Prerequisites for ARPA course.

[rcurran]

I am interested in taking a course for ARPA but have no previous radar experience. I currently hold a 100 ton captain license. I see that there are some prerequsites for this course. Does anyone know what these are? Would appreciate any information on this. <br> Thank you<br> Richard

[Capt. Lee]

To take ARPA you have to have completed the unlimited Radar class. The Coast Guard will not recognize it otherwise. It will also help your understanding to take the radar class beforehand. Not that radar is rocket science, but when I took ARPA most of the assignments were manual radar plots for homework and classwork. You need the unlimited radar anyway to move up. I don't know where you live, but I took the my original radar at Youngs Memorial Community College in Morgan City for 100 bucks. 5 day class. Most of the state funded colleges that offer those classes offer similar tuition. Hope this helps, Lee

[rcurran]

Captain Lee,<br><br>Thank you for responding. I live in Shapleigh, Maine and will have to look around for a class that offers this. The only thing I have found so far is for a Radar Observer course for $800. so do not believe they are one and the same. Thank you for your info.<br><br>Capt. Richard

[Capt_Anonymous]

Richard, <br><br>Like Lee said, you have to take Radar Observer (Unlimited) first, and yes it is expensive. Then ARPA after that, even more money. But with a 100 ton license you're most likely not going to be required to take either class. I don't think you need Radar Observer (Unlimited) for &lt;100 ton boats but I've been wrong before.<br><br>

[Jemplayer]

You don't need a radar course for 100 ton. Most of the better companies want you to have radar though, but if they do, they will pay for it.<br><br>Really unless you plan on starting your upgrade path and completing it in the next year then your wasting your time and money. <br><br>Most places charge around $500 for the class. That $100 that Capt. Lee is quoting is from a LONG LONG LONG time ago. Too bad, because if you don't have a company willing to pay for your upgrade then its so expensive that its not worth it to most people.

[Capt. Lee]

The man did not ask if it was a requirement. He is just interested and even if it is not required he will be better off for taking it. It was a long time ago that I took Radar orignially, but it was not a long, long, long time ago. I looked on their site and it is $286 bucks for the unlimited radar (At Young's Memorial Morgan City, LA). ARPA is an unbelievable $183. I do agree to an extent about trying to get with a company that will offer that training for you, but let's just say you went out on a limb and paid for all yor upgade classes to get to 500 ton master OSV. Let's say you spent 25,000 dollars doing it. The first year difference in income would be 25-50 thousand dollars more than working on your 100 ton ticket. Now I am no mathematician, but if you have 20-30 years left to work that 25,000 dollar investment in "YOUR" education/Career would earn you 750,000 thousand to 1,500,000 million more in gross income over that time frame. Looks kind of like a no brainer to me.<br><A href="http://www.youngmemorial.com/marine-Tuition.htm]http://www.youngmemorial.com/marine-Tuition.htm</A><br><br>LE FLetcher also in Louisiana is $197 for LA residents and $317 for out of state for Radar.<br>ARPA is $327 for in state LA and $447 for out of state.<br><A href="http://www.ftcc.edu/programs/marine/courses.html]http://www.ftcc.edu/programs/marine/courses.html</A><br><br>You can try these guys close to home and see what they have to say, but they may be more expensive.<br><A href="http://www.mainemaritime.edu/index.php]http://www.mainemaritime.edu/index.php</A><br><br>Also, this is a complete list from the Coast Guard showing approved facilities and all the classes including radar and arpa that are approved by them. You can then contact each one individually for prices.<br><A href="http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/training/appcourses.pdf]http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/training/appcourses.pdf</A><br><br>Good Luck, Lee

[JP]

Where is there that much difference in pay between 100 ton and 500 ton captains? I usually see the big increase in pay at the 1600 ton level. I've seen plenty of places pay the same for 100 ton captains as 1600 ton. In fact, the place I work now pays $50 more for me to work as 100 ton captain than they do for me to use my unlimited license. It would be nice if the companies appreciated and paid for the extra effort we put into getting the higher licenses (and treated us with the respect we deserved and have earned) but I don't think they get it and I see no sign of it happening yet.<br>JP

[Capt. Lee]

JP- 500 ton Master and 1600 ton Master hold the same ITC tonnage attached to the license. Traditionally 3000 tons ITC for both 500/1600. You can also get the large OSV endorsement up to 6000 tons ITC with a 500 ton Master's license. There is not much differenc in pay for 500/1600 ton. Most of the OSV's being built today are listed as ITC tonnage so a 500 ton master could run master over someone with a 1600 ton license. As a matter of fact I have been in that position where I was the master of a 240 supply boat with a 500 ton license and a 1600 ton master was under me. If you have an unlimited license or a 1600 master and you are working on a 100 ton boat....well great. Sounds like a personal decision, but to say why upgrade because I make more with my 100 ton is just ridiculous. The whole point is to continue growing, continue learning. I can only speak for my experience and when I upgraded from 100 to 500 ton I was making $230 bucks as a 100 ton Master. Within 6 months I was up to $300 a day. Within a year I was at $330 a day. Of course I am way above that now, but the point is a $100 dollar a day increase for passing a couple of test and attending some STCW classes. If you are working at a company that pays 100 ton and 1600 ton the same then maybe you should think about switching companies, then again maybe you should pass on that info so some 100 ton guys like MiniSupplyMan can come get in on the action.

[jdcavo]

The Coast Guard will accept the ARPA course regardless of whether iot was taken before or after the radar class.<br><br>However, radar should probably be taken first and many schools make it a prerequisite of the ARPA course. <br><br>There's a list of ARPA courses at: http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/training/arpa.pdf <br>The only one in Maine is at Maine Maritime Academy.<br><br><br>James D. Cavo<br>Chief, Mariner Training &amp; Assessment Division<br>USCG National Maritime Center<br><font color="#3354aa]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</font>

[Jemplayer]

Well I just got schooled. I figured that all the radar courses had gotten to around $500, glad they haven't. I do feel that getting radar even if you don't need it for your license is a good thing, but ARPA? Maybe I don't understand it but what's the use of taking it if your boat doesn't have it? <br><br>As for spending what ever out of your own pocket to get your upgrade vs using the excuse that it cost to much never held water with me. It's just an excuse I've heard many many times from others. On the other hand I do think that the cost to upgrade is outrageous.

[jdcavo]

<EM><font color=#0060bf>What's the use of taking ARPA...?</font></EM><br><br>The difference between an "APPA" and a radar are getting very blurred. Many radars now can do almost everything an ARPA can, but for one technical reason or another are not classed as ARPA. But they have the same fiunctionality, and the risk of the so-called "ARPA-assisted collision" is just as great. The radar observer course will not teach anything about target acquisition and processing, trial manuevers, etc. If your "radar" has any of these features, you could benefit from an ARPA course.<br><br>James D. Cavo<br>Chief, Mariner Training &amp; Assessment Division<br>USCG National Maritime Center<br><A href="mailto:James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil]<font color=#3354aa>James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</font></A>