Ocean Endorsement

[Capt D]

If you work on a boat under 1600 Tons in another country and the boat is a U.S. registered vessel working near coastal, about 20 miles offshore, do you need an Ocean Endorsement on your license?

[Capt Brian]

Capt D - I worked out of the country a little last year and the only time we needed a captain with an Ocean Endorsement was when we came back Stateside. Then again, companies have a tendency to "bend" the rules to suit themselves. I would not see why you would have to have it because you are still within 200 nm of shore. The country's Port State Control may dictate that also.

[seadawg]

**for vessels <200gt/500itc you might want to check out STCW code A-II/3-operational-nearcoastal international??

[jdcavo]

If you work on a boat under 1600 Tons in another country and the boat is a U.S. registered vessel working near coastal, about 20 miles offshore, do you need an Ocean Endorsement on your license?

It's up to the country whose waters you are operating in. Each company can prescribe the requirements for their own waters, they just cannot have a dual standard, they have to require the same of their own vessels as they do of foreign-flag.

[tugmstr]

If your vessel is an inspected vessel check the COI and the SOLAS docs.

[anchorman]

If your vessel is an inspected vessel check the COI and the SOLAS docs.

The COI and SOLAS document will not tell you where the vessel is currently operating, even if it is certified for oceans, there are several things that you need not comply with if you're not presently in that service.
I had a Coast Guard inspector asks about our LRIT. We did not have it at the time (we do now), but I said we don't have it. He said you have to have it. I said no you don't, we will be operating in Sea Area A1. He said the vessel is certified for oceans, and I'm like, well yes we are, but we do not need LRIT in our current operating area. And, of course, the next question had to do with what will keep us from going on a voyage outside of Sea Area A1 without LRIT. I said a $25,000 per day fine. He said that's one hell of a deterrent. You think?...end of conversation.

[Capt Brian]

LRIT - This is the correspondence I had with the USCG over LRIT:

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been reviewing the information for LR IT requirements and have not
seen a definite answer:

When a vessel is in port do we need to keep our Inmarsat console logged on 24/7 for LRIT Transmitting/Polling? 33 CFR 169.240 states, "only when it is permitted by its Flag Administration". I am sure this question is on many captains minds operating in the Gulf of Mexico.


RESPONSE:


Captain,

Thank you for your LRIT-related question. The short answer to your question is yes. I will ask our LRIT Business Help Desk to consider to add your question and a more thorough answer to the LRIT FAQ section of the USCG NAVCEN website. In the meantime, feel free to call me directly if you would like to discuss this or any other LRIT-related matters further.

Very Respectfully,

LCDR Chris Shivery
USCG Headquarters
LRIT Sponsor's Representative
(202) 372-2522

[anchorman]

LRIT - This is the correspondence I had with the USCG over LRIT:

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been reviewing the information for LR IT requirements and have not
seen a definite answer:

When a vessel is in port do we need to keep our Inmarsat console logged on 24/7 for LRIT Transmitting/Polling? 33 CFR 169.240 states, "only when it is permitted by its Flag Administration". I am sure this question is on many captains minds operating in the Gulf of Mexico.


RESPONSE:


Captain,

Thank you for your LRIT-related question. The short answer to your question is yes. I will ask our LRIT Business Help Desk to consider to add your question and a more thorough answer to the LRIT FAQ section of the USCG NAVCEN website. In the meantime, feel free to call me directly if you would like to discuss this or any other LRIT-related matters further.

Very Respectfully,

LCDR Chris Shivery
USCG Headquarters
LRIT Sponsor's Representative
(202) 372-2522

Should have asked him if that meant "yes" while on the dry dock too. Being a passive system, how would you know if logged out of the GMDSS system with a suspended radio watch, if the LRIT is working? Yes being the short answer sounds kinda vague. Seeing $25,000/day fine in the final rule is enough for me to want to know something more than a short answer.

[cshivery]

Should have asked him if that meant "yes" while on the dry dock too. Being a passive system, how would you know if logged out of the GMDSS system with a suspended radio watch, if the LRIT is working? Yes being the short answer sounds kinda vague. Seeing $25,000/day fine in the final rule is enough for me to want to know something more than a short answer.

Then call me at my phone number, which was posted on this website. It is in the regulation.

LCDR Chris Shivery
(202) 372-2522

[anchorman]

Then call me at my phone number, which was posted on this website. It is in the regulation.

