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sailandfish · 11-05-2008, 08:57 PM

If becoming a yacht captain is your goal and only goal I suggest that you just go and get a job on a yacht. Here is why, the maritime academies put you on a fast track for a license, but it still takes 4 yrs, and in the case of all except USMMA a considerable sum of money. When you graduate from USMMA youll have to put in Naval Reserve time, no big deal. But graduates are strongly encouraged/ obliged to sail commercial, and not take shoreside or other jobs; this may change if commercial demand dries up.

If you go out and start working as a deckie youll immediately be making money. If you get on a good boat that moves around a good bit, you should be able to get a yachtmaster/ 200T or better in about 4yrs. So youll have saved a wad of cash gained experience and got a license to build on.

If you go to an academy youll spend a wad of cash, get trained on commercial ways, and upon graduation be a high tonnage mate. Youll apply for mates position and if lucky, with no yacht experience get a mates job, which you also could have had after 4yrs of just working on the yacht. Youll still have to get additional sea time to upgrade to captain.

If you decide education and a degree is what you would like, I highly recommend looking at Maine Maritime's Small Vessel Operations program. 4yrs degree program and upon graduation youll be 500T licensed, and have had small vessel training which is more appropriate for yachts. You can even spend your sea time summer internships on a yacht, gaining industry experience.

Just looked at the dates on these post, oops, USCG for training on a yacht, bad idea. If he does that hell be another 4yrs older and have no applicable experience for a yacht. I say this confidently because I work with various USCG departments daily, and have many good friends who are enlisted, bottom line, the are some of the worst mariners around. Hell get training in either politics or law enforcement, not nautical issues. Dont mean to offend anyone in the CG by this, and I feel that joining the USCG is a great career, just not if the ultimate goal is to work on a yacht. And as said above hell be polishing worse than stainless in the CG, my enlisted friends perform some of the most demeaning/ boring chores one could think of.

I have a friend who graduated from the same school as your son about a year ago; he went and got a deckie job and is having a ball and making money!

11-05-2008, 08:57 PM	#8
sailandfish Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: new orleans/ cape coral florida Posts: 40	If becoming a yacht captain is your goal and only goal I suggest that you just go and get a job on a yacht. Here is why, the maritime academies put you on a fast track for a license, but it still takes 4 yrs, and in the case of all except USMMA a considerable sum of money. When you graduate from USMMA youll have to put in Naval Reserve time, no big deal. But graduates are strongly encouraged/ obliged to sail commercial, and not take shoreside or other jobs; this may change if commercial demand dries up. If you go out and start working as a deckie youll immediately be making money. If you get on a good boat that moves around a good bit, you should be able to get a yachtmaster/ 200T or better in about 4yrs. So youll have saved a wad of cash gained experience and got a license to build on. If you go to an academy youll spend a wad of cash, get trained on commercial ways, and upon graduation be a high tonnage mate. Youll apply for mates position and if lucky, with no yacht experience get a mates job, which you also could have had after 4yrs of just working on the yacht. Youll still have to get additional sea time to upgrade to captain. If you decide education and a degree is what you would like, I highly recommend looking at Maine Maritime's Small Vessel Operations program. 4yrs degree program and upon graduation youll be 500T licensed, and have had small vessel training which is more appropriate for yachts. You can even spend your sea time summer internships on a yacht, gaining industry experience. Just looked at the dates on these post, oops, USCG for training on a yacht, bad idea. If he does that hell be another 4yrs older and have no applicable experience for a yacht. I say this confidently because I work with various USCG departments daily, and have many good friends who are enlisted, bottom line, the are some of the worst mariners around. Hell get training in either politics or law enforcement, not nautical issues. Dont mean to offend anyone in the CG by this, and I feel that joining the USCG is a great career, just not if the ultimate goal is to work on a yacht. And as said above hell be polishing worse than stainless in the CG, my enlisted friends perform some of the most demeaning/ boring chores one could think of. I have a friend who graduated from the same school as your son about a year ago; he went and got a deckie job and is having a ball and making money!