Getting your USCG Captains License Some people join OPO to get more sea time to work towards getting a captain’s license. After getting a license they can build a resume through OPO and network with other skippers. One of the fastest growing and better course and USCG exams are given by a friend of mine Captain Bob at the Mariners School. Bob offers a $100 dollar discount for OPO members, so when you contact them make sure you tell them you are an active OPO members to get the discount. New at the Mariners School is an online course where you do not need to have to go and do classroom work and can learn online and then schedule to take the test through them. This course costs less so there is no $100 OPO discount. Offshore Passage Opportunities (OPO) is a crew networking service that offers it members the opportunity to sail with others. Delivery skippers and private boat owners that need crew contact us. We collect the information and pass it on to our members. Since you are helping someone move their boat, you get to sail for free. The best way to learn about the yacht delivery business and to get more offshore experience is by sailing with other delivery skippers and boat owners. You also need to network with other delivery skippers and make more passages to new ports to help get work. As you may know a normal delivery crew is made up of three crew. The owner pays for a crew of three and airfare for all three crew. Being a member of OPO you will be able to get more deliveries because you would be using our services to get free crew. The owner still pays the skippers wages, skipper’s transportation and boat expenses, but gets free crew that pay their own way to and from the boat. Who do you think will get the job if you are bidding against another skipper that quotes for three people? What’s more, since the crew are free, you can take an extra one or two crew along so that if someone gets seasick or does not show up at the last minute it is not a problem. With extra crew it makes the delivery that much easier, especially when the auto-pilot stops working! By networking through OPO you will meet and sail with other delivery skippers that will help you to become a delivery skipper on your own. Once we feel comfortable with your sailing abilities we will also refer delivery opportunities to you so you can start building your own clientele. Not interested in delivering boats, but rather becoming an accomplished sailor to sail your own boat or a boat you plan to buy? What better way to learn than by sailing with as many different skippers as possible and seeing different boats. You can choose the best qualities from others and incorporate them into your own sailing style. The sailing magazines and boats shows are filled with ideas about how to spend your money. See for yourself what works and what does not, so you can save on outfitting your boat and depart that much sooner. Once you have buy a boat and plan a departure date (and find out your spouse may not want to make the offshore legs) you can call us to get free crew that will pay their own way to and from the boat. For more information about the Mariners Schools Schedule please call or go to their web site. They are based in New Jersey but give classes in most of the US on their way to being a coast to coast outfit to serve sailors and OPO members all over. Some of our OPO members even teach the classes. Contact the Mariners School at www.MarinersSchool.com or call toll free 866-SEA-CAPT (866-732-2278). In New Jersey call 609-987-0531 or e-mail info@MarinersLearningSystems.com Home | Membership | Message Board | About OPO | Upcoming Rallies | Contact Us