USCG to STCW

Hi Belle,

Sorry to say but it was only a matter of time for this to happen. Compliance with the STCW 95 convention for domestic licensing is now the new $$ frontier for the maritime training schools and has been lobbied for by the schools and has been crafted with an advisory board consisting of civilian & USCG folk. The VP of one of the most prominent maritime training schools in Ft. Lauderdale is in her second term on this advisory board and has taken great pains in print to say that there's no conflict of interest but my mind always goes to the fox in the hen house scenario when I read these pontifications.

In the past, STCW was intended for commercial license holders or Blue water tickets and was intended for bridge / deck officers, engineering officers and radio operators aboard ships. I came out of an academy with STCW '78 certification with an engineering ticket. At that point the conventions technical annex was tied to the IMO's safety committee and was intended to tie all mariners together with the same basic standards and training but at that time it was VERY basic and consisted of survival craft proficiency and fire fighting along with the course work that allowed you to hold an unlimited tonnage license. STCW conventions remained the same until a major revision or amendments to the convention occurred in 1995 that brought in "Port State Control" and specialized training for personnel on certain types of ships to name a few and it was at this time that "Management level" USCG licenses were affected by the convention. Management level for the bridge, deck Dept. meant anything over 500 tons A II-2 and the engineering Dept. A III-2 thus the incarnation of the maritime training schools that popped up in the mid 90's in Europe and the U.S. Up to this point there weren't any maritime training schools outside of the commercial schools but nothing that directly targeted the yacht type or smaller limited tonnage tickets. This has been a huge money maker a industry that keeps evolving on several fronts from the flag states evolution with commercially registered yachts to the endless amendments to the STCW 95 convention that now seem to occur every year now or just another major overhaul of STCW like the Manila convention 2010 with no less than 62 new amendments and requirements that further the training of mariners but somehow really don't address the overall safety issues like the original convention of 78 / 95 set out to do but instead has morphed into this never ending school / training schedule that has turned into much more than a cottage industry . I'm not up to date with what new regs. affect a 200 ton master and how many new course syllabus that your now facing to comply with STCW for that non management domestic ticket but be prepared to pay up for the "privilege" of being a license holder. I do think that this will thin the ranks of domestic license holders that derive an income from holding a license versus the people who just want the knowledge to enjoy and understand yachting / boating at a higher level due to the increased costs associated with the course syllabus for maintaining every five years.

Capt J,

The U.S. isn't a member of any Port State Control MOU and that's the reason that you've never been asked by a USCG boarding party for any STCW paperwork stateside but the 26 European countries that are members of the Paris MOU it is a way for them to audit safety and pollution along with the living conditions of crew aboard vessels whilst in their waters and really came about to regulate all of the flags of convenience like Liberia and Panama to name a couple. It's also a very real and relevant issue for the Master or Chief engineer aboard a yacht when a Port State control officer comes aboard for an inspection and the Bridge officers or engineering officers STCW original certifications aren't neatly assembled in a binder along with the ships papers for easy viewing and notation. Many a yacht or ship has been detained in port and levied heavy fines for deficiencies found by PSC. I was on a vessel that was detained by PSC 12 days in Tarragona, Spain for STCW deficiencies caused by lack of and outdated STCW documents by the first officer and know of quite a few vessels detentions in Italy, France and Greece for various reasons from broken bilge oil water separators, fire dampers not working or improperly written garbage waste control documents.

USCG stopped allowing duel licensing 500 tons and up in 2003 due to the sea time and STCW requirements needed in both positions for advancement. The days of active Chief engineers holding masters licenses or Captains holding active engineering tickets are over. It still can be done with the MCA & may still occur with USCG "operational" licenses at lower levels.

When I renewed in 2004 I submitted my paperwork for 2nd assistant unlimited HP along with the perquisite STCW certifications and sea time and was renewed as a third assistant unlim. HP (downgraded due to how I double dipped / counted my sea time). The following year I submitted my 1600 ton Oceans along with the same documentation and was told that sea time could only be counted as " either or" and not combined as before. You either had to be doing 12 hour days as the master in charge with no dispensation for sea time as Chief engineer in charge of the engine Dept. Basically, pick one because the USCG wont continue to grant sea time dispensations for the two management positions as outlined by STCW. That's why I said it may still be possible for lets say a person with a six passenger captain's ticket to be ticketed as a person less than a designated duty engineer but as a member of the engine room watch as these sea time requirement's are very low and these positions don't carry a STCW rating just as the MCA MEOL or AEC aren't STCW rated. I'm not up to speed on the regs for USCG masters these days but I'm curious where STCW ratings kick in for them? At 100 ton master or 200 ton as these are still operational tickets and not management and that has been the big demarcation line in the past but if I'm understanding this thread correctly than Belle is talking about the USCG upping the STCW ratings for these operational licenses.

Hey there K1w1,
Your saying a cadet can go through maritime academy in Europe with a duel major so to speak ? Both engineering and deck course loads? Do their cadet sea time in both principals and at the end pick which career route that suits them? That would be some seriously intelligent or " brainy" cadets if I'm understanding you correctly.
I know a British married couple who are both MCA Masters and also hold Y-4 engineers papers which is actually pretty neat as they make a great team together. Also know of a couple MCA masters that love to talk about themselves to anybody that will listen that they're the "Rare Percentage" to hold Y-1's and the top MCA Masters ticket. The married couple I know their paperwork is in order as I've worked with them. The other two narcissist's , don't know