Sea time guides
Plain answers to the questions boaters ask most about logging sea service for a small boat credential, each written from the regulations and the published guidance, with the date it was last reviewed.
How to log sea time for a captain's license
Log sea time trip by trip: date, vessel, waters, hours underway and role, then total the days per vessel by month. What to record and how the days are counted.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
What counts as a sea day for a captain's license
On a boat under 100 gross tons, a sea day is 4 or more hours underway in one calendar day. Under 4 hours earns nothing; 8 or 12 hours still counts as one day.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
OUPV vs Master 25, 50 or 100 ton: sea time requirements
An OUPV (six pack) needs 360 days of sea time, 90 near coastal for that route. A near coastal Master under 100 tons needs 720, with 360 near coastal or ocean.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Documenting sea time on your own boat
Time on your own boat counts. Owners of vessels under 200 GRT may attest to their own sea service and attach proof of ownership, such as the title.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Near coastal vs inland vs Great Lakes sea time
Inland days are shoreward of the boundary line, near coastal days seaward of it, and the Great Lakes are their own class. Which days count toward which route.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Who signs your sea service form or letter
On someone else's boat the owner, operator or master signs your sea service. On your own boat under 200 GRT you sign yourself and attach proof of ownership.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
The small vessel sea service form, box by box
How to fill in the small vessel sea service form (CG-719S) box by box: the vessel section, the year and month grid, the totals by waters, and the signatures.
Last reviewed 27 September 2026
Count your own days
The log applies the day rule to every trip as you enter it, one day per calendar day, and the progress page shows your totals by waters against each credential's published numbers. Everything stays in this browser.