The full time staff of The Pigeon Key Foundation and Marine Science Center are getting their OUPV Captain’s licenses! OUPV stands for “Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels”. This license allows the Captain to operate a vessel up to 100 gross tons, which is a boat ranging from 75-90 feet long. The OUPV license is also known as the 6-PAK because it permits you to carry up to 6 paying customers plus crew. Here on Pigeon Key, the license will be used to help the staff get back and forth from Pigeon Key to Marathon.
The staff are very excited to become Captains because we will able to gain more experience at sea and become more knowledgeable about safe boating, which we can share with the numerous education groups that visit the island each season.
We have been studying hard for the past month to complete our course modules and quizzes in preparation for the proctored exam, which is only a couple of weeks away! Other requirements for obtaining this license include CPR/First Aid certification and 360 days at sea!
Wish us luck! We hope to see you out on the water soon!
