One area of opportunity for those who hold a USCG captain’s license is in providing services for those who are grieving. In the last 35 years, cremations have sky-rocketed. According to the Cremation Association of North America, over 50% of bodies are being cremated and that number is only increasing. This is in contrast to 1975 when only 6% of bodies were cremated.

There are a number of reasons for this including cultural, but this trend could be in part due to money. It generally costs ten times less to cremate a loved one rather than conduct a burial service. Those who are drawing their wills are increasingly deciding to be cremated rather than buried to relieve their families of these costs. Instead, they are asking to be placed at sites that mean something to them. Because of this, burials at sea are on the rise.

Burials at sea generally consist of the immediate family going out in small parties and saying goodbye to those that they love. It is an important part of the grieving process to pay respects and spread the deceased at a place that they want to be. As more people choose to go this route, there will be a greater need for captains.

In order to conduct a burial at sea, it must be at least three miles from shore. This means enlisting a charter boat or someone with a captain’s license to operate the boat. As such, funeral personnel and clergy are signing up for captain’s license courses in record numbers. If you’re thinking about obtaining your captain’s license, burials at sea can be a supplementary source of income.