PLEASE HELP! im slightly colorblind. but im already a sophomore at a maritime academy

[ConfusedSailer]

Ok so im a deckie and just finished my freshman year at a maritime academy, but while i was on the training cruise i noticed i had trouble identifying the colors of the ships lights on the horizon. So when i got home i went to the eye doctors and found out that im slightly colorblind with reds and greens when it comes to identifying them at far distances. i have NO trouble identifying colors around me, i know the grass is green, sky is blue, and stop lights dont give me any trouble. im not all out colorblind but i do have trouble with the greens and reds of lights on the horizon. I got an "acceptable" on a coast guard accepted test, then failed another type of color eye test. Is this a big problem? Im not sure now with all the technology such as ecdis whether you need to solely rely on tiny dots of color you see on the horizon. Would i be the only 3rd mate who has trouble with this? And if thats the case should i pick a new career while its not too late? Or is it not a big deal.

[Ea$y Money]

Ok so im a deckie and just finished my freshman year at a maritime academy, but while i was on the training cruise i noticed i had trouble identifying the colors of the ships lights on the horizon. So when i got home i went to the eye doctors and found out that im slightly colorblind with reds and greens when it comes to identifying them at far distances. i have NO trouble identifying colors around me, i know the grass is green, sky is blue, and stop lights dont give me any trouble. im not all out colorblind but i do have trouble with the greens and reds of lights on the horizon. I got an "acceptable" on a coast guard accepted test, then failed another type of color eye test. Is this a big problem? Im not sure now with all the technology such as ecdis whether you need to solely rely on tiny dots of color you see on the horizon. Would i be the only 3rd mate who has trouble with this? And if thats the case should i pick a new career while its not too late? Or is it not a big deal.

Don't go to the eye doctor for color blind test. Go to your family doctor or clinic and ask for the color blind booklet. It is a booklet form to assess color blindness. If you can pass you pass. If you can't pass that then hopefully you will get some other suggestions. I am not sure at what level you will be accepted or denied.

[dougpine]

An interesting job-related colorblindness FAQ can be found here.

Do not let this stop you in your pursuit of a maritime career!! If you can pass the 38 plate Ishihara test then you're good. You have options, learn as much as you can about them and be prepared to fight if you have to.

[ConfusedSailer]

thanks! but see thats the thing, I've passed the Ishihara test but i just barely passed it, and then i took the farnsworth lantern test which is this one.....http://www.leftseat.com/falant.htm
and i failed the farnsworth one pretttty hard. Which makes me nervous cause thats more accurate to what its like at sea. So i guess the main question i have for all you professional mariners is how would you feel being on a bridge of a ship if you were slightly color deficient? Is that sketchy to do? Cause I'm not tryin to cause a exxon Valdez 2 here. I feel as though it wouldn't inhibit me that much cause you can now use ecdis to tell which way the ships are going, but i've never really stood watches besides for the few on my training cruise and we rarely ever came across other ships, but i just wanna get everyones opinions

[dougpine]

thanks! but see thats the thing, I've passed the Ishihara test but i just barely passed it, and then i took the farnsworth lantern test which is this one.....http://www.leftseat.com/falant.htm
and i failed the farnsworth one pretttty hard. Which makes me nervous cause thats more accurate to what its like at sea. So i guess the main question i have for all you professional mariners is how would you feel being on a bridge of a ship if you were slightly color deficient? Is that sketchy to do? Cause I'm not tryin to cause a exxon Valdez 2 here. I feel as though it wouldn't inhibit me that much cause you can now use ecdis to tell which way the ships are going, but i've never really stood watches besides for the few on my training cruise and we rarely ever came across other ships, but i just wanna get everyones opinions

In my experience, it's all about target aspect with regard to COLREGS. Have you ever tried to pick up the sidelights of a big cruise ship? The important thing is determining whether or not risk of collision exists. Once you've done that, the lights certainly might help determining what action both vessels must take. If you're on a ship, you'll have lookout(s) up there with you to help make that type of determination. If you're on a tug, you'll probably be alone but as the Officer on watch it is up to you to determine whether or not a lookout is necessary due to the prevailing conditions. One of those prevailing conditions would be your colorblindness, of course, and so you might choose to call a lookout to the pilothouse to be there when you're in traffic at night.

