment an operator's skill set. These endorsements often focus on specialized areas such as offshore sailing, handling specific types of vessels, or certifications in advanced navigation techniques. Additionally, safety and first aid, radio operation, or environmental stewardship certifications further enhance an operator's capabilities and preparedness, ensuring a comprehensive skill set for navigating diverse yachting scenarios.

Obtaining a yacht license involves meeting prerequisites, undergoing rigorous training, and selecting the appropriate license category tailored to one's yachting ambitions. Furthermore, pursuing endorsements and supplementary certifications enriches an operator's proficiency and preparedness, ensuring a well-rounded skill set for navigating the complexities of yachting.

Get in Touch With a Leader Among Yacht Maintenance Companies

Do you need a license to drive a yacht? Yes! It won't only prove essential in legal and regulatory matters. It will also provide the necessary experience and practice to captain a vessel confidently.

But if you're seeking a partner to care for your watercraft, don't settle for just any South Florida yacht maintenance company. Team up with the experts at Yacht Management for unmatched care. If you're interested in learning more, feel free to reach out to our team today or call our team directly to speak with a representative today.

Be sure to also take a look at our yachting blog for a deep dive into several topics our professionals regularly cover. Take your yachting experience to the next level with the help of seasoned experts who call the ocean home and their clients a commitment to excellence that will be met.

Related Readings:

• A Beginner’s Guide to Boat Navigation
• The Art of Luxury Yacht Provisioning
• Reasons to Hire a Boat Captain

For all inquiries, fill out the form below and a member of our team will respond as soon as possible

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If you haven’t heard yet – You now must have a Sailing License for chartering a sailboat in the Mediterranean. No matter how much experience you have and no matter who you are, you have to have a license. Why? Just do! Don’t believe us? Call any yacht charter company. Most will refer you back to NauticEd because we have the simplest, quickest and least expensive solution; the SLC.

What is the SLC? The SLC stands for Sailing License and Credentials. It is a sailing license that is accepted for bareboat yacht chartering in the Mediterranean.  Chartering in the Mediterranean requires more than a certification – a true license is required. But be careful with licenses issued by other sailing associations. Some licenses are not accepted and some associations issue a license without requiring proper experience. Genuine knowledge and experience is required along with the license. That’s why NauticEd requires knowledge learning and testing, skills assessment, and logged experience along with appropriate licensure prior to being awarded the SLC.

How to gain your SLC Mediterranean Sailing License?

Gaining the SLC is a relatively quick and simple process!

• The first thing you need to do is to Sign in to your NauticEd account (it’s free and easy to create if you don’t already have one). As a bonus, you will get two free sailing courses and a free sailor’s online logbook.
• Now, just follow the steps below.

SLC Requirements and 1-2-3 Steps

(1) online courses and tests.

Complete the NauticEd online Bareboat Charter Master bundle of courses including the associated online tests ($175). Take the tests as many times as you like for as long as you like. Start-stop anywhere. There are no extra fees if you fail or take too long. If you’re confident with the material, you can always jump to the test at the end of each module. (The Captain bundle of courses also qualifies since the Captain bundle includes all the Bareboat Charter Master courses).

Complete a comprehensive free online NauticEd  SLC exam covering all aspects of sailing, navigating, and bareboat chartering.

(2) STATE BOATER SAFETY CARD, PCOC, GOVERNMENT BOATER LICENSE

In the USA, you must gain your State Boater Safety Card (it’s free) and take the online course for your state. If your state is not listed, take any state license as there is reciprocity acceptance between the states. If you have a current US Coast Guard Captain License, upload this instead.

In Canada, obtain your PCOC.

In other countries, If your country requires you to have a boater license, upload a front and back image to the NauticEd International Sailing License page in your portal.

(3) PRACTICAL SAILING EXPERIENCE

Under your free NauticEd account, there is an electronic logbook. Make entries of your past sailing experience starting with your most recent and working backward in time. The SLC requires at least 50 days (a day being 4 hours minimum) of experience, 25 of which must be as master of the vessel and 25 must be on a boat greater than 28 ft (8.6 m).

Plus you must have recent experience upon issuance or re-issue of the license: either 5 days in the past year or 10 days in the past 2 years.

