What is the mariner's license mentioned? Is that a Coast Guard license for vessels above a certain size/rating, or is that required in Alaska to operate any boat with an engine?
To carry passengers for hire (paying passengers)on navigable waters, the Coast Guard requires the captain to hold some level of a captain's licence. A "six pack" license allows them to carry six or fewer passengers. Its formally an Operator of Uninspected Passenger (OUPV) license.
