Passenger limit#
OUPV is hard-capped at 6 paying passengers. Master 25/50/100 has no fixed passenger ceiling — it's the vessel's USCG Certificate of Inspection that sets the maximum.
Vessel inspection#
OUPV is for uninspected vessels (Subchapter C). Master is for inspected vessels (Subchapter T, K, etc.) — the boat itself must hold a Certificate of Inspection from the USCG.
Sea time#
OUPV: 360 days. Master less than 100 GRT is more route-sensitive: Near-Coastal uses 720 deck-department days on ocean, near-coastal, or Great Lakes waters, with up to 360 inland-water days allowed as substitute service; Great Lakes/Inland uses 360 total days. The 25 / 50 / 100 GRT tier is then assigned under the 46 CFR 11.422 tonnage formula, so a candidate can meet the route requirement but receive a lower tonnage limit if most service was on smaller vessels.
Exam difference#
OUPV Near Coastal: four modules — Rules of the Road, Deck General/Safety (combined), Navigation General, and Chart Plot (Q172). Master less-than-100: the same ground but with Deck General and Deck Safety split into two separate modules and a tighter regulations component, alongside its own Chart Plot module (Q163). Both credentials test plotting at a 90% pass mark; the Master's extra prep weeks come from the broader question bank and higher sea time, not from plotting being unique to Master.