Best for dive boats?

[matt_unique]

For your OUPV (aka six pack) you need 360 days of documented sea service time, current first aid/cpr, DOT drug test, 3 letters of reference (character references), and you will get an FBI background check and 10 finger electronic fingerprints at the coast guard mso. Once the fees are paid your file will be reviewed and they will let you know if you can take the necessary 4 tests. The license issued, specifically the waters, will depend on your documented experience. The CG specifies what they call the Boundary Line seperating Inland waters and Near Coastal waters. If most of your dive sites are past the boundary line you will need a Near Coastal license. This changes the sea service requirements. The test content is the same for ocean crossing tanker captains as it is for OUPV, the difference is the number of questions (for the most part, some slight variances).

The easy way out is to take a course for about $1000 where you are prepped to pass a CG endorsed exam from a marine testing school.

In terms of buying a boat for a charter operation, if it's more than 5 yrs old the insurance company will likely require a marine survey. You should never buy a used boat without a survey. The commercial policy will be several thousand dollars a year depending upon the value and size, etc. The commercial policy covers your divers until they are wet. From that point you need to have an insured dive master or instructor diving with them. You would need to remain aboard the boat the entire time depending upon your insurance policy.

If you already did all this homework sorry for the repeat. You would need to do a fair amount of business to break even with a charter operation.

--Matt

 

[Nemrod]

Back when I lived in Houston and worked as a Geologist and spent much time on crew boats to and from rigs--when it was to bad to fly-- I found a crew boat for sale, cheap, steel hull, three diesels, two heads, hoist, cargo hold, radar, I think it carried several thousand gallons of diesel fuel, ran about 20 knots. They only wanted 1.5 million I think it was. Such a deal, for another million you could get a helicopter on it, a Hughes 300 or a Robinson and maybe convert the pipe hoist to a boat lift for a twin engine Boston Whaler or RIB, probably another 125,000 plus conversion costs. I figure a compressor station about 5,000 or more and other modifications another 150,000 dollars plus refit and and inspection another 150,000 dollars, what the hades, cheap by any measure,oh, that first tank of fuel, about 6,000 dollars. Easy run to the Flower Gardens on that baby. N

 

[Bob3]

I always liked the trap net boats, all wide open much like a tiny version of some crew boats.