If you have an existing OUPV (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel) license you can upgrade it to a Master’s License by completing a three day course and one seventy question exam. The USCG course approval for this course reads:
“Any applicant who has successfully completed your 24-hour Upgrade OUPV to Master 100 Tons course and presents your Certificate of Training WITHIN ONE YEAR of the completion of training, will satisfy the examination requirements of 46 CFR 10.207 for upgrade of a license from OUPV to Master 100 Tons Near Coastal.”
In addition to completing this three day course you must also meet the sea service requirements for the Master near coastal license of two years (720 days). At least one year (360 days) of the required experience must have been on ocean or near coastal ocean waters, meaning over the bar. Since the OUPV requires 360 days of sea service experience you only need to document an additional 360 days of experience for the Master’s License. To upgrade an OUPV license to a Master inland license requires no additional sea service experience.
The tonnage limitation on the Master’s License will be either 25, 50 or 100 tons depending on the qualifying sea service experience. If all the qualifying experience was on vessels of less than 5 tons the license will be limited to vessels of less than 25 tons; if any of the qualifying experience was on a vessel over 5 tons the license will be limited to vessels of less than 50 tons. To qualify for a license with a 100 ton limitation you need to have either 360 days on a vessel over 37 tons or 180 days on a vessel over 50 tons.