(4) SLC ON-THE-WATER ASSESSMENT

The SLC requires you to complete and pass a one-day (6-hours typically) on-the-water assessment of your skills and knowledge with an SLC-approved assessor. You will be tested on your sailing ability and competence on a variety of topics including docking using spring lines, Mediterranean mooring, and person overboard.

You will also do a 45-minute written on-the-boat theory assessment test covering navigation, plotting courses, tides, understanding ColRegs, meanings of ATONs, IALA-A vs IALA-B. Everything in this test is in the online courses so as long as you are fresh on those concepts, you will not have an issue with this written on-the-boat theory assessment test.

You can review everything you will be assessed on when you sign in under your curriculum tab under the OTW (on-the-water) Assessment section for the SLC and Bareboat Charter Master. DO NOT assume that the assessment is a passing grade based on attendance. Assessors have failed people once it is discovered that they are not competent and just trying to wing it.

The assessor will charge you for their time and boat expenses. Typically this is in the range of $125 per hour if using an assessor with a boat, or if you need to day charter a boat plus pay separately for the assessor, it will be more expensive. Many times, the assessor can do the assessment on your own boat (30ft – 9m +) or perhaps you have a friend with a boat that might join you for the day. Just remember, assessors are professionals and need to be paid for their time – tips are also appreciated.

Find Schools and Instructors/Assessors who can do the assessment on the Sailing Schools link on NauticEd.  Those that are authorized have an SLC icon associated.

 – OPTIONAL CATAMARAN ENDORSEMENT

If you complete the online Catamaran course ($27) and log experience on a large catamaran (38 ft plus), you will be awarded a valid catamaran qualification on your SLC document. To upgrade this to a Catamaran Endorsement, simply additionally do an assessment of catamaran skills on the water with a Catamaran qualified SLC assessor.

(5) SLC FEE

The fee for the SLC sailing license is $95.

• If you are getting lost or trying to understand the SLC and its process, go to our intelligent support system where hundreds of questions are answered. You simply type a question in the search bar and the relevant answers will come up.
• Additionally, our resume-building software is smart. It follows your achievements above and automatically checks off the items. To view this, click on the big International Sailing License button (2 buttons below the Curriculum button). This will bring you to a page listing the requirements to gain the SLC. Items on the list automatically go green as you complete each item. Once all items are completed, the SLC is automatically and instantly issued to you for download.  The License is presented in multiple languages for convenience for presentation to the port authorities and yacht charter company.

If you’re a little lost in the process, watch this video.

FAQ’s?

What is the “government required license” part of the slc.

When a country (such as Croatia or Greece etc.) has a license requirement,   you must be able to legally sail in your own country to legally sail in their country. This is called reciprocity – much like airline pilots and commercial shipping captains only hold a license in their own country not every country in the world. In the United States, to legally sail in every state and territory, you must hold a state boater safety card. Thus, to properly satisfy this part of the license you must obtain: for the USA, a state boater safety card (free at www.boatus.org/free – if your state is not listed you can do any state); For  Canada – a PCOC. Or for any other country, it is your local license that allows you to go boating (some countries have no requirement).

Can I see an example SLC?

Simply go to our SLC page . On that page enter the example student Joe Sailor’s ID number “63302191” and Joe Sailor’s secret logbook code – “mycode”.

You will then see Joe’s downloadable long-form PDF in multiple languages and you will also be able to download the SLC pocket-size card.

How Long Will It Take?

The Course materials will take approximately 40 hours to complete. This can be done faster if you are already knowledgeable. You can at any time during the course, jump to the test.

The one-day assessment will take … one day (actually, 6 hours on the water. But then there is drive time and whatnot so … it’s a day!).

Once all the conditions are met, the license is issued immediately in real-time and ready for immediate download.

How do I get started?

Simply set up a free account

How long is the SLC Valid?

The SLC is valid for 3 years and is easily renewable. To renew, log 10 sailings in the past 2 years or 5 in the past year and retake and pass the free SLC exam. The renewal cost is $45 for an additional 3 years.

Is this the same as the ICC?

The SLC is not the ICC (the United Nations created the International Certificate of Competence), but for all intent and purposes, it works just as well. While NauticEd can facilitate you getting the ICC through our alliance with the esteemed UK Royal Yachting Association (RYA), it can be impractical for most North Americans because there are only 3 schools in North America (2 schools in Canada (Halifax and Toronto) and one in the USA (Miami)). Thus, for most people, the SLC is much more accessible since there are many schools able to perform the required 1-day assessment of sailing skills.