LCDR Chris Shivery
(202) 372-2522

Not sure why I would want to do that unless you're buying steak, but if I do have something outside of the hypothetical to someone's else inquiry - that would fall within the regulations and effect something for which I'm responsible, I will not hesitate. Thank you for being available.

[anchorman]

I had to read the regulations, since this thread was over 6 months old.

§ 169.240 When may LRIT equipment be switched off?

A ship engaged on an international voyage may switch off its LRIT equipment only when it is permitted by its Flag Administration, in circumstances detailed in SOLAS V/19–1.7, or in paragraph 4.4.1, of resolution MSC.210(81), as amended by resolution MSC.254(83) (Incorporated by reference, see §169.15).


This subpart is within the context of complying with the requirement to begin with.......


§ 169.205 What types of ships are required to transmit LRIT information (position reports)?


The following ships, while engaged on an international voyage, are required to transmit position reports:
(a) A passenger ship, including high speed passenger craft.
(b) A cargo ship, including high speed craft, of 300 gross tonnage or more.
(c) A mobile offshore drilling unit while underway and not engaged in drilling operations.


§ 169.5 How are terms used in this part defined?

International voyage means a voyage from a country to which the present International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974 applies to a port outside such country, or conversely. For U.S. ships, such voyages will be considered to originate at a port in the United States, regardless of when the voyage actually began. Such voyages for U.S. ships will continue until the ship returns to the United States from its last foreign port.


If you're at the dock and not otherwise engaged in an international voyage, either before of after departure, or extended dry dock periods, and will remain within 20 nm miles of shore, then would the following not suffice?


§ 169.235 What exemptions are there from reporting?

A ship is exempt from this subpart if it is—
(a) Fitted with an operating automatic identification system (AIS), under 33 CFR 164.46, and operates only within 20 nautical miles of the United States baseline,
(b) A warship, naval auxiliaries or other ship owned or operated by a SOLAS Contracting Government and used only on Government non-commercial service, or
(c) A ship solely navigating the Great Lakes of North America and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as the lower exit of the St. Lambert Lock at Montreal in the Province of Quebec, Canada.


The obvious easy answer would be to leave it on, if installed, even if not practical to the purpose of the regulation.

[seadawg]

anyone heard anything more about when the satellite AIS is suppose to impliment..read somewhere it was suppose to make LRIT superfluous??

[anchorman]

anyone heard anything more about when the satellite AIS is suppose to impliment..read somewhere it was suppose to make LRIT superfluous??

LRIT is satellite based.

[seadawg]

LRIT is satellite based.

may not be talking about the same thing..was questioning this article..found this article and others when I was doing some research a while back??

http://www.uscg.mil/ACQUISITION/NAIS...cle1-APR07.pdf

is what is discussed here the LRIT system or something else??

[anchorman]

may not be talking about the same thing..was questioning this article..found this article and others when I was doing some research a while back??

http://www.uscg.mil/ACQUISITION/NAIS...cle1-APR07.pdf

is what is discussed here the LRIT system or something else??

AIS by satellite = LRIT

I believe it's one in the same.

[10talents]

Sure took them long enough. The article is from April 2007. By the time its operational the equipment will need an upgrade.

[seadawg]

hell I am trying to update myself on this..last time I went to africa it was amver and imasat c..the way I understand it is that the IMO has the LRIT system effective range of 1000nm in effect and the DHS/USCG is developing a seperate satellite based AIS system w/ a 2000nm range for "security reasons"??

[anchorman]

Most Inmarsat-C units can be LRIT compliant with a simple software upgrade. That's what was done for us. It's passive to the transmitter that we have, a JRC JUE-85, and the only way that you are sure that it is active is by checking through a service that has the same information as the flag state. We are not privy to that information. You do not have any indication that it's working from the vessel, but you will be notified if the flag state loses your poling data - within the matter of a few days.

[pacificg]

Is there anyone here that have an idea on how to get the ocean endorsement on the DDE? I have a DDE with near coastal restriction and would like to get the ocean endorsement, Please if
you have an idea or school that I could go so that I will have the ocean endorsement, I would greatly appreciate. Thank you.

[power230]

The only DDE license with "Oceans" is the unlimited horsepower. You cannot have an 4000 or 1000 to have oceans. That's why the unlimited exam includes electricity. You'll still be restricted to 500 tons but may serve on any waters. Hope this helps.