When one applies for a driver's license in the United States, he or she must pass a written exam, which is then followed by a practical skills exam in a vehicle with an employee from Motor Vehicles. One might assume the same is true for marine vessels such as tugboats, charter boats and ships, but it isn't. The requirements to "sit" for a marine license are demanding, but there is never an exam on a vessel proving the ability to operate safely. 

 

Marine licensing in the United States is controlled by the Coast Guard. All testing was administered in U.S.C.G. facilities, but in recent years, private enterprises have taken on some of the testing for merchant mariners' documents. 

The first requirement before one can apply for testing is to produce proof of sea time. This constitutes time spent on inspected and/or uninspected vessels that may be a combination of various sizes and types of vessels, as well as on different bodies of waters (lakes, rivers, sounds, near coastal--which in this case refers to areas from land out to 200 miles from shore--and open ocean). 

 

Each day consisting of up to eight hours spent aboard a vessel in any capacity as a crew member counts as one day. Any day over eight hours counts as twelve hours, and gives the applicant one and one half days of sea time. This distinction is important because applicants must have 720 days' sea time in order to sit for any license.

 

The Coast Guard evaluates the applicant's sea time, then informs the applicant of the licenses he or she is qualified to sit for. The more sea time from smaller vessels an applicant has, the smaller the license one can test for. 

 

Licenses are endorsed for Inland Waters, Near Coastal and Ocean operation. Inland Waters license holders may only operate vessels on waters deemed as Inland: lakes, some bays, rivers and some sounds. Near Coastal license holders may operate vessels on all Inland Waters and on the ocean up to 200 miles at sea. Ocean-rated operators may work on all bodies of water.

 

A series of tests are given to applicants, depending on the type of license. All licenses require a passing grade on Rules of the Road, Navigation and Deck/General. The larger the vessel size in gross tons, and/or passengers carried, the more complex the testing is for the endorsement.

 

Women have worked on commercial marine vessels in all capacities for many years, and many hold licenses, however they are still well in the minority of this male-dominated industry.

 

It is possible to sit for multiple endorsements for a mariner's license at one time. Captain Heidi Tiura, who works on the Monterey Bay and is co-owner of a charter company there that does whale watching Monterey for tourists, is one such person who obtained several endorsements at one time: Master of vessels under 100 gross tons; Mate on Vessels under 200 gross tons; Operator of Uninspected Tow Vessels.

 

Once the applicant receives a mariner's license, that person is qualified to hold a position as an operator of a commercial vessel, but in reality, this is usually the beginning of a long and thorough period of training that eventually results in serving as a captain.