I have a Masters Inland/Great Lakes USCG license with the towing
endorsement and want to upgrade it to include the Near Coastal OUPV
(six-Pac) endorsement. My understanding of the rules are that I will
need a total of 90 days in near-coastal waters in addition to another
test.

I plan to be in the West Palm Beach area in March and would like to get
another two weeks experience piloting something for this purpose.

Anyone have any ideas as to how I might accomplish this?

As soon as you cross east of the jetties at Lake Worth Inlet you are in
near coastal waters. The same is true of most of the Florida coast. You
can also of course claim you time in the Bahamas. Keep a copy of your
cruising permit, when I applied for my license one of the few bits of
documentation the CG kept was my cruising permit copies.

Messing In Boats wrote:

I have a Masters Inland/Great Lakes USCG license with the towing
endorsement and want to upgrade it to include the Near Coastal OUPV
(six-Pac) endorsement. My understanding of the rules are that I will
need a total of 90 days in near-coastal waters in addition to another
test.

I plan to be in the West Palm Beach area in March and would like to get
another two weeks experience piloting something for this purpose.

Anyone have any ideas as to how I might accomplish this?

Subject: Need Florida Sea Time
From: Messing In Boats

I have a Masters Inland/Great Lakes USCG license with the towing
endorsement and want to upgrade it to include the Near Coastal OUPV
(six-Pac) endorsement. My understanding of the rules are that I will
need a total of 90 days in near-coastal waters in addition to another
test.

I plan to be in the West Palm Beach area in March and would like to get
another two weeks experience piloting something for this purpose.

Anyone have any ideas as to how I might accomplish this?

Rent a boat or do what most paper captains do, get some one to sign off for
you.

Capt. Bill

I have no intention of doing what "most paper captains do" and that's
why I'm posting this request.

I already have quite a bit of sea time outside of COLREGs. I will also
have my own boat in Florida in March and could just spend the two weeks
on it to get the extra time I need for the license.

I'm just wondering if there might be some kind of temporary job down
there, someone I could actually learn something from rather than just
going up and down the Waterway. Maybe there isn't.....

I have no intention of doing what "most paper captains do" and that's
why I'm posting this request.

I already have quite a bit of sea time outside of COLREGs. I will also
have my own boat in Florida in March and could just spend the two weeks
on it to get the extra time I need for the license.

I'm just wondering if there might be some kind of temporary job down
there, someone I could actually learn something from rather than just
going up and down the Waterway. Maybe there isn't.....








In WPB you might try Sea Tow or Tow Boat US. Other than that there are a couple
of harbor pilot boats from the Port of Palm Beach (unlikely), a water taxi and
a few of dozen charter boats. The charter boats would only be looking for
experienced fishermen and I would think would also be a long shot. The water
taxi runs out of the Sailfish Marina. That might be a shot. Not much to do
around here for a professional captain unless you run a private yacht.

Barry

Barry