Boat Captain Training Courses in Maryland

By Connie Motz, MarineFuel.com

When you’re looking for boat captain training courses in Maryland, a great resource for information is the marine directory website called CharterNet.com.  From their home page, choose schools and lessons, then on the country of your choice, in this case, the United States followed by Maryland, and you’ll be presented with a concise list of businesses and schools that provide boat captain training courses in Maryland.

A list of training providers for approved National Maritime Center (NMC) courses for all states can also be found on the United States Coast Guard (USCG) website which provides a monthly updated PDF file available for download.

But before we look at individual schools, let’s take a look at the general requirements for taking a boat captain training course in Maryland, or any other state.  An applicant must be at least 18 years of age, must provide detailed information on any past/present DUI/DWI alcohol or drug charges, felony arrest record, use of narcotics, and as to whether or not their driver’s license has ever been revoked or suspended.  Additional requirements for training include a physical examination, drug test, a first aid card/CPR certification, and a Social Security card along with photo identification.  You must also be able to prove that you have operated a vessel for one year with at least 3 months of that in the last 3 years.

The most common boat captain training is for a Charterboat Captain’s License officially known as an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV); the OUPV is sometimes referred to as the 6 Pack License or 6 Passenger license which allows a captain to operate a boat of up to 65’ with a gross limitation of 100 tons.  The OUPV training takes seven full days to complete; this can be followed by a two day upgrade to a Masters License which would then allow a captain to carry more than 6 passengers onboard a ship.

With thirty years of USCG licensing experience, 3B’s Captain School in Westminster, MD, provides a traveling school for those wishing to take boat captain training courses.   Advance registration is required; the tuition for the OUPV course is USD $795 which includes a study guide, all materials, charts and the Coast Guard test.  3B’s Captain School also allows unlimited retakes for a one year period.

Charter Captain Courses of Cambridge, MD, offers the 56-hour OUPV course for a fee of USD $900 with a 90% passing success rate.  A 24-hour upgrade course to the Master 100 Tons is also offered for a fee of $300.  The Community College of Baltimore County also offers OUPV boat captain licensing through day or evening instruction at a cost of $769 which include fees and tuition; Master’s upgrade training is also available for $269.

Choose wisely as some captain training schools, may not include additional fees such the Coast Guard fees of $100 for evaluation along with $45 for license issuance.  Once an OUPV license has been obtained, additional boat captain training courses in Maryland are available for commercial assistance towing, auxiliary sail which allows a captain to operate a sailboat with paying passengers, and a 4-hour course to obtain a marine radio operator’s permit.

Sources:
United States Coast Guard
3B’s Captains School.com
Charter Captain Courses
Community College of Baltimore County
CharterNet.com