🔍 Key Concepts

• Credential carriage requirements for mariners under 46 CFR (check Subchapter B – Merchant Marine Officers and Seamen) • Difference between simply operating a boat and operating an uninspected passenger vessel (UPV) • When a credential/license must be available for inspection by the Coast Guard or other authorities

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Is the legal requirement tied to time of day, distance from shore, whether passengers are aboard, or simply to the fact that you are the credentialed operator of that UPV? • Think about why the Coast Guard issues a credential in the first place—when would they reasonably expect to be able to see it on request? • Consider whether the law makes exceptions for short trips, close to shore, or daylight operations, or if it’s written more broadly.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether 46 CFR credential carriage requirements mention specific operating conditions like night, distance offshore, or number/type of passengers. • Check if being a passenger-for-hire vessel changes when the credential must be onboard versus whether you need the credential at all. • Confirm if the wording is closer to “shall have in their possession while acting under the authority of the credential” or if it lists limited cases (night, offshore, etc.).