Yet Another Question On Towing Endorsements

[Doc]

I've been told by two different people that if I don't do any towing I'll lose my endorsement when I go to renew. That doesn't sound right to me, but I wanted to run it past the forum to see if anyone had seen this happen. I have the endorsement and my completed TOAR. I'm trying to stay versatile in this industry and would really hate to lose that.<br>Doc

[Jolly Tar]

Curious.<br>How would one go about PROVING it?<br>I myself work a wire boat. I just recently had the company draw up a sea service transcript and NO WHERE does it mention towing. It mentions that I am Mate with X Days in the wheelhouse. It mentions tug name, official number, HP, GT/ITC, position, days worked. There is also a column that mentions BARGE but it is n/a all the way down since I don't work a pin boat.<br><br>I do happen to maintain trip book via MSExcel as well as Recency sheets, as these are not official docs nor are they produced on letterhead I don't know how far they'd go if push came to shove other than to confirm what's in the vessel's log.<br><br>Sound like hooey to me. Gonna keep an eye on this thread.<br><br>JED sends

[Capt_Anonymous]

Sad but true. I got this from Norleen Schumer a while back, after the NMC messed with someone's seatime:<br><br><span color="blue" size="2" style="font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: blue; font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]"Please pass this iinformation along to all in the towing industry.<br><br></span></span><font color="blue" size="2" face=""luxi-sans-1"]<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: blue; font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]Towing Companies: From now on, when you are preparing a letter of sea service
for Renewal, please add the following paragraph to each letter:</span></font><div><strong><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;]<font color="blue" size="4" face=""luxi-sans-1"]<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: blue; font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]In accordance with
46 <span class="nfakPe]CFR</span> 10.209, (c)(6)(ii), this mariner has completed ongoing participation in
training and drills during the validity of the license being
renewed.</span></font></span></strong></strong><font color="blue" size="2" face=""luxi-sans-1"]<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: blue; font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]If the mariner has not done the above, then at the time of renewal they will need to provide a
completed TOAR along with their application.</span></font><br><span color="blue" size="2" style="font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: blue; font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]</span></span><font color="blue" size="2" face=""luxi-sans-1"]<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: blue; font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: blue; font-family: "luxi-sans-1";]NMC caught me on this one (shame on me). Always before, it was a given, that if a mariner
worked for a towing company, (and his letter of sea service came from a towing
company) then they were involved in on board training, this is logical to me. Oh well, NMC now wants to see it in writing. So remember to add this additional blurb to all of your sea service letters."</span></font> </div>
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[anchorman]

I got the Master of Towing Oceans/Western Rivers before the TOAR requirement, but I am a DE. I don't remember ever seeing anything that said I can loose the license by not towing.

[Jolly Tar]

Ahhhh, I neglected to mention the addition of THAT paragraph to my most recent letter. NOW I know why it's there. <br><br>THX<br>JED sends

[Capt_Anonymous]

You're right, anchorman, there is nothing in the NVIC about losing anything. This is just bullshit NMC knee-jerk policy making crap.<br><br>Can you tell how I feel about the wonderland that is NMC?<br><br>I'm a DE as well, and I've been told that if I wasn't working on tugs could lose it at the end of the five year term. Apparently the desk jockeys at NMC feel that we're not capable of retaining our hard-won skills over time.

[trekleader]

Capt. Anonymous...<br><br>Sorry, who would Norleen Schumer be?<br><br>Interesting thread. I've sent it up the foodchain to the admin folks.<br><br>Thanks...<br><br>Tim

[jdcavo]

You can and blame the Coast Guard, but it's not NMC. The requirement is n regulation, it was part of the entire fallout from the 1993 Bayou Canot accident. NMC's fault lies in actually enforcing the regulation.<br><br>James D. Cavo<br>Knee-Jerk Policy Making Desk Jockey<br>USCG National Maritime Center<br><font color="#3354aa]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</font>

[anchorman]

<br> "Knee-Jerk Policy Making Desk Jockey"<br><br>That be funny.

[tengineer]

I guess the reasoning makes sense, especially considering the potential for disaster. Kind of like, I would not want to ride in an airplane with a pilot that hadn't flown in 5 years.<br>If expired can one get current after a few tows under supervision? The FAA allows this for pilots.<br>Just curious.

[Capt_Anonymous]

trekleader,<br><br>Norleen Schumer retired as the evaluator from the Seattle REC. She now has a <a title="MaritimeLicensing.com" target="_blank" href="http://www.maritimelicensing.com/]business[/URL] helping mariners prepare application packages and answering questions about the process. <br><br>I recently presented to her my award, the "Golden Bucket of Propwash" (second only to the "Platinum Tube of Relative Bearing Grease"), and in all seriousness I highly recommend her services to any and all.

[injunear]

<P>It still irks me that the licenseing process has become so turbid that a mariner has to "take on a pilot". </P>
<P>Being a cynic is getting to be a full-time job.</P>

[Capt_Anonymous]

I'm with you on that one. Hindsight being 20/20, I remember when I thought it was a pain in the ass to have to go in, fill out some paperwork, take a test, get a license or endorsement or upgrade or renewal, have it printed up on the spot, plus you got to keep your old Z-card as a souvenir, and it was FREE!!

[GOMariner]

I have a Master Of Towing, 1600 ton Master and 2nd Mate been working on a drillship for the last few years . Am going to have to give up my Master of Towing when I renew? Or can take a TOAR class or do someting to keep it ?

[Capt_Anonymous]

You'll need a DE to complete a TOAR for you. Ain't it grand?