1. I saw your Captains Course Advertisement, tell me about the course.
To prepare the student to meet the Coast Guard knowledge requirements with regard to being able, on navigable waters, to take responsibility for the safety of a vessel of 200 tons or less and its passengers and cargo, and be aware of the obligations under Coast Guard regulations concerning safety and the protection of the marine environment.

The Captains Courses (Master/Mate 200 Tons, Master/Mate 100 Tons, Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV)) are fully approved Coast Guard Courses.  This means that you test with the Maritime License Center as part of the course.  No additional Coast Guard exams are required.  The Maritime License Center was the first Hawaii based school to get this approval.

2. What's in the course, what do I  learn?

There are four modules in the course: Rules of the Road, Navigation General, Navigation Plotting, and Deck General/Safety.

The Rules of the Road module covers both Inland and International Rules including Lights and Shapes, Restricted Visibility Signals, Approach Situations, the General Prudential Rule, the Rule of Good Seamanship, and Distress Signals.

The Navigation General module covers Weather, Navigation Aids, Navigation Publications, Navigation Charts and general navigation areas such as Relative Bearings, Cardinal Directions, and Navigation Charts.

The Navigation Plotting module covers Compass Correction and Compass Error problems, Cross Bearing Fixes, Course & Speed Made Good, Set & Drift, Course to Steer/Leeway, Estimated Time of Arrival and Tide & Current problems.  The student does actual Dead Reckoning/Piloting on full size Mercator charts using quality Navigational Instruments.

The Deck General Module consists of a multitude of subject areas such as Fire fighting, Stability, Ship Construction, Ship Handling, Pollution Prevention, Seamanship, Federal Regulations, Emergency Procedures, etc. In total 14 different suject areas are covered.

3. How long is the class and what are the class hours?

(Honolulu classes) - The Oahu class meets Mondays through Thursdays from 6 to 10 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm for navigation.  The class meets twenty-four times for over 96 hours of instruction over a period of 4 weeks.  On Week 5 we test and allow time for Coast Guard administrative matters.  The instructors are available 9 to 5 daily for extra instruction.

(Outer Island classes) - The Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii classes are 4 weeks long and meet 6 nights a week (Monday through Saturday) from 6 pm to 10 pm. The instructor is available at all other times for extra instruction.  Week 5 is devoted to testing and Coast Administration.

4. Do we actually take exams, how many exams are there?

There are four exams students must pass.  The school pass rate is in the upper 90's.

The first test you have to pass is "Rules of the Road".  There are 30 questions and you have to score a 90%.  When you finish the instruction you will know the rules backward and forward, but even that will not get you through the test, you have to know the questions.  They are very tricky, with little differences like the word shall or must in a rule.  The Coast Guard rules questions will be thoroughly covered as part of the course.

The remaining tests may be taken in any order.  The Deck General/Safety exam consists of 60 Questions for the OUPV or 70 questions for the 100 Ton Master/Mate license on Deck General and Safety subjects, such as seamanship, ship handling, stability, ship construction, fire fighting, first aid, pollution, etc.  Students must score a 70% on this exam.  200 Ton Master/Mate candidates take an additional 20 question Deck general partial exam on stability and federal regulations for vessels over 100 tons.

The remaining exams cover navigation.  There are 20 multiple choice questions on Navigation General covering weather, navigation aids, and navigation publications such as the Light List, Coast Pilot, and the Tide of Current tables.

Finally there is a 10 question navigation plotting exam where students do navigation plotting on Mercator charts using parallel rules and dividers.  Students will be tested on such things as cross bearing fixes, set & drift, compass error corrections, course to steer/leeway, estimated time of arrival and time & current problems.  On these exams students must score a 70%.  Maser/Mate 200 Ton candidates take a 20 question plotting exam at 90%.

Students are allowed three tries on all exams.

5. Are there any prerequisites to attend the courses?

There are no prerequisites to attend the class.  In fact many students have taken the course for knowledge.  The Coast Guard, however, does have certain prerequisites you must fulfill before turning in your graduation certificate for a license.

• You possess a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC card) issued by the Transportation Security Agency (TSA)
• You must have 360 days of sea time to get a Mate or Operator of the Uninspected, Undocumented Passenger Vessel (OUPV) license and 720 days of sea time for the Masters License. You may go back to childhood to count your sea time (usually no earlier than 14 yrs old, but exceptions have been made). Any time you have been on a vessel in any capacity, as a non-paying passenger, for 8 hours counts as a day of sea time. If it is your own vessel you may sign off on your own sea time. For sea time on other vessels, the owner or Captain of the vessel may sign off on the sea time.
• You must pass a physical and a drug test.
• You must have taken a C.G. approved First Aid/CPR course within the past year.
• All vessels taking out passengers must have a Marine Radio on board and someone on board must possess a Marine Radio Operator Permit. You the master will paty the fine for any FCC violations so therefore it is recommended that you get a Marine Radio Operator Permint as part of your "Captain's Course".

6. How do I know what size my license will be, 25, 50 or 100 tons?

The Coast Guard will give you the highest tonnage on which you have 25% of your sea time, or 150% of the tonnage on which you have 50% of your sea time.  Ninety days recency on similar tonnage in the past three years is also required.  If all of your sea time is on vessels less than 5 tons you will get a 25 ton license.  If you have one day on a vessel over 5 tons, within the past 3 years, you will get a 50 ton license.

7. Are there any other costs besides the of the Captain's Course?

Yes, the Coast Guard charges user fees, they charge a $100 fee for paperwork evaluation, and $45 for issuing the license, for a total of $145.  If you were to test with the C.G. there would also be an $80 testing fee, but you will be testing with the Maritime License Center that does not charge testing fees.
Total fees are as follows:

• Captain's Course (See Price List)
• Endorsements:
• Sail Endorsement (Requires 360 days of sea time) (See Price List)
• Assistance Towing (Required by many employers) (See Price List)
• First/Aid CPR (See Price List)
• Marine Radio Operator Permit (See Price List)
• Coast Guard Fees (Paid to C.G.) As mentioned above.
• Physical/Drug Test (Loal going rate - about $60 for drug test $100 for physical)

8. What happens if I don't pass the course?

At the Maritime license Center we belong to our students. We will teach you how to study and train you how to take exams. The Captain’s course is taught evenings, but you may come in any time from 9am until 5pm for extra one-on-one assistance. There is no charge for this extra instruction. At the end of the course you get three chances on every exam. If you flunk an exam 3 times you can come back in 60 days and test again at no additional charge. Our pass rate is in the high 90’s. If you follow our guidance and take advantage of extra assistance when needed, you will pass!