License Renewal

I submitted my application to renew my existing 100 ton license to the Coast Guard. Received a message that I need to take the test. I am one of the few people that I know who does not overstate my actual sea time so I am guessing that I don’t have enough. ( I work as a fill in captain part time in summer season)
I see several sea schools on line that advertise training and testing to eliminate the need to take the Coast Guard exam which as some of you know can be daunting without a lot of homework and re memorization.

Any thoughts, recommendations, or experiences will be helpful.

The Annapolis School of Seamanship offers a renewal course. There's a test, but it's a "refresher" so not the same as the 4-part series for the original credential.

I found it useful... especially after adding up my sea time. Even though I'm on the boat maybe 200-250 days per year, and we were living aboard over the 2017-2018 winter... often my "underway" time was just a short hop from here to there.

-Chris

I have never heard that one needed anything more than sea time for a renewal other than the medical... did you not make the sea time requirements or lapse for more than a year?


Not enough sea time and a current application, if I remember correctly, is different than a year or more late application.

psneeld said:

I have never heard that one needed anything more than sea time for a renewal other than the medical... did you not make the sea time requirements or lapse for more than a year?

Not enough sea time and a current application, if I remember correctly, is different than a year or more late application.

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For my most recent renewal, I came in just under the amount of "underway" time that's required to be within the last 5 years. Hence the refresher course.

-Chris

I never have enough sea-time.


I always take the one day renewal class and exam through Sea School.



Never a problem.

alormaria said:

I never have enough sea-time.


I always take the one day renewal class and exam through Sea School.



Never a problem.

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Agreed. SeaSchool is a good choice.

ranger42c said:

For my most recent renewal, I came in just under the amount of "underway" time that's required to be within the last 5 years. Hence the refresher course.

-Chris

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I knew about the refresher course...wasn't sure if it included an exam.


Was under the impression that if you didn't renew withing a year of expiration, you had to take the entire course and testing again through a school or retest like original with the USCG.

psneeld said:

I knew about the refresher course...wasn't sure if it included an exam.


Was under the impression that if you didn't renew withing a year of expiration, you had to take the entire course and testing again through a school or retest like original with the USCG.

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You are correct. If you let your license lapse you have one 'grace' year to renew. During that year you cannot use the license but there are no penalties. Just renew in the usual manner.(for you)


After that year it's like it never ever happened and you have to re-apply all over again from the beginning. YIKES!



You should check with whatever school you choose to verify they give an accredited exam. A copy of the exam diploma will need to be added to the package you send to the CG for your renewal along with the dozens of other forms. The school should have a checklist. If not, get another school.

psneeld said:

I knew about the refresher course...wasn't sure if it included an exam.

Was under the impression that if you didn't renew withing a year of expiration, you had to take the entire course and testing again through a school or retest like original with the USCG.

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Yep, exam, but not a 4-parter like for an original rcredential.

And yep, renew within a year of an existing credential's expiry... or start over. at the beginning.

-Chris

psneeld said:

I have never heard that one needed anything more than sea time for a renewal other than the medical... did you not make the sea time requirements or lapse for more than a year?


Not enough sea time and a current application, if I remember correctly, is different than a year or more late application.

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I didn’t have the sea time. Pretty hard to accumulate the time when working full time on the hard. Just part time captain work and weekends on my own boat.

What sea time is required for renewal? Is it more than the 90 days in the past 3 years that's required for all licenses?

I renewed once doing the “refresher” course:
It was really an open book test, no big deal.
Other times I have used sea-time to renew.
Once I let it lapse, not pretty, had to redo the whole thing and it was a lot more involved then, new requirements, new this and that. Never going to let it expire again. Highly recommend MPT in Fort Lauderdale https://www.mptusa.com/ for renewal.

twistedtree said:

What sea time is required for renewal? Is it more than the 90 days in the past 3 years that's required for all licenses?

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Hmm... a point I may have missed. Sure enough, (for me, inland) it's 90 days within the last 3 years.

I'd been thinking I needed 360 days within the last 5 years, but it looks like that checklist is also covering original submissions too... so I guess I easily had enough time after all.

Not to worry, I submitted sea service forms too, along with the refresher course certificate. Overkill, I guess.


Edit: Wait. That above was apparently from the original submission checklist. The Renewal checklist 10.227 does say "360 days of service during the past 5 years..." -- or comprehensive open book exercise, or approved refresher training course. Guess that's where I got the 360 from.


-Chris

LN-RTP said:

I renewed once doing the “refresher” course:
It was really an open book test, no big deal.

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The one from ASoS was not an open book test. Not a bazillion questions, but not open book.

-Chris

ranger42c said:

The one from ASoS was not an open book test. Not a bazillion questions, but not open book.

-Chris

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Ok.
I did the renewal and open book testing about 9 years ago at MPT in Fort Lauderdale. I was the only guy in class, the instructor reviewed the stuff, Rules of the Road, etc., then gave me the test and the book, looks like MPT is approved for that program. $199.00 for the renewal.