If you passed Ishihara then I'd call it good and continue on your path. Having an awareness of and being honest about your own needs is more important to me than being able to see a worm on an Ishihara plate. As a captain, I would expect you to inform me of a concern like that but I doubt if it would keep me up at night if you're otherwise competent. I've sailed with plenty of guys with full color vision and 20/20 vision who I would gladly trade for a colorblind, 20/70 person who is a competent watchstander. It's the whole package that counts. Just my own humble opinion.

[PR-9]

The USCG dose allows for a certain degree of color blindness. So get tested an see what they say. I know Captain that are and they still got licenses.

[Cal]

46 CFR 10.215(b)

Vision Test—(1) Deck Standard. An applicant must have correctable vision to at least 20/40 in one eye and uncorrected vision of at least 20/200 in the same eye. An applicant having lost vision in one eye must wait six months before application and provide a statement of demonstrated ability on his or her medical examination. The color sense must be determined to be satisfactory when tested by any of the following methods or an alternative test approved by the Coast Guard, without the use of color-sensing lenses:
(i) Pseudoisochromatic Plates (Dvorine, 2nd Edition; AOC; revised edition or AOC–HRR; Ishihara 14-, 24-, or 38-plate editions).
(ii) Eldridge-Green Color Perception Lantern.
(iii) Farnsworth Lantern.
(iv) Keystone Orthoscope.
(v) Keystone Telebinocular.
(vi) SAMCTT (School of Aviation Medicine Color Threshold Tester).
(vii) Titmus Optical Vision Tester.
(viii) Williams Lantern.

Make sure that the version of the Ishihara exam you have taken is documented and "arm" yourself with the CFR's. Pay attention to the wording, it doesn't say you do not meet the requirements if you fail one of these tests, it says your vision is satisfactory if you can pass one of these tests.

Something that is also important, be a prudent mariner. Ask yourself, can I safely navigate a vessel and avoid a collision with another vessel with the degree of color blindness I have? Only you can answer that question.

[dougpine]

Don't know if you took this one too, but the USCG has approved the HRR PIP color vision test: http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/announcement...ision_test.pdf

[Steamer]

Sorry, I had a hard time reading your post.

[CaptRob1]

Cal put in a good one. The Ishihara is not the only test that the USCG accepts. I, myself, have problems with that one but I can pass a Farnsworth Lantern all day. The main thing is finding one that you can pass, remember it because as of now, every 5 years, you'll have to pass it again. Not to mention if you take a physical for someone else.

[Kingfysh]

I dealt with this exact problem while I sailed. First as stated above there are other color blindness test that the USCG accepts, I always failed the plate test, but could pass the Farnsworth Lantern without a problem. The problem is finding the Farnsworth Lantern, but I know it can be done. If I remember correctly Maine Maritime has one and so does the USCG office in Baltimore. Before you take the test get your vision tested and corrected to 20/20. If you wear contacts put in brand new lenses, don't take the test with lenses that are months or weeks old. Get a good night's sleep and no boozing. If that can't get you through this, then you may need to seriously considered becoming an engineer or going into another field. Based on what you said I think you are just color deficient and not color blind, so try not to stress about this too much.....Also, being able to pick out lights and their colors is critical in my opinion. I only sailed for five years, but I was underway a lot and much of that in heavy traffic. There are going to be times when the radar isn't making sense, the AIS is sketchy, and your heart is going to be beating a thousand miles a minute, but if you can look at another vessel's lights and discern what they are doing then you are going to be in a much better place when you make a decision. You also don't want to lie or have to hedge your bets when the Captain asks what you are seeing out the windows. I would also suggest getting this issue decided and put to bed before you advance much further at school, changing majors after your Junior year is VERY hard most normal colleges don't know what to do with Navigation I&II, Celestial Navigation I&II, Cargo ops, etc.

