Columbia Pacific Maritime: Captain's License Information & Courses

Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) Information

A Merchant Mariner Credential is a Passport style book issued by the

Coast Guard to mariners that contains the mariner's professional

credentials.

These credentials are issued as three types of

endorsements; Officer

Endorsements, Rating Endorsements, and

STCW

Endorsements.

Officer Endorsements

includ

Captain

Licenses as

Master,

Mate

and

perator

Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV).

These

endorsements

are

required to

operate

commercial vessels

on the

federally navigable inland

waters of the United

States and

any

ocean

waters.

Rating Endorsements

include Ordinary

Seaman

and Able

Seaman

These

endorsements

are

required

work as a

deckhand

on most

sea-

going

vessels

greater

than

100 GRT.

STCW Endorsements

are required on most

seagoing vessels

greater

than

200

GRT

These

endorsements are not required for

vessel

operating

exclusively on

inland

aters

or for any

vessel

less

than 200

tons

. These endorsements are required for all vessels operating on

International voyages.

The general requirements for officer endorsements is US citizenship

(non-

citizens may be issued an officer endorsement as OUPV limited to

vessels of

less than 5 tons) and a minimum age of 19 (some

endorsements require the

applicant to be 21 years old).

Rating endorsements as AB and OS may be issued to US citizens and

legal

aliens 18 years old and older.

Captain's License MMC Endorsements in Brief

The captain's license that you need is dependent on the size and type

vessel that you are operating. The following is an outline of the

different

captain's license endorsements that may be issued on an

MMC.

Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) is the popular
6-pack captain license held by most fishing guides. This license allows
the mariner to operate small uninspected passenger vessels less than
100 gross registered tons (GRT), which is about 65 feet, carrying six or
fewer passengers for hire, not counting the crew or operator.

Master 100 tons or less is the license held by most charter boat
captains or other small passenger vessels carrying more than six
passengers for hire. This license may also be used to operate other
small inspected vessels such as offshore supply vessels and crew-
boats less than 100 GRT.

Master 20 0 tons or less is the license required operate inspected
vessels greater than 100 GRT and less than 200 GRT. This is the
license required to operate the uninspected 12-packs popular in SE
Alaska. A 12-pack is an uninspected passenger vessels greater than
100 GRT carry 12 or fewer passengers for hire, not counting the crew
or operator.

M aster of Towing is the license required to operate tugboats greater
than 26 feet.

Master o f Fishing Industry Vessels is the license required to
operate uninspected fishing industry vessels greater than 200 GRT.

Master 500 / 1600 tons the license required to operate all types of
inspected vessels greater than 200 GRT and less than 1600 GRT.
These licenses require that the mariner have sea service experience
on vessels greater than 50 tons and hold an endorsement as Able
Seaman.

Master Unlimited is the license required to operate all types of
inspected vessels greater than 1600 GRT. To qualify for this license
the mariner must first qualify for and sail as a Third Mate Unlimited. All
the sea service requirements for Unlimited tonnage licenses must have
been on vessels greater than 1600 GRT.