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Work experience

Marine Mechanic, Yacht Delivery Captain

Jan 1986Present
MP Yacht Services

Providing marine engineering and yacht delivery services to private yacht owners throughout North America, and the Pacific Rim for thirty-years.

See "skills" for listing of duties and services provided during this time.

USCG Boatswain's Mate

Jun 1978Aug 1990
US Coast Guard (Active Duty and Reserve)

Search and Rescue Crewman, Deck and SAR Bos'n, Bridge OOD, USCG Vessel Navigator and Operator, Buoy-Tender Bos'n-Mate (BMOW and Coxswain). Public relations officer, Gunnery Officer, Lifesaving and SAR  Equipment Officer.
Bosun description from Wikipedia:
The most versatile member of the Coast Guard's operational team is the boatswain's mate (BM). Boatswain's mates are masters of seamanship. BMs are capable of performing almost any task in connection with deck maintenance, small boat operations, navigation, and supervising all personnel assigned to a ship's deck force. 
(OOD Description per Wikipedia)
At sea, the officer of the deck is stationed on the bridge and is in charge of navigation and safety of the ship, unless relieved by the captain or a senior qualified line officer. ..OOD is directly responsible for the maneuvering of the ship. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Professional Mariner for Thirty-Years

Personal Professional Profile

Mike Patterson began his career as a professional mariner at seventeen years old, when he joined the United Staes Coast Guard in 1978. While in the USCG he served in many capacities; acquiring many skills, qualifications, and experiences at sea. 

Throughout his three-decades-long maritime career he has acquired expertise as a professional seaman, private yacht captain, instructor, and marine technician.

As a member of the USCG his performance was constantly evaluated. This was in order to ensure he, and his fellow crew were able to meet and exceed the demanding criteria expected of a professional military mariner.

While in the USCG Patterson graduated from numerous formal training programs. At one training center, he was appointed as the class leader of forty fellow classmates. 

Throughout his USCG career he was often re-evaluated and certified to perform a wide array of duties on board ships, and rescue craft. These qualifications included bridge OOD, deck BMOW, boarding officer, SAR crewman, and coxswain of various USCG vessels.

Along with his duties as SAR crew and operator of USCG vessels, he was also tasked with maintaining rescue craft, and their equipment. These duties provided a solid mechanical and technical foundation, which would be expended on throughout his professional career.

Patterson continued his career as a professional mariner while working in the recreational yachting industry in various ways. His civilian maritime career has mainly focused on mechanical, and technical systems aboard private yachts and small commercial vessels. 

As a seasoned professional mariner, he is exceptionally competent to perform captain duties aboard private yachts. He has been vetted by marine insurance companies as delivery captain; including Loyd’s.

Patterson also provides instructional services to motor-yacht owners, and their crew; at the request of marine insurance companies. Instructional services include all aspects of motor-yacht operations, from docking and maneuvering, preventive safety, damage control, crew team work, and mechanical-system orientation.

Patterson’s maritime career has now spanned over three decades. Along the way, he has continually built on his wide-ranging skills as a marine technician, mechanic, yacht builder, and recreational yacht captain. He has worked with yacht builders in the United Staes, and Canada. He has completed contract work in boat yards throughout the U.S. Canada, and Baja Mexico.

His experiences as a seaman aboard recreational and commercial vessels has been extensive. Working on such a wide array of marine vessels-in many capacities has provided Patterson with the ability to quickly adapt to each new vessel, and it’s unique needs.

Patterson’s foundational skill building as a mariner occurred while working ocean search and rescue. These experiences provided for a unique insight as to how mariners can get themselves into trouble. Most importantly, he is able to use these experiences to avoid trouble at sea; and to react calmly and professionally when things do go wrong.

Patterson has operated various private yachts, and small ships throughout North American ports and waterways. He also has professional experience operating USCG vessels throughout the Pacific Rim; including Hawaii, the  Mariana Islands, Micronesia, and the Philippines. 

The experience he gained operating in foreign ports and remote U.S. territories has provided the skills required to navigate successfully, when aides to navigation, are not abundant. This experience instilled an attitude of extraordinary care, and professional calm when exposed to unique and hazardous conditions.

Patterson’s work today is primarily focused on providing technical and mechanical expertise to recreational yacht owners, boat yards, and boat builders. 

