May, 29 2014 
 
In this issue:

- Our Captain's Spotlight shines the light on the incredible leadership skills of Captain Ernest Shackleton! 

- The Captain's Corner opens a discussion about life jackets. 
 
-In Frequently Asked Questions the topic is medical conditions. 
 
- Don't forget to check out and pass along the dates of our next Captain's License Classes.
 
- Make sure you get a look at how our online classes work.
 
We hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to your comments and feedback!

 

Lori and Rachel Cortez

CQuest Marine 

(510) 573-0641

 


Captain's Spotlight
To continue our Captain Spotlight series, CQuest Marine would like to introduce Captain Ernest Shackleton, Leader of the HMS Endurance's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

  

 

Sir Ernest Shackleton was an adventurer in the early 1900's, and is a legend in the history of polar expeditions. It is rare to find such a figure, to find someone who fits the criteria of a real-deal, honest-to-goodness, heroic explorer. While many famous explorers have left death in their wakes, Shackleton's is one of survival and the preservation of life. It was the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration; a time infused with the spirit of adventure, a time to be a pioneer, an artist, a poet, a scientist; a time to make a name for oneself in the history books. With Roald Amundsen having been the first to reach the South Pole just three years prior, Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition was the last great conquest. They had planned to cross the Southern continent from shore to shore. 

 

Read More...

 

 

Captain's Corner
Weekly questions answered by our Captains about the ins and outs of running a passenger vessel.

What About Life Jackets?


Uh-oh! Someone wasn't listening 
during the safety orientation!

Knowing the carriage requirements and maintaining the safety equipment required aboard Passenger Vessels is a Captain's responsibility.  Personal flotation devices (pfds) or life jackets are some of the most critical life saving devices on our boats.

Inspected vessels are required to provide Coast Guard approved Type I life jackets for each person carried on board a vessel. On the other hand, uninspected vessel (OUPV or six-pack) Captains have a choice of carrying either Type I or Type V commercial hybrid pfds. 

The hybrids come with a few additional conditions:
- they must be worn when the vessel is underway and the intended wearer is not within an enclosed space.
- they must be used in accordance with the marked conditions on the PFD and in the owner's manual.
- they must be labeled for use aboard commercial vessels.
 
 Both inspected and uninspected vessels may carry other types of personal flotation devices in addition to the required pfds. 
 
Some of the issues our Captains have had to consider while outfitting their vessels are:
 - will I require my passengers to wear a pfd at all times?
- if not, when will I require that they be worn?
- should I where a pfd at all times as Captain? 
- where am I operating my vessel and which pfd will offer my passengers the best protection?
- if I choose hybrid inflatables, how often do they have to be rearmed?
- should my passengers have some impact protection from their pfd?
- are my pfds stowed properly?

There's more to life jackets than meets the eye. Over the next couple of weeks we're going to dive a bit deeper into the topic of life jackets and share our findings with you here. 

We'll be interviewing individuals with the Coast Guard, life jacket manufacturers and of course, our CQuest Captains.

Help make the next few articles more meaningful by sharing your thoughts and/or questions with us.




Our Live Online Classes
A New Way to Get Your Captain's License! 
 
We have received an approval from the Coast Guard to conduct all of our Captain's License Classes in an online format. These are NOT the sit-by-yourself-in-front-of-the-computer classes that you may have seen elsewhere. These are live, online, face-to-face by webcam classes with an instructor and five students at a time on a secure platform. 
 
It's a new and convenient way to get your license:  
 
- Easy to fit into your schedule  
- All course materials will be mailed to you 
- No daily traffic hassles  
 
Find out more about our online classes here:

In This Issue
Quick Links
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Find us on Pinterest

 

Our Next Captain's License Classes
There are still a few seats left in each of these classes!

Start Dates:
June 2  Day Class
June 16 Evening Class
July 7 Day Class
July 21 Evening Class
 
Our June and July Classes are starting to fill up.
 
Give us a call to reserve your seat!
510 573-0641
 
Check out our website for classes scheduled throughout the rest of the year.
 

Frequently Asked Questions
Here we cover the Who - What - Where - When - Why and How of Captain's Licensing
 
Top Ten Medical Conditions
 

We get a lot of questions regarding specific medical conditions.

 

These conditions ARE NOT necessarily "deal breakers" for obtaining a license. Coast Guard statistics state that approximately 0.001% of applications are denied for medical reasons.

They  may

simply require additional information in order for you to gain approval for licensing.

 

We have helped our Captains submit their license applications for ten years now. If you have questions about a specific medical condition please give us a call. We'd be happy to share what we know and help you get the answers you need from the Coast Guard.

 

Here is a link to the Coast Guard physical form:

 

Merchant Mariner Credential Medical Evaluation Report

 

And this is the latest information from the Coast Guard's website: 

 

"Top Ten Medical Conditions"

Listed below are medical conditions that can delay an application for credentials or cause an application to be denied. If you have one of these conditions, please review  

NVIC 04-08 Enclosure 3,"Recommended Evaluation Guidelines"

with your doctor so that he/she may address the issue.

  1. Cardiovascular Conditions
  2. Diabetes
  3. Psychiatric Disorders
  4. Sleep Disorders
  5. Chronic Use of Impairing Medications
  6. Impaired Hearing
  7. Alcohol/Drug Abuse
  8. Seizures
  9. Vision Requirements
  10.  Pulmonary Conditions
Read more...
 


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