Where do I park and where should I stay?
Parking is available in the shell-covered parking lot located on the south side of the Aquidneck Mill Building (449 Thames Street) and the entrance to the building is through a wooden door located in the middle of the building on the side adjacent to the parking lot. Our classroom is located on the third floor; suite 300. If the parking lot is full, there is metered parking all around downtown Newport. Feel free to use these meters or park in a paid lot. Between November 1st and April 30th the meters are free and most lots are discounted!

If you are looking for a place to stay, please download our Welcome to Newport Guide which has information about lodging, dining, and things to do in town should you choose to extend your stay.

What course(s) am I eligible to take?
Confident Captain/Ocean Pros offers a wide variety of courses ranging from many different USCG certified courses as well as RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Certification. The best way to determine which course(s) you are eligible to take, is to read through the prerequisite requirements for each course and then calculate your sea time to determine which course you will be eligible to take.

If you are new to the industry and do not have 360 days on the water (90 in the past three years) you are not yet eligible to get your Captains License. Our recommendation is that you take STCW-95 Basic Safety training so that you will begin your career with knowledge about how to prevent accidents what to do in the case of an emergency.

If you have 360 days on the water (90 in the past three years) then you may be eligible to get your OUPV or Master 25/50/100GT Captains License. This course will teach you all of the rules of the road, basic navigation, deck safety and more! This license will allow you to captain US flagged boats.

If you are an accomplished sailor and have captained vessels during several long and overnight passages then you may be a candidate for the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Sail Certification Course!

Please click here to read additional information and other prerequisite requirements for each course.

When are your courses?
Confident Captain/Ocean Pros offers weekday, weeknight, and often weekend courses to fit into the busy lives of our students. Please click here to view our current course schedule. If you cannot find a course that fits into your schedule please contact us and we would be happy to try our best and accommodate you.

Where do I go to get a medical examination, drug test, etc?
Medical examinations and drug testing can be completed at the Newport Hospital here in town. For specific instructions regarding these procedures including directions as to how to fill out the forms, please download our USCG Student Application Guide.

What do I need to have in order to get my license from the USCG?
It is very important that you have all of the correct paperwork completed before visiting your nearest USCG station.  Review the USCG Student Application Guide to make sure you have not forgotten anything!

What should I bring to class?
When coming to a course at Confident Captain, please allow extra time for traffic especially in the summer months, as Newport is a very popular tourist destination. For all classes please come prepared with a notebook and writing instrument. If you are enrolled in a daytime course, you will have approximately a one-hour lunch break in which you are welcome to eat in the classroom or at one of the local lunch spots. If you are taking a Captain's course, do not forget to bring your textbook!

How do I register?
Please click here to register online or call us at (401) 849-1257.

How do I document my sea time?
In order to properly document sea time, candidates must fill out the Small Vessel Sea Service form and transfer all of their sea time information to this document. Please note that one form should be used for each vessel and that the owner, operator, or master must sign off on the time for the form to be valid. If the candidate is the owner of the vessel, he or she may sign off on his or her own sea time.

A day is defined as eight hours of watchstanding or day work, not to include overtime. On commercial vessels where a twelve-hour workday is authorized and practiced, such as on a six-on, six-off watch schedule, each workday may be considered for one and one-half days of service credit. Required sea service is specified in months or years, which are then converted to days, i.e., one year means 360 days and one month is 30 days. Service other than on deck is given half credit (e.g., 1 day credit for every 2 days served) and an approved training program may substitute for all except 30 days of the service requirement. On vessels of less than 100 gross tons, a day is considered as eight hours unless the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection determines that the vessel's operating schedule makes this criteria inappropriate, in no case will this period be less than four hours.