Where is my SLC stored?

Once issued, the SLC is available to you 24/7 in your cloud-based NauticEd account. The software will issue the License immediately upon completing all the requirements.

What if I already have sailing knowledge and/or sailing certifications?

We respect your existing knowledge and thus we don’t condescendingly make your start at the start and make you do basic training if you are already experienced and skillful. Rather, you can jump in at any level and just pass all the online exams and do the on-the-water assessment without training. Many schools offer, what we call, a rust-removal day prior to the assessment day. This ensures you can pass the assessment requirements. e.g. Can you Mediterranean moor in a crosswind? Can you dock and leave the dock using spring lines? Can you sail up to a mooring ball and stop?  Give a tide range, can you calculate the depth at a certain time of the day? If you are rusty, we recommend a rust removal day ( Additionally both of these days, rust removal and assessment, will count towards your recent 5-day requirement above).

What Schools can perform the SLC one-day on-the-water assessment?

On our sailing schools page, look for the SLC logo associated with each school. If you can not find one close to you, contact us since our network of schools is growing fast and changes weekly.

What am I tested on in the one-day on-the-water Assessment?

When you sign in or sign up as a free student, under “curriculum”, you will see the OTW practical assessment for the SLC. It is not to be taken lightly. You had better be strong on sailing, maneuvering to the dock and in the marina, anchoring, mooring, safety, rules, lights and sounds, navigation marks, IALA-A and IALA-B, Navigation plotting, and tides as some examples. Don’t worry all the theory work is covered in the required Bareboat Charter Master bundle of courses  online.

How do I present my SLC to the Yacht Charter Company and/or Port Authorities?

Direct the Yacht Charter Company to the official SLC page (www.nauticed.org/SLC) and give them your unique SLC #ID which is embossed on your SLC document along with your secret logbook code. When they enter these into the SLC page, your SLC license is presented to them. Your logbook code is a code you make up and enter under your profile. This process gives you privacy with the ability to share your information only with those you desire. And/or you can print out your SLC and take it with you.

By whose Authority is the SLC issued?

NauticEd is the only government-recognized and US Coast Guard recognized sailing body in the USA.

This  international proclamation document  shows that the authority NASBLA is the sole agency in charge of issuing boating licenses in the USA.

This  official verification letter  shows that NASBLA recognizes and awards NauticEd as meeting the American National Standards for sailing training and assessment.

This  NASBLA verified course approval website lists the USA sailing bodies (including NauticEd) that conform to the US Coast Guard approved American National Standard.

Thus, as a government-recognized sailing body, once NauticEd deems a student has met the licensing and credential requirements above, NauticEd issues the SLC. This SLC serves as a valid Sailing License accepted internationally.

Do yacht charter companies accept the SLC?

Here is a snapshot from the Moorings website showing that the SLC is one of the Licenses accepted along with the ICC.

I am not an American Citizen. Can I still get the SLC?

Yes. The SLC is an international sailing license. It demonstrates that you can legally sail in your own country AND that you hold the credentials of a knowledgeable and experienced sailor who has been assessed to international standards. In the USA, to legally sail in every state and territory, you must hold a state boater license card. The SLC validates this. Canadians must hold a PCOC (Pleasure Craft Operators Certificate) in order to gain an SLC. For other countries, ensure you upload the legal document that allows you to operate in your country.

What about the VHF requirements?

When you pass the Bareboat Charter course, a VHF endorsement stamp is added to your NauticEd certificate. The SLC license also shows a VHF-cleared stamp.

Grrrr! Why do I need a license?

Times change and unfortunately, the answer is the same answer as  – why do you need to pay taxes? You just do!   Years (and years) ago, no one needed a driver’s license.

Fortunately, NauticEd has made the process simple and has achieved the proper country sign-offs for you. Yet we have also made it responsible. We will not issue a license to just anyone. Rather, we’d prefer to say you don’t qualify if you are not fully competent. We are not a credit card certification factory like some associations. we don’t issue certifications of attendance and we refuse to go down that road. We issue certifications and licenses based on COMPETENCE. You simply must have the proper amount of experience, skills, and knowledge for us to put our credibility on the line.

Why does a resume trump a certification?