Patterson is also a private pilot. Training as a pilot focused on safety, proper decision making under pressure, and hazards such as weather. Patterson has a keen interest in safety. This comes from his combined experience as a pilot and USCG rescue crewman.

Additionally, Patterson passes on his abilities to new yacht owners and their crew. He is often asked to provide service as an instructor, and delivery captain by recreational yacht owners, and insurance providers.

 

Education

Formal Training and Qualification

Jul 1978Nov 1999
USCG and Private Sector Maritime Training

Completed training with WESMAR stabilizers- Westport Washington
see certificate on request
Completed Training with Naiad Yacht Stabilizers, Sheldon, Connecticut
see certificate.

Completed training with Electro Guard. Corrosion control systems.
see certificate.

Completed Training with Allen Test Systems-smog emissions  control
s
ee certificate.
Certified California Smog Technician.
see certificate

Chemeketa Business College 1984  
Business Marketing 

USCG Education 1978-1990
(
USCG Schools Attended, USCG Courses Completed,  and Qualification Endorsements)

USCG Training Center Alameda, California
06/20/78-08/16/78 (9 weeks)
Completed 08/16/78
Syllabus: Seamanship, fire fighting, shipboard damage control, marlinspike seamanship, deck seamanship, rigging, ship’s operations, weapons. 
08/16/78 Smalls arms training and rating.
USCG Training Center Alameda, California
 (.223 M16 and .45 Navy “F” Pistol)
Qualified USCG “Expert” Pistol, and USCG “Sharpshooter” Rifle

USCG STATION MSO PORTLAND, Oregon
08/16/1978 - 07/16/1979
Apprentice (OJT): Marine safety, port security, pollution enforcement. boarding-officer trainee, and LE officer apprentice.
Completed Seaman’s Course 03/11/79

USCG SAR Station Umpqua River
Winchester Bay, Oregon:
07/18/79- 12/04/80
Apprentice Seaman (OJT)
Qualified Lookout Tower Watch Stander 09/04/79
Qualified Communications Watch Stander 10/29/79
Completed SAR Boat Crew Training Guide 12/05/79
Qualified as SAR boat crew, 44’ Motor Life Boat’s. 12/05/79
Completed Seaman’s “practical factors”.
Advanced to “Seaman-E3” 01/24/80
Completed “MRN3 Course” 04/29/80
Completed “PA3 Course” 05/13/80
Advanced to “PA3” 10/01/80

U.S. Army DINFOS (Defense Information School)
Ft. Benjamin Harrison, Indiana  12/04/80-3/27/81
9-week military public information, and photo-journalism training.

USCG BOATSWAINS MATE CLASS “A” SCHOOL
RTC Yorktown, Virginia (3/29/81-06/19/81)
(Appointed as “Class Leader” of 40 fellow students)
Graduated June 19, 1981
12 weeks course:
Syllabus: Advanced navigation, ship’s operations, deck seamanship, bridge operations, boat operator course, navigation rules of the road, shipboard and SAR boat maintenance, marine rigging.
Completed sections A and B of CG 313 “Boat Crew Training Guide”,
Completed practical factors requirements for BM3.
Completed NAVRUL (Navigation Rules Course)
Advanced to BM3 (Boatswains Mate 3rd class Petty Officer) 06/19/81

USCG Cutter “Cape George” WPB 95’ 95306
(Honolulu, Hi. then Agana, Guam and Northern Marianna Islands)
07/15/81-01/19/83

Qualified 08/01/81, as OOD underway.
Officer of the Deck-underway.

Graduate: Boarding Officer Qualification Course (10/29/81)
Qualified as USCG Boarding Officer 10/29/81
Qualified on Law Enforcement “PPC” course (Weapons shoot or no-shoot).
Completed MRN2 course 11/15/81
Completed BM2    course 11/17/81
Qualified (QualCode BCHG00000000 QualMan CG-311) 02/08/82
Graduate DEA course (USCG Station Saipan, Marianna Islands) 08/20/82
Completed NAVRUL (Navigation Rules Course) 09/17/82

USCG Cutter “Basswood” 160’ Buoy Tender
(Philippines and US Trust Territory Islands-servicing navigation aides)
02/17/82- 04/09/82 (Temporary Duty)
Qualified as Ship’s Boat Coxswain
Qualified  as BMOW (Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch-underway and in-port)
Completed BM2 practical factors related to working on a buoy tender.


