Welcome to Clearwater’s Events Calendar! For information about upcoming sails visit our Public Sail Schedule.
The Practical Navigator Captain’s Course
Cost: $600
Location: Clearwater’s office in Beacon, NY
When: January 6 to January 10, 2025, from 8:00 to 5:00 with a break for lunch.
We are expanding our educational and outreach programs taking place outside of the sailing season. For the first time, we are collaborating with Practical Navigator to offer a 5-day captain’s course in the Hudson Valley this winter! Kate Enright of Practical Navigator will be teaching the course and will be creating a custom version that caters to sailors and the class audience. Take your sailing to the next level and explore maritime careers as a captain carrying passengers! While it is short notice, we are offering an unbeatable price for an in-person course.
The course will prepare you to test for and submit an application to the USCG for an “Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels” (OUPV) license, commonly known as the “6-pack”, which allows you to operate vessels with up to six paying passengers, or a 100 Ton masters license, dependent your goals. If you want to carry passengers onboard your boat for paid activities—fishing trips, scenic tours, diving adventures, or transportation—you’ll need a captain’s license.
There are no prerequisites other than interest, commitment, and the necessary seatime. Interested students should ideally have the sea time to submit their application one year after the completion of the course. All necessary books and study materials will be provided on loan.
- Sea service – via employer documentation or 719S form for vessels less than 200 tons.
- Medical Exam 719K – be sure to get the exam on the correct form and double-check all the signatures!
- TWIC card – via the TSA website.
- Application 719B – you are looking for “deck” and “original/officer” licenses for the right waterway and tonnage
- Government fees – pay.gov, it usually comes to about $145 for an original master license
- Drug testing – via an employer or 719P form, there are several options.
- Approved Red Cross or equivalent First Aid/CPR course. It has to be an “in-person” class
About Practical Navigator: Practical Navigator Training is designed to present useful navigation topics for professional and recreational mariners in a no-nonsense and accessible way. We are a veteran-owned business started by Captain Chris Nolan, a former USCG cutterman.
About Kate: Captain Kate Enright is a maritime educator and tall ship sailor. She has worked all over the world on research boats, day sailing charters, and educational programs, but has spent much of her career working for the Sea Education Association (SEA), on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, and currently sails as a Captain in Casco Bay, Maine. She is also a graduate student at the University of Southern Maine pursuing her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Kate holds a USCG 200 Ton NC Master/Auxiliary Sail, 200 Ton Ocean Mate/Auxiliary Sail license. She received her first license in 2017 through a combination of Practical Navigator classes and testing in Boston.
A perk of taking a Practical Navigator course is that you get 2 years of free MMSEAS PRO access – they are experts at license applications and can give you 1:1 counseling on the application. This can support students with the licensing process and ensure follow-through and a license in hand!
This course can provide a boost to people who have long hoped to pursue a Captain’s license but have been stumped by self-studying. Once completed you can also test through Practical Navigator’s online proctoring, rather than traveling to a Regional Exam Center. There are options to continue later in a hybrid format at your own pace for people who would appreciate the attention given to learning material, then more time for self-study before taking an exam.
With questions, email Kate at: kate@practicalnavigator.org
We are looking for a minimum sign-up of 6 participants, maximum 10. If we don’t make the minimum sign-up in time, the course will be canceled with a 100% refund for anyone who had signed up.