Mate OSV upgrade

**worldlyredneck** · August 8th, 2009, 11:35 PM

I have a 3,000 ton Mate OSV Lic. and would like to upgrade.
I would like to know what my options are & requirements are.
Am I limited to 3,000 ton Master OSV or can I go to a 1600 ton Master.
And are there additional assessments & or classes required for this process?
I'm currently working on a seismic survey vessel & trying to figure out, where I should go next...
Thanks for your time & help

**stevefoster** · August 9th, 2009, 03:00 AM

Originally Posted by worldlyredneck

I have a 3,000 ton Mate OSV Lic. and would like to upgrade.
I would like to know what my options are & requirements are.
Am I limited to 3,000 ton Master OSV or can I go to a 1600 ton Master.
And are there additional assessments & or classes required for this process?
I'm currently working on a seismic survey vessel & trying to figure out, where I should go next...
Thanks for your time & help

3000 ton is the ITC tonnage, what is your domestic tonnage on that mate license?

**worldlyredneck** · August 9th, 2009, 09:20 AM

There is no listing for domestic tonnage on my Lic.
It Just says 3000 ton Mate OSV. I think this is how all of the new Lic. for OSV come from the Nat'l Maritime Center.
My Vanuatu Lic. is listed the exact same way.

**Capt Brian** · August 9th, 2009, 09:21 AM

Worldly - First of all you will need seatime, check this out:

1440 days service on ocean or N/C WITH

1. 720 days service on vessels of 100GRT or over; AND

2. 720 days as a master, mate, or equiv. supervisory position while holding a licenseAND (this should say WITH not AND, NMC needs to fix this word causes alot of confusion - Mr. Cavo??)

3. 360 days as licensed master, mate, or equivalent on vessels of 100 GRT or over

If you have met the required seatime and course requirements, you will have to test for 1600 Master. Me personally, would not even bother with the Master OSV. You limit yourself to OSV's.

Good luck - Brian

**Azimuth** · August 9th, 2009, 07:58 PM

Did you have to do any assessments for your OSV? If so there are about 30 more you will need to do for your unrestricted trade license (which is what the 1600 ton is). If you didn't do any assessments for your mates license you will need to complete all 84 assessments that are in policy letters 01-02 & 16-02.

Good luck

**rwells78** · August 14th, 2009, 10:15 AM

You have 2 options:
Go to your company and ask to be put into their Master OSV training program (the only way to get that upgrade is through a USCG-approved training program that your company must be approved to participate in) or
Apply for a Master 1600 GRT/3000 GT Oeans or Near Coastal officer endorsemenrt (license) This will allow you to operate any OSV up to 3000 GT plus also operate any non-OSV up to 1600 GRT or 3000 GT. This license/officer endorsement is also a requirement to later get a Master OSV 6000 GT endorsement.

In the recent past the Master 500 and 1600 GRT did NOT require any STCW assessments. The NMC Policy Letter 01-02 only applies to a Mate's license (non-trade restricted) and 04-02 only applies to the unlimited tonnage Chief Mate and Master. So the Master 1600 fit into a nice loophole of very minimal requirements (BST, BRM, Visual Comms(flashing light), Adv Firefighting, lifeboat/PSC, AB, Med First Aid, plus GMDSS and ARPA if desired or required by your ship and Cel Nav for oceans route). You do NOT need to repeat any of these courses you already presented to get the Mate OSV endorsement.
If your evaluator tells you otherwise you should ask for the reference that requires anything beyond the courses listed and post it here so the community can help you get it fixed.

**jaxferr73** · September 2nd, 2009, 02:05 PM

Or worse, you might get someone with a brain that tells you you must meet STCW A-II/2 which applies to the limited tonnage masters on ocean or near coastal waters.

**jaxferr73** · September 2nd, 2009, 02:14 PM

The regulations actually say that that masters 500 to 1600 oc or nc seeking int'l endorsement shall meet the appropriate stcw regulations, so i would be careful about trusting the "loop hole" theory.

**Capt ETC** · September 2nd, 2009, 04:37 PM

Is the seismic vessel you work on an OSV rigged out for seismic and does it still carry the OSV classification? What does your sea time letter class the boat as? I've worked on several of these boats and have seen them classed Oceanographic Research and others somehow maintain the the OSV class (if it's not a long term charter) if they are able to.
If you have an OSV license, you may have problems with your seatime saying you are an officer on a Research Vessel, Vanuatu or not.

**jdcavo** · September 2nd, 2009, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by jaxferr73

Or worse, you might get someone with a brain that tells you you must meet STCW A-II/2 which applies to the limited tonnage masters on ocean or near coastal waters.

See 46 CFR 11.903(c).

**rwells78** · September 8th, 2009, 03:44 AM

Jim - But remember that (SW) told all the RECs to not look at the STCW to evaluate an application. They were told to follow the NMC policy letters. Since there is no policy letter covering Master 500/1600 or any of the Engineers, they are still just applying the 2002 grandfather requirements. I wonder how they tap danced around this during the last STCW external audit?