OUPV stands for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vehicle. I recently went through the certification process to get my OUPV and Masters License. The Masters License allows you to operate bigger boats with more than 6 passengers on-board. My goal was to gain skills and open up possibilities for a different career after I retire.
How can you ever know enough? After 23 years of sailing I have learned that although beneficial, there are limits to how much you can learn about sailing from books. Much of the wisdom of old sailors comes from years of experience. Their caution and skill come from facing challenges and sometimes from making errors or watching others who make errors. The old saying that there are only two kinds of sailors, those who have been aground and those that will sums up the experience issue. So was it worth it to seek the training to become a Coast Guard captain? It depends on your plans. I think when the chips are down, you need all the experience you can muster.
I took a fast track OUPV class from Nav-Ed. The course was designed so that there were only 4 classes, the last of which included the various tests. I think this kind of class is perfect for the busy boater who already has a lot of experience. If you are not good at studying on your own, or do not have the time to read a lot each day, you may be better off in a class with more seat time. I read Chapman's cover to cover during the course and practiced test questions and used apps on my phone to study the rules and light patterns. It was exhausting and several people failed the difficult rules of the road test. Peter, our teacher, works with his students to help them get ready and then lets them retake the test again.
The process of getting the license is time consuming and requires a great deal of grit. A physical, first aid certification, a background check, getting a TWIC ID card, and completing a drug test are some of the time consuming hoops you must jump through. I would have been lost without Nav-Ed to guide me through the process. Given the importance of the job, I can understand the thoroughness of the Coast Guard.
I did learn many things which I only new of vaguely though many of them may not come up during the course of sailing the East Coast and the Caribbean. If you are interested in being a professional captain, or just want to maximize your knowledge the OUPV and or Master license may be for you.
