Quest for a Captain's License

Greetings!

I am a sailor, event technician, and tour guide from the Boston, MA area with a passion for adventure. Over the past many years, I have dedicated myself to a maritime profession, working on boats from 15 to 1500 feet long. Throughout all of this experience, there has been a consistent problem preventing me from furthering my career and achieving the dream job I've always wanted: finding the funding to take classes to be a captain of my own vessel someday.

In order to be a licensed captain of a commercial vessel, you must take an exam proving you are capable with navigation, signals, charts, and other parts of working a commercial vessel. This exam is around $250 on its own, but is *very* challenging. Most people advise taking the test through a classroom based testing facility, which tend to have better turnover rates than just directly applying for the license itself. The problem is that the class costs more, but it is much easier to get in with the class... $1200 generally, and they allow you to retest if you don't make the required 90% or greater pass rate.

I want to succeed with this goal, which is why I have invested myself into over two years worth of underway maritime shipboard duty as certified by the many captains I've worked with over the years, and even more time in dockside ship duties.

I am asking for your help in allowing me to realize my goal of achieving this license credential I seek through a registered maritime school near Massachusetts. I have been working as hard as I can to raise enough money to try and do this myself, however several recent catastrophes have occurred hindering this goal, including a boat fire near where I live that hurt my left lung from smoke inhalation that has had two hospital stays so far, and continues to bother me, yet heal slowly every day.

Every penny you can contribute helps. I want to get my merchant mariners captain credential so that I may apply for more advanced workplace opportunities that will take me places, but I can't do this without some help.

There are two goals here: with a $250 goal, I will have enough to apply for the coast guard exam and self study materials. At the $1,200 goal, I will have enough to pay for the formal class at one of the local maritime schools. If I do not make the full amount of donations, I will use the $250 for the self study and exam materials, and donate the remaining funds to the Mariner's House in Boston's North End, benefitting the Boston Port & Seamen's Aid Society which provides hot meals and interim services for seamen between employment, or otherwised displaced from home.

They say that teaching a man to fish is far more valuable than giving him the fish outright. This donation will go to my formal education in this field, and will produce many dividends in the long run. Your donation to this cause will allow me to better my quality of life and pursue this career that I desire.

Thank you!