Open Book as per the USCG:

The Coast Guard does allow the licensee to take and pass a comprehensive open-book exercise in lieu of showing the qualifying service.

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Next time I did it on sea-time, on the water almost every day, got 2 boats, 1 for local canal and river cruising, then a bigger boat for the Islands and the keys, lots of time on the water, 360 days in 5 year no problem.

Thanks. I was not aware of the 360 days in past 5 years requirement for renewal. Maybe that's why I needed to take a test when I last renewed. I thought it was because I was upgrading, and it never occurred to me that it might be because of sea time, or lack there of. I'll probably have to test again at my next renewal since I'm going to have a 2 year gap with no cruising boat and only local day boating.

. only local day boating.

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Local day boating may be qualifying:
I may be wrong, but seem to remember that bigger boats with tonnage is only required for the initial license, whereas smaller, open boats may be enough to qualify for sea-time renewal.
Will dig into it, I probably have a renewal come up soon.

ranger42c said:

-- or comprehensive open book exercise, or approved refresher training course.

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LN-RTP said:

Ok.
Open Book as per the USCG:

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Yeah, I saw that, later... and hadn't meant to imply disagreement with you earlier anyway. Apparently format is optional: open book exercise, or refresher training course (which in our case came with a brief test, not open book).

-Chris

ranger42c said:

Yeah, I saw that, later... and hadn't meant to imply disagreement with you earlier anyway. Apparently format is optional: open book exercise, or refresher training course (which in our case came with a brief test, not open book).

-Chris

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Hmm, ok.
My refresher had a quick open book test built in.

If you are not working and earning money from your ticket, why renew? If you are working then getting the days should not be an issue. Once I decided to stop working as a Captain I let mine expire at the next renewal. I see no sense in jumping through all those hoops just on the off chance someone will offer me so much money that I cannot refuse (not likely).
The last time I renewed (over five years ago) all I did was document my sea time and sent them money. Guess that has changed.

wwestman said:

If you are not working and earning money from your ticket, why renew? If you are working then getting the days should not be an issue. Once I decided to stop working as a Captain I let mine expire at the next renewal. I see no sense in jumping through all those hoops just on the off chance someone will offer me so much money that I cannot refuse (not likely).

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Other benefits: Insurance Discount, pick up an occasional delivery for cash, tax benefits, whatever.

LN-RTP said:

Local day boating may be qualifying:
I may be wrong, but seem to remember that bigger boats with tonnage is only required for the initial license, whereas smaller, open boats may be enough to qualify for sea-time renewal.
Will dig into it, I probably have a renewal come up soon.

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Yes, it definitely counts. It just won't be as many days as I usually rack up when cruising. I should have been clearer what I meant.

LN-RTP said:

Other benefits: Insurance Discount, pick up an occasional delivery for cash, tax benefits, whatever.

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I've been involved in another conversation elsewhere about license requirements for recreational boaters throughout Europe. More and more countries now require it, so another benefit to maintaining a license. That said, it's unclear whether a domestic USCG license is acceptable vs one with an STCW master endorsement. Other countries have always poo pooed the USCG license because there is no practical test or boat handling skills assessment. As a result, some places wouldn't accept it. Now, with an STCW Masters endorsement, it's accepted world wide.

Yeah, the rest of the world wants to see boat handling skills being tested.
The USCG figures, perhaps wrongly, you should be able to handle a boat after 720 days of sea time.
I keep the ticket because I am running a small charter operation, keeps me out of the bars:
OdinCharters| WireFrame Home

It helps with insurance but my companies said you can still max out on discounts without a USCG license.


You also don't need a license for deliveries unless the owners insurance wants it.


What tax benefits?

Cigatoo,

Like you, my experience with the open-book exams were not pleasant ones. I renewed twice that way.

Last time, I renewed by taking an approved renewal course. The particular course I attended was poorly executed, but it was a review of things I might not necessarily read about in my free time. I found it more pleasant than the test by mail, and some productive networking was accomplished during the breaks.

I am coming up on my next renewal, and I intend to find a similar course at a more reputable school.

Good Luck

Yes, if you don’t have adequate sea time you can take the class and renew. My renewal is coming up but I haven’t worked with my license in about a year and don’t plan on doing so in the near future. I will file my renewal as “Inactive Status” and basically put my license to sleep. When I’m ready to work in the water again, I will take the course for renewal, get the paperwork in and be active again.

. What tax benefits?

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I do Charters. Maintenance and insurance, etc are tax deductible.

Renewal test

I too, had too few hours at my last renewal and had to take the test. The renewal test is "open book", in that you have a few weeks to complete and return. No big deal, and definitely no need to pay a school...

Sea School

CaptJohnEasley said:

Agreed. SeaSchool is a good choice.

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I agree. SS is a great option.