Oh, I almost forgot, if you are a military dependent or can figure out a way to get access to a base's medical facilities many of them have Farnsworth Lanterns, I know NAS JAX did in Jacksonville.

[Jeffrox]

It may not just be about the vessel navigation lights. Two students I refered to medical, were dropped from QM "A" School for color blindness. I discovered they had a problem because they couldn't see the magenta on the charts. Interestingly, both of them reclassified to attend Corpsman "A" School.

[shinton]

Gday guys,

I have a close friend that is colour blindand has a ticket restricted to be in command of vessels of on watch in daylight hours only.

Perhaps this may be an optiion?However, I dont like your chances of getting employed as a OOW for twilight ops ?

[jdcavo]

Gday guys,

I have a close friend that is colour blindand has a ticket restricted to be in command of vessels of on watch in daylight hours only.

Perhaps this may be an optiion?However, I dont like your chances of getting employed as a OOW for twilight ops ?

The US Coast Guard has given such waivers in the past. But I doubt it will be of much help to a new academy garduate 3rd Mate with no experience. Hed would not be in a strong negotiating position looking for work with a provision he can obnly work in daylight. The suggestion to find acceptable (to the USCG) test(s) that he can consistently pass, and get tested with thosae is probably the best advice in this discussion.

[ConfusedSailer]

ok so i consistently get 4 wrong on the Ishihara 14 plate test yet the coast guard says that 5 or less is acceptable... so does that mean i can get my license or will i get a restriction?

[cmakin]

ok so i consistently get 4 wrong on the Ishihara 14 plate test yet the coast guard says that 5 or less is acceptable... so does that mean i can get my license or will i get a restriction?

I don't know that they issue restrictions.

[DeckApe]

I don't know that they issue restrictions.

For unlicensed deck they may issue a rate of "bosun," an able seaman otherwise qualified except he may not stand a navigation watch due to vision restrictions. This isn't much help to the original poster but may be helpful to others.

[Cal]

ok so i consistently get 4 wrong on the Ishihara 14 plate test yet the coast guard says that 5 or less is acceptable... so does that mean i can get my license or will i get a restriction?

I understand your confusion and frustration, however, you are looking for someone to answer this question and put it to rest for you and it's simply not possible. You've been armed with the applicable CFR's, you've heard others interaction with the CG on the subject, and various amounts of advice. The only way it will finally be put to rest is when you hear from the Coast Guard.

Chief Cavo, is there something he can submit for evaluation now that can establish the determination for his later application for a license?

[DeckApe]

Chief Cavo, is there something he can submit for evaluation now that can establish the determination for his later application for a license?

As someone already pointed out: if he can pass one, any one, of the permitted tests he is fine. If he can not pass any of them he is screwed.

If he is unwilling to put the effort into finding a doc(s) who will administer each test until he has either passed one or failed all, and instead spends his time posting to this board, then he should never get a license.

[pissedoffmaster]

I have been a licensed Master for 15 years and always had a little trouble with the plate tests. I went to a clinic in my new town and the doctor only had a litmus test, which I did not pass.
He emailed the NMC and told them I failed the color vision test. I was then contacted by the NMC and was told I had to go to my local USCG office to take a color vision test for them.
I went yesterday and I was given the Ishihara plate test as well as the Dvorine plate test. I passed on the Ishihara test but failed the Dvorine one.
I have always taken the Ishihara tests in the past and have always passed them.

I guess what I need to know is if i passed one out of two will they let me keep my license?????
I have 15 years of inland towing experience with no accidents and now they are threatening to take my livelihood away.

I am now sitting here in limbo while they "look at all the figures." What?????
How hard can it be????

Thanks for listening to my rant.