Yamaha Marine Group announced today that three members of the OEM Technical Support team, Brad Leatherman, Craig Todd and Bill Craft, recently passed the U.S. Coast Guard test and are now licensed Operators of Uninspected Passenger Vessels in Near Coastal Waters up to 100 Miles Offshore.
This license allows the holder to act as an operator of vessels up to 100 gross tons and out to 100 nautical miles. Most pleasure vessels are in the uninspected vessel category due to the materials and method of construction. These vessels are limited to carrying six passengers for hire, which is why this license is often referred to as the “6-Pack”. An example of an uninspected vessel could be a small charter boat or a small assistance towing vessel such as those operated by Safe/Sea.
“I am extremely proud of these individuals for their accomplishments. This helps further our goals to provide the highest level of support to our customers,”said Chuck Butler, OEM Technical Support Manager, Yamaha Marine Group. “Through a working knowledge of the current regulations, standards and practices, we are going to be able to continue to maintain that support.”
The license requires at least 360 days of experience on the water. One day is achieved by a minimum of four hours underway or on the water. One day can only be logged by an individual per calendar day and 90 of the 360 days must be gained outside the Boundary Lines. The “boundary” line is used by the U.S. Coast Guard to determine inland versus near coastal waters as they apply to license candidates. In addition, the team also completed 52 hours of classroom time.*
Earlier this year, Leatherman, Todd, Steve Cheri and Mike Krautkremer passed the ABYC® Standards and Accreditation course. Craft also recently passed this course, strengthening the knowledge base of the OEM Technical Support team.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Group, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,200 U.S. dealers and OEM partners with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception.
*See U.S. Coast Guard website for complete details and requirements. This document contains many of Yamaha’s valuable trademarks. It may also contain trademarks belonging to other companies. Any references to other companies or their products are for identification purposes only, and are not intended to be an endorsement.By: Martin Peters, Mgr Communications
