Federal Waters in Minnesota

- There has been a lot of talk about federal waters and the requirement for a USCG license. For a license to be required, you must be working on federal water for compensation - money. Here is a list of Federal Waters from the two USCG districts. If the waters you are working on are listed, you will need a license.

From USCG - Two Coast Guard Districts have responsibilities within the state of Minnesota. The demarcation line runs through the state at approximately Latitude 46.20, north of St. Paul and south of Duluth. Everything south of that line is handled by the Eighth Coast Guard District.

Both the Eighth and Ninth Coast Guard Districts are working together to ensure outreach efforts extend to the whole state of Minnesota regarding this issue. There has always been the requirement nation-wide for guides to get what is called an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) license. An OUPV is required for 1 - 6 passengers for hire ("6-pack" referring to the maximum number of passengers allowed).

The primary concern for the Coast Guard and all other agencies that have a stake in the enforcement of licensing requirements on federal navigable waterways is safety. We want to ensure that all operators of uninspected passenger vessels have the appropriate safety equipment and level of boating and operational expertise required to keep their passengers safe while onboard these vessels.

We are working to raise public awareness of the licensing requirements and assist operators of uninspected passenger vessels gain full compliance with the law, which is necessary to safely operate their business. Interested parties can learn more about various Coast Guard licenses at: http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/

Below is the list of MN waters determined to be navigable, for which the Ninth Coast Guard District is responsible. As such, operators on these waters are required to hold the appropriate Coast Guard license.

The first list is for northern MN. A second list will be here soon for souther MN

For  MN By District 8 Please read all of the disclaimers

NAVIGABILITY DETERMINATIONS DISCLOSURE POLICY FOR THE EIGHT COAST GUARD DISTRICT LIST 2.  You are cautioned that this list is advisory only and the determinations listed are subject to change or modification.  Binding navigability determinations can only be made by the federal courts or mandated by Congress.  The Coast Guard makes navigability determinations only when necessary for its own operations or exercise of regulatory authority.  We do not make such determinations at the request of private parties.

3.  It is possible that a particular waterway may be determined to be a navigable water for some purposes and non-navigable for others, and a particular body of water may be navigable in certain areas while being non-navigable in others.  Precise definitions of “navigable waters of the United States: or “navigability” is ultimately dependent on judicial interpretation and cannot be made conclusively by “administrative agencies.”  However, the policies and criteria used by the Coast Guard in making these determinations are in close conformity with the tests used by the Federal Courts.  The fact that a particular waterway does not appear on this list does not mean that it is not navigable water of the United States, but rather that no formal determination of navigability has been made by the Coast Guard.

4.  Actual navigability determinations are considered pre-decisional agency memorandum and are exempt from release to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  However, in accordance with Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, parts 2.40-45, the list of navigability determinations may be released to the public pursuant to 33, Code of Federal Regulations, part 1.105(b). Inquires concerning whether a navigability determination has been made for a specific waterway should be directed to the Eighth Coast Guard District Legal Office at the following address:

COMMANDER (DL) EIGHTH COAST GUARD DISTRICT 500 POYDRAS STREET NEW ORLEANS, LA  70130

Minnesota Waterways Waterway Determination             Date Determined

Bois de Souix River Navagable 1-Nov-1974

Lake Minnetonka Non Navigable 13-Mar-1991

Red River of the North Navigable 7-Mar-1973

Upper Mississippi River Navigable 3-May-1977

Zumbro River Non Navigable 15-Feb-1977

Explorer's Guide has completed an excellent Marine Radar course for Recreational Boaters. Many boaters do not realize that if they have radar installed they must be able to use it to avoid collisions with others. This course provides the needed knowledge.

We are looking for captains with recreational radar experince, great teaching skills, ability to help market the course, and a desire to help out their fellow mariners. If you are interested is doing contract teaching, please send your resume to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We will be adding other recreational courses including Close-quarter Boat Handling.

Thanks for your interest.

Capt Gary

Captains Course open for Displaced Workers

[May 6, 2009, St. Paul, MN] Explorer’s Guide’s Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV Captain’s course may be the answer to many people out of work looking for a career on the water. The course qualifies for displaced worker retraining funds through Minnesota work force development; bringing more training opportunities to those longing to work on the water closer to their dream job.

Explorer’s Guide’s Maritime Training is offering its OUPV course in St. Paul on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 at Saint Paul Community College, St. Paul, MN. This US Coast Guard-approved class is open to all operators of commercial and private vessels. Training will take place for two consecutive long weekends, from 5:30pm-9:30 on Thursday evenings, and running from 8:00am – 5:30pm from Friday through Sunday, concluding on Sunday afternoon, June 14, 2009. The cost is $695 per participant. Contact David Baker at 800-487-6029 for more information.

Read more: Captains Course open for Displaced Workers

The National Maritime Center has finalized their policies related to limited OUPV licenses. They are now requiring the schools and applicants for limited OUPV to follow request the exact wording in 46 cfr . (g) which states

" Limited OUPV endorsements may be issued to applicants to be employed by organizations such as formal camps, yacht clubs, educational institutions, and marinas. An endorsement issued under this paragraph will be limited to the specific activity and the locality of the camp, yacht club, or marina."

Read more: Limited OUPV No Longer Available for Fishing Guides

“What types of maritime jobs are available” is a common question we get every day.

So, what types of jobs are available? The answer depends on your license and the size of the vessel. For most people, vessels under 100 tons are the ideal size. These are used for charter fishing, local river tours, eco tours, water taxis, and education to name a few.

Most of these jobs require either an “operator of uninspected passenger vessel” license or a Masters up to 100 tons. These are relatively easy licenses to get, provided you have the required sea time and meet the minimum standards. You may want to work as a crew member on these vessels to get both a feel for the work as well as accrue sea time.

Other mariners are interested in working on the “big” vessels. This requires more sea time and work experience. At a minimum you will need a merchant mariner document and a transportation worker identification credential. Here is a link to a report that was developed last year to show they types of jobs are available to mariners and pay on these types of vessels. Copy of the Survey

Explorer’s Guide Maritime Training
715-362-6029