US Naval Station Agana, Guam
01/20/83 -01/17/84
Completed: Naval Police courses (see certificates of completion).
Qualified Naval Security Officer.
Qualified weapons
Advanced to USCG BM2 (Boatswains Mate 2nd Class) 12/01/83

11/01/84 USCG Station Yaquina Bay,
Newport, Oregon.
Qualified as SAR “Boat Crewman” on: Motor Life Boats (44’ and 52’) 

USCG Training Center Alameda, California
09/03/85-09/13/85 
Completed “Small Boat Coxswain” school 09/13/85
(Standing: top 3 in class)

USCG Staton Los Angeles, California
Qualified Boat Crew 41’ UTB’s 05/18/86

“Qualified” defined: “officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job”. “competent or knowledgeable to do something; capable”
(Note: “qualified” in this use indicates the USCG’s determination that a member is able to perform in a certain capacity. This is based on the judgement of instructors, or other superiors that the member possesses all the skills required to fulfill the demands of a certain crew position, or duty. This determination is based on a combination of completing written courses, and practical testing administered by experienced superiors which the crewman will be working under. 

 

Skills

USCG TIMELINE

FORMAL TRAINING, QUALIFICATIONS, APPOINTMENTS, AND CERTIFICATIONS, 

Bridge OOD, deck BMOW, boarding officer, SAR crewman, and coxswain of various USCG vessels. Gunnery officer. SAR gear officer.
Damage control and shipboard fire fighting

USCG FORMAL TRAINING, QUALIFICATIONS AND  EXPERIENCE
Timeline

1978 USCG Training Center Alameda, California

Graduate July 1978 (9 weeks)

Basic Seamanship, Fire Fighting, Shipboard Damage Control. Marlinspike seamanship, deck seamanship, ship’s operations. Certified: USCG Expert Pistol, and USCG Sharpshooter Rifle

USCG STATION MSO PORTLAND 

07/XX/1978 - 07/17/1979

Seaman Apprentice. Boarding officer trainee Port Security Operations Pollution Response. LE Officer Apprentice.

USCG Station Umpqua River - Winchester Bay, Oregon

07/18/1979- 01/xx/81

Qualified SAR Crew, 44’ Motor Lifeboat’s

Qualified Communications Watch Stander

Qualified Lookout Tower Watch Stander 

Boat maintenance: Deck and coatings.

Station carpenter

USCG  National Motor Lifeboat School
http://www.uscg.mil/tcyorktown/Ops/NMLBS/
1980 Winter Training Season Staff: 

Boat-Keeper. Life Guard

USCG BOATSWAINS MATE CLASS “A” SCHOOL
http://www.uscg.mil/tcyorktown/Ops/bma/
Graduate June 1981 (12 weeks)

Advanced deck seamanship, bridge operations, boat operator course, advanced navigation, rules of the road, shipboard and boat maintenance, marine rigging.

USCG Cutter “Cape George” WPB 95’

June 1981 -August 1982
Qualified OOD Bridge and In-Port (Officer Of The Deck).

Qualified USCG Boarding Officer

Boarding Officer Qualification Course

Graduate October 1981 (1 Week)

Boating safety, rules of the road, USCG LE officer training.

USCG Cutter “Basswood” 160’ Bouy Tender

1982 Temporary Duty
Qualified Boat Coxswain

Qualified BMOW (Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch)

US NAVY

Temporary assignment 

US Naval Station Agana, Guam 

Qualified Naval Security Officer

Qualified weapons

Qualified traffic accident investigator 

Honorable Release from active duty

01/17/1984 DD 214

Guam US 1984

USCGR June 1978 June 1979 and February 1984 thru 1990 

 

Total USCG Service
Total USCG Service 1978-1990 12 Years
USCGR Service 1978-1979 (1 year, 1 month, 2days)
MSO Portland Oregon

USCG Active duty total 4 years 6 months.

USCG  Active duty Foreign Service 2 years, 6 months, 3 days

USCGR February 1984-1990 (5 years)
SAR Station: Yaquina Bay-Newport Oregon
SAR Station Siuslaw River, Orgon
SAR Station LA/Long Beach California,
USCG Cutter Point Bridge-Marina del Rey, California.