unusual sea time

**oldguy** · February 26th, 2009, 05:42 AM

Can anyone here tell me how the coast guard considers sea time as
1) oilfield diver?
2) foreign fisheries observer?

If the CG accepts anything of those as deck time, do they accept any of that deck time as AB time?

**stevefoster** · February 26th, 2009, 06:28 AM

The Coast Guard only accepts time accumulated as an active member of the vessel crew as far as I know.

**bob** · February 26th, 2009, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by oldguy

Can anyone here tell me how the coast guard considers sea time as
1) oilfield diver?
2) foreign fisheries observer?

If the CG accepts anything of those as deck time, do they accept any of that deck time as AB time?

Heck I thought I was the only guy here that was a past
1) GOM diver DIT 107/80
2) NMFS Oberver

I went through the PDX REC and this is what they said:
NO to diving. Your time has to be Underway and divers may be under... but not under way.

RE the NMFS observer time. This is a very slippery subject. The question up for debate is "Observer as Seaman." That debates been ragging for several years because fishing companies dont want another person they may have to contend with a Jones Act claim. I got 1/3 on my observer time HOWEVER, I had to quote CFRs and cite difinitions of SEAMAN and PASSANGER AND GUEST AND VISITOR. The other problem you may face is that now Virginia does the review not a local REC.
But I still have the CFRs that will support your argument.
Send me a PM and Ill fill ya in. Always good to yak with a former observer (tree huggin granola commie).

Joel

**c.captain** · February 27th, 2009, 01:29 AM

I have heard that deck tenders and riggers have received credit towards A/B if they hold an O/S MMD but do not get any credit towards RFPNW. They are supposed to be assigned as a crewmember and not as industrial personnel designation. Which companies will do this and which won't is something I will not guess at.

**oldguy** · February 27th, 2009, 04:10 PM

Hey. Akebono Maru 1 and 18, Bering Sea, 83. DIT grad 76, taught there in 85/86. And SubSea, North Sea, 76-78, from the Dutch coast to northeast of the Shetland Islands. I didn't think there could be two of us.

**bob** · February 28th, 2009, 12:50 AM

Ohio my observer son.

Akibonio boats: Japanese small trawlers if I remember right. I was on a japanese longliner late winter Bering 1983 then the highseas salmon gillnet fleet for a sumer in the Bering. Uggg 80' gillnetter, 25 guys, 90 days straight. Later did the JV hake & pollock with the Poles. I finished off in the late 80s with american F/Ts. Oh then sprinkle some JV rep work too.

Did my GOM dive thing 80'-83' and of course freelanced a bit and pickedin up a wheel job now and then.

Ya, never thought Id find more than one of me too. Looks like our DIT paths missed by a couple years.

I may be your new best friend. I just went through the who original application for MMD/AB. Im sitting in Morgan City going through new-hire orientatoin/training for a big ROV/Dive company. They have a few dive support boats. Since I dont have any recent GOM experience I took an unlicensed deckhand job on their 98 ton boat. Should be fun gotta love those cuddly cute divers.

Send me an email at
freya2goATyahoo.com
Thats my junk address. Ill send you my cell and reveal the secrect CFR needed to bully your point with Virginia. It may be possible to get you obserer time quailfied at 1:3 I also found a few references for Divers in the CFRs that may work also. Its worth a try. Heck your DIT teaching time may be worth 1:3 cause you were an instructor at a maritime based school. USCG gives sea service for "sea school" instructors too. The PDX REC drew the line at dive time twords AB but who knows what Virgina will say.
Joel