by B.J. Porter (Contributing Editor)

Recreational boaters often wonder about licensing, training, and what you need to buy or operate a boat. And the terminology over it can be confusing, and the rules and regulations differ by country.

For private U.S. boaters in domestic waters operating their own vessels with family and friends on board, the answer to the question “do you need a Captain’s License” is “no.” The U.S. doesn’t require a specific national license, though some states require safe boater cards or permits.

That doesn’t mean formal training or certifications don’t have benefits, but recreational boating doesn’t require a true “Captain’s License”. However, for sailing in some places, like parts of Europe, and chartering vessels, you may need something else.

What exactly is a “Captain’s License”

A Captain’s License usually refers to U.S. Coast Guard (or other government outside the U.S.) issued Merchant Mariner Credential, with endorsements as Master of a vessel of a certain tonnage range for specific waters, and/or Operator of smaller vessels in restricted waters for up to six passengers.

These are for commercial use, they have no application for recreational boating. If you intend to skipper or work on a boat that carries passengers for hire, you’ll need one. Otherwise, no.

These licenses break into two primary classes: the OUPV (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels, also called the “Six Pack”), and the Master.

With an OUPV, you can carry up to six paying passengers on a vessel not subject to mandatory federal inspection. If you wish to carry over six paying passengers or the vessel is subject to USCG inspection, you must have a Master certificate.

Why would I ever need it?

If you ever want to carry paying passengers on your boat or work as a captain, skipper, launch driver, or other job where you operate a vessel carrying paying passengers, you’ll need a USCG license. The type depends on what you’ll do. For example, the OUPV is the most common license for captains taking out fishing charters on their small boats. It would also allow you to serve as a charter captain.

Important note: Getting an OUPV doesn’t mean you can just start taking paid passengers on your boat. Your insurance company certainly has riders prohibiting commercial use of your boat you will need to update, and federal, state and local governments will have regulations you must comply with. The OUPV or Master just gives you the legal right to operate the boat as captain with paying passengers on board. It does nothing to make the boat or business legal to operate commercially!

How do I get one?

To get a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential takes time in training, sea time, and you must pass a test for each endorsement or level, and get a medical exam, drug test, and additional certifications and credentials. The basics are:

• Take a course appropriate for the test you’re taking. In theory, this is optional. In practice, it is a LOT of material you won’t ordinarily cover doing recreational boating.
• Pass the appropriate test for the credentials and endorsements. This is a written test.
• Get USCG physical and submit it for approval.
• Pass a drug test.
• Hold a CPR and First Aid certification.
• You may need to get a Transport Workers Identification Card (TWIC).
• Document sufficient sea time to qualify. For a basic OUPV, that’s 360 days of boating experience since age sixteen, with 90 of those in the last three years. For higher levels of licenses and broader ranges of coverage and endorsements, you will need additional time.

So it takes time, money and patience. The education is very valuable and makes you a better boater, but you really don’t need to get the whole license unless you’re planning to work as a captain.

Other Valuable Certifications

While a USCG Master or OUPV rarely makes sense for recreational boaters, there are several other educational paths and certifications which can be of great benefit.

Boating Safety Courses

Some states mandate boaters take a basic operator safety course, although older boaters may be exempted from this requirement. These are usually low cost, and the study is often available online for free. They are worth it, even if they aren’t required, because there is good information offered. And a safety refresher is never a bad thing. Even the saltiest of old sailors can get complacent.

Bareboat Charter Certification

If you ever plan to charter a boat, getting clearance to take a boat without a captain is much easier if you have a certification from an approved source. Even if you don’t plan to charter, taking the courses to get to a charter certification will improve your skills dramatically and make you safer and more competent skipper. For me, getting the ASA certification completely changed my sailing and how I approached my boat. Even though I’ve still never chartered a boat, it was well worth it. (Ah, some day…)

Before a charter company will turn over a boat worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to you, they want assurances you will bring it back unharmed. They will probably give you a quick skills test, but coming in with documentation of your experience is the easiest way to breeze through the checkout. You will still need to maintain a sailing resume to submit, but certification is powerful evidence of your competence.

In the U.S., U.S. Sailing and the American Sailing Association both have a track to give you a certification that many charter companies will accept.

In Europe and the Mediterranean, most countries recognize the International Certificate of Competence (ICC), and most charter companies accept it. Some companies require it, or the equivalent. The United States is not a signatory to the treaties for the ICC however, so getting one in the U.S. for chartering abroad can be more challenging.

The International Proficiency Certificate (IPC) is an ICC alternative from the U.S. through the ASA, and is good in the Mediterranean.

The International Sailing License and Credentials (SLC) is another alternative good for much of Europe and the Seychelles. It is administered by NauticEd, and has an online training portion coupled with on the water testing and instruction.

General Boat Training

Sail and power boat training courses are available everywhere there’s boating, with detailed courses on everything from radio operation to anchoring, cruising, and racing. U.S. Sailing and the ASA mentioned above offer many options for both. Sailing schools often partner with either U.S. Sailing or the ASA, while others develop their own material, like J/World, which focuses on specialized performance sailing and racing classes in addition to the U.S. Sailing course catalog.

The Royal Yachting Association governs sailing in the UK, and their Day Skipper and Yachtmaster certifications are well regarded and almost universally recognized. For example, if you hold the RYA Yachtmaster, applying for an ICC or IPC is basically a formality and a few fees. There are a handful of sailing schools in the U.S. offering RYA certification.

There are many other comparable local licenses and competency certificates in non-English speaking countries, and the RYA is available in most of the Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary offers many in person and virtual courses for powerboaters and sailors all over the country. These usually have a fee, but are well worth the time.

The Bottom Line

For most recreational boaters in the United States, any sort of training or certification beyond basic boating safety is usually optional. You won’t need a USCG Master or OUPV to operate your own boat or take a bunch of friends for the day. Nor will you need a charter certification or other formal stickers or stamps in your logbook for any of that.

But it’s never a bad idea to upgrade your skills. The more you know about boating, the more you’ll enjoy it. And with fall and winter coming, an online or classroom course may be just the ticket to keep you fresh and out of the mid-winter doldrums.

Leveling up your skills will always bring you more safety and fun on the water.