What if I don’t have enough experience as the SLC requires?

Got another question?

Email us and we will be happy to answer it plus we will put the question and answer on this page.

My vision for NauticEd is to provide the highest quality sailing and boating education available - and deliver competence wherever sailors live and go.

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NauticEd is a fully recognized education and certification platform for sailing students combining online and on-the-water real instruction ( and now VR ). NauticEd offers +24 online courses , a free sailor's toolkit that includes 2 free courses, and six ranks of certification – all integrated into NauticEd’s proprietary platform. The USCG and NASBLA recognize NauticEd as having met the established American National Standards. Learn more at www.nauticed.org .

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Understanding the 12-Guest Rule for Yacht Charters

Maritime regulations pose limits on guest numbers

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By Editorial Team   24 January 2023

"Why is there a 12-guest limit on the yacht I want to rent?" is a commonly-asked question among charterers considering booking a crewed yacht vacation for the first time. To help explain why the majority of charter yachts, regardless of size, have a 12-guest limit, we've outlined the reasons and some points to consider before booking a yacht vacation.

In this article:

12-guest limit on yacht charters explained

What is the reg yacht code, what does this mean for yacht charters, can i secure a yacht charter for more than 12 guests, tandem yacht charters, need more yacht charter advice.

In general, the number of guests allowed on board a charter yacht depends on the license it holds to carry passengers for yacht charters. This can be anything from 4 up to a maximum of 12 guests, usually commensurate with the size of the yacht.

If you are looking to entertain extended family, host your huge social circle for the vacation of a lifetime, or a mix of the two, you might be wondering why most charter yachts do not allow a higher number of guests, regardless of their size. Even for seasoned charterers, the limits can still be a point of contention.

This is largely to do with international maritime regulations, as yachts that carry more than 12 guests are legally considered to be passenger ships, which means they have to meet a different set of criteria to cruise at sea under the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC).

In 2017, the PYC was replaced with the Red Ensign Group (REG) Yacht Code , developed to be more specifically geared towards the superyacht industry.

This code sets out the technical, safety and operational standards for a yacht, including the number of passengers allowed on board. As a result, the code is made up of two parts;

• Part A – (updated version of the Large Yacht Code - LY3) applies to yachts 24 meters and over in load line length, in commercial use for sport or pleasure, do not carry cargo and not more than 12 passengers.
• Part B – (the updated version of the Passenger Yacht Code - PYC) applies to pleasure yachts of any size, in private use or engaged in trade (commercial charter), which carry more than 12 but not more than 36 passengers, and do not carry cargo.  

The REG Yacht Code Part B is a superyacht alternative to full compliance with the Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) convention. The latter is a set of rules applicable to most merchant or cruise ships.

The REG criteria for yachts carrying more than 12 passengers sets out strict rules governing design and construction standards, as well as other important safety measures.

Yachts will usually need to undergo rigorous testing, extensive surveying, hire more crew and may even need to be completely refitted. Unsurprisingly, this can be inconvenient, time-consuming and often prohibitively expensive for the owner.

Consequently, many yacht owners decide to keep the maximum number of guests onboard to 12 (plus crew) for chartering. 

This means, for example, that an 80-meter yacht with 8 staterooms may well have the ability to sleep 16 guests while in private use, but on a commercial charter is only allowed to sleep 12 guests. 

There is a fairly healthy selection of yachts available for charter that can sleep more than 12 guests on board. That said, if you are interested in securing one for your next yacht charter, it would be wise to inform your broker of your guest numbers as far in advance as possible as demand for these yachts can be high.

If you do not secure a luxury yacht rental that accommodates all of your party, tandem yacht charters are a popular alternative.

A tandem charter involves two or more vessels being booked together, and can provide a lot more flexibility. For example, guests may decide to split itineraries between yachts for particular activities (one yacht could take a group sport-fishing, the other for a day's pampering) or divide the yachts up between adults and younger ones (with accompanying staff, if applicable).

For more advice on booking a luxury yacht charter , please speak with your preferred yacht broker . Whether you are looking for assistance on booking a charter suitable for 12 guests or under, or for a vessel that can cater to a much larger party, a broker will be able to carefully curate a vacation entirely to your needs and requirements.

Take a look at our advice guides for more information on chartering a superyacht, covering everything from charter contracts to yacht vacation packing tips.

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