I’m spending the winter months working on my U.S. Coast Guard 25-Ton Master Captain’s License with the U.S. Maritime Academy.  The class meets three days a week for 8-weeks here in Chicago and covers all aspects needed for the license: Chart Navigation, General navigation, Rules of the Road, Deck General, etc.   

Overall, the class has been a really good ‘dusting off’ of the topics that I learned in the ASA curriculum, as well taking a much deeper dive into the 72 COLREGS and the Inland Rules.  I’ve found that the charting problems from the ASA 105 Coastal Navigation course to be more arduous, but it’s been a really good overall refresher.

I have no idea what I’m going to do with the license.  I wouldn’t mind doing some sailboat deliveries in the future, but I have no desire to do charters.  I don’t think that I could handle a group of strangers running amok on Tortuga.