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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING FLAGSHIP'S MOST POPULAR COURSE - OUPV
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
Flagship's
OUPV course of instruction satisfies a portion of the requirements for earning the USCG OUPV license and is required
by law for some maritime professionals. The course prepares boaters for operating charter businesses, such as fishing and
river guides, dinner cruises, sunset sailing, water taxis, and parasail operations, to name a few. It also
is a prerequisite for Flagship's Upgrade to Master 100 Ton course. Designed to increase the knowledge and safety of
recreational boaters, successful completion of this course may also reduce insurance rates on personal boats.
WHAT
DOES THE TUITION INCLUDE?
56 hours of instruction,
course materials, a detailed student workbook, examinations, and the following reference materials:
- Chart 12221 TR
- Universal Plotting Sheets
- COMDTINST
M16672.2D Navigation Rules International – Inland
- COMTPUB P16721.6A Merchant Marine Deck Exam Illustration
Book
- Relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR’s)
- Navigation reference book – Light
Lists and Coast Pilots excerpts
The tests administered are each USCG-approved examinations, which means participants
successfully completing this battery of tests will not have to take any additional examinations at a USCG Regional Exam Center
following the course. There are four areas examined, including subjects such as navigation and charting, international
and inland rules of the road, deck seamanship, safety and environmental issues.
IS
THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO BRING?
Fine tipped mechanical
or sharp #2 pencils, an art quality eraser, parallel rulers, dividers, a calculator, reading glasses or magnifier for chart
work, high-liters, and blank index cards.
DO
I COME AWAY WITH A USCG LICENSE?
No, students who
successfully complete the course are awarded a certificate that attests that (a) they completed the course of instruction,
and (b) they passed each of the four USCG-approved examination modules.
THEN WHAT WOULD I NEED TO DO TO GET MY LICENSE AFTERWARDS?
Start the process of assembling your submittal package. In addition to the training certificate awarded by the instructor, each applicant must provide the following
in their submittal package to the USCG, within one year of course completion:
- Minimum
age 18 years
- Proof of US citizenship or legal resident
- Small Vessel Sea Service form
- Social
Security card
- Three character references
- Current within 12 months First Aid/CPR card
- Current
within 12 months medical examination
- Current within 6 months approved drug screening
- Birth certificate
- Current
photo identification card
- TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) card
HOW
MUCH SEA TIME DO I HAVE TO HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR THIS LICENSE?
You
must be able to document at least 360 "days underway" on Inland waters, counted from your 15th birthday.
A "day underway" is defined as four or more hours underway in
any 24-hour period. Of the 360 or more
days documented, at least 90 days must be within the last 3 years. To earn a Near Coastal endorsement, at least 90 days of the 360 or more days documented must have been in near coastal
waters. The procedures for documenting this sea time are explained in detail during the first classroom session.
IS
THERE AN ONLINE VERSION OF THIS COURSE?
None that Flagship
would endorse. There is simply no substitution for professional, hands-on training in a classroom setting.
WHAT LEGAL REQUIREMENTS DOES THIS COURSE MEET?
This is an USCG-approved training course satisfying the examination requirements of
46 CFR 10.205(i) for original license issuance, 10.209(c)(iii) for renewal, and 10.209(f) for re-issuance of an OUPV license.
HOW DOES THIS DIFFER FROM THE USCG AUXILIARY COURSES OR
WASHINGTON STATE SAFE BOATER COURSES?
This course leads to
actual USCG licensure as a merchant mariner. The content, pace, and level of instruction are highly challenging, and
participants will come away with a robust knowledge base that will stand them in good stead for years to come, whether as
a recreational boater or as a professional mariner.
WHAT
IF I CAN’T MAKE ALL THE SESSIONS?
Schedule conflicts
are common, and should be resolved directly with the instructor, who will make the determination if any absence would be inappropriate.
The length of the absence and the timing of the absence weigh into the decision.
WHO PROVIDES
THE INSTRUCTION?
Your instructor for the course is
CAPT Skip Anderson, USCG Licensed Master #2762203, founding director of the Flagship Maritime Training Center.