OUPV vs Master 25, 50 or 100 ton: sea time requirements
An OUPV, often called a six pack license, needs 360 days of experience operating vessels, at least 90 of them near coastal or ocean for the near coastal route (46 CFR 11.467(c)).
A near coastal Master of vessels under 100 GRT needs 720 days of deck service, at least 360 of them on ocean or near coastal waters, with Great Lakes and inland days counting for at most 360 (46 CFR 11.428(a)). Both need 90 days of recent service. Whether a Master reads 25, 50 or 100 tons depends on the size of the vessels your days were on.
The published numbers side by side
| Credential | Days | Section |
|---|---|---|
| OUPV (six pack), near coastal | 360 days, at least 90 of them near coastal or ocean | 46 CFR 11.467(c) |
| OUPV (six pack), Great Lakes and inland | 360 days, at least 90 of them Great Lakes, on Great Lakes or inland waters | 46 CFR 11.467(d) |
| OUPV (six pack), inland | 360 days | 46 CFR 11.467(e) |
| Master 25, 50 or 100 GRT, near coastal | 720 days, at least 360 of them near coastal or ocean, Great Lakes or inland days count for at most 360 | 46 CFR 11.428(a) |
| Master 25, 50 or 100 GRT, Great Lakes and inland | 360 days, at least 90 of them Great Lakes | 46 CFR 11.455(a) |
| Master 25, 50 or 100 GRT, inland | 360 days | 46 CFR 11.455(a) |
The OUPV carries up to six passengers for hire on uninspected vessels under 100 GRT. A Master endorsement lets you command inspected vessels within its tonnage and route. The near coastal OUPV route stops at 100 miles offshore, where the Master's near coastal route runs to 200 (46 CFR 10.107). Check what counts as a sea day before you count, because a short day is worth nothing toward either.
Recent service: 3 years in the rule, 7 under current policy
The regulation asks for at least 3 months (90 days) of service within the 3 years before you apply (46 CFR 11.201(c)(1)(i)). CG-MMC Policy Letter 02-25, signed 12 September 2025, now treats 90 days within the 7 years before the application as meeting that requirement for every national officer endorsement, and the evaluation checklists dated September 2025 list the 7 year figure. The progress page shows both windows and uses the 7 year one for the gap.
How the 25, 50 or 100 ton limit is set
A Master endorsement under 200 GRT is issued at 25, 50, 100 or 200 tons. The limit is the highest tonnage on which you logged at least a quarter of the required days, or one and a half times the highest tonnage on which you logged at least half of them, whichever is higher, rounded up to the next level. If more than three quarters of your days were on vessels of 5 GRT or less, the limit is 25 (46 CFR 11.422(a)). Tonnage counts vessels that size or larger, so days on a 60 GRT boat also count toward the 34 GRT test.
Worked example: four boaters, 360 days each
| Days logged | Tonnage the days point to |
|---|---|
| 260 days on your own 4 GRT center console and 100 days crewing on a 34 GRT charter boat | 50 GRT |
| 180 days on a 20 GRT trawler and 180 on a 6 GRT runabout | 50 GRT |
| 90 days on a 55 GRT head boat and 270 on your own 8 GRT boat | 100 GRT |
| 300 days on a 3 GRT skiff and 60 days on a 40 GRT boat | 25 GRT |
The first boater has 100 days on a 34 GRT boat, more than a quarter of 360, so 34 rounds up to 50. The third has 90 days, exactly a quarter, on a 55 GRT boat, which rounds up to 100. The last has more than three quarters of the days on a 3 GRT skiff, which caps the limit at 25 whatever else is logged.
Common mistakes
- Counting 360 days for a near coastal Master. It needs 720.
- Assuming Great Lakes days fill the near coastal part of an OUPV. The regulation names ocean or near coastal waters.
- Forgetting that inland days top out at 360 toward a near coastal Master.
- Expecting 100 tons from days on a small boat. The limit follows the vessels you served on.
- Letting recent service lapse while the total is already there.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is a six pack license the same as an OUPV?
Yes. OUPV stands for Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels, and it is commonly called a six pack license because it allows up to six passengers for hire.
Can OUPV days count toward a Master later?
Yes. Sea service does not expire and can be reused for a new endorsement, so days you logged for an OUPV also count toward a Master, subject to that credential's own waters and tonnage rules.
Do I need 90 days in the last 3 years or the last 7?
The regulation says 3 years. CG-MMC Policy Letter 02-25 of September 2025 accepts 90 days within 7 years for all national officer endorsements. This site shows both counts.
Sources
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 against:
- 46 CFR 11.467, Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels of less than 100 GRT, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current text, up to date as of 24 September 2026, read 27 September 2026. Used for: OUPV service by route.
- 46 CFR 11.428, Master of near-coastal self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current text, up to date as of 24 September 2026, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Master near coastal under 100 GRT.
- 46 CFR 11.455, Master of Great Lakes and inland self-propelled vessels of less than 100 GRT, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current text, up to date as of 24 September 2026, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Master Great Lakes and inland under 100 GRT.
- 46 CFR 11.422, Tonnage limitations for Master or Mate of vessels of less than 200 GRT, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current text, up to date as of 24 September 2026, read 27 September 2026. Used for: The 25, 50, 100 ton formula.
- 46 CFR 11.201, General requirements for national and STCW officer endorsements, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, current text, up to date as of 24 September 2026, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Recent service, 3 years in the rule text.
- CG-MMC Policy Letter 02-25, Crediting Recent Service of Applicants for National Officer Endorsements, Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing, signed 12 September 2025, effective immediately, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Recent service within 7 years for national officer endorsements.
- Evaluation checklist MCP-FM-NMC5-31, National Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels, National Maritime Center, dated 15 September 2025, read 27 September 2026. Used for: How evaluators list the OUPV numbers.
- Evaluation checklist MCP-FM-NMC5-15, National Master of vessels of less than 100 GRT upon near coastal waters, National Maritime Center, dated 15 September 2025, read 27 September 2026. Used for: How evaluators list the near coastal Master numbers and tonnage days.
This guide is our own summary of the published documents, not legal advice and not a finding about your eligibility; the credentialing authority decides. If it disagrees with the current documents, the documents win. Sea Time Ledger is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the United States Coast Guard, the National Maritime Center or any other government body.