I have long planned to concurrently test for both Master and Mate 500, for all the obvious reasons. Finished all of the required training and sea time, applied, and was approved to test for Master, but no mention of Mate (turned out the evaluator missed that on my application).Queried and was told by the evaluator she would have to kick it up to “management” for a defninitive answer about whether I could do that. Never heard anything back, sent an email this morning, and got the message below back.
This appears to me to be incorrect on at least two fronts (i.e., can’t test for both and that I would have to test again for 3rd Mate). Am I delusional, or is my evaluator mistaken? If the latter, what is the next step – a review, or an appeal, or …?
[B]" … you cannot be tested for Mate 500/1600 and are approved to test for the higher (Master 500), once you apply for 3rd Mate and actually qualify, then you may be approved to test. Also, testing for Mate 500/1600 will not necessary prevent future testing for 3rd Mate, this is for mariner who already tested and hold Mate 500/1600."[/B]
Can’t wait to hear mr cavo’s input on this one. I originally was going to go for 500t master/1600t ton mate but after finding out I would have a grand total of 11 modules, I modified my app to just 500t master. If you got approved for both master and mate I would think you would get 11 modules too. Ugghh…
Why not test for master 500, and then apply for third mate, and then test for it? If you do not wait too long, you will still be ready for the third mate exam. Yeah, it will take another week of your time to test for third mate, but so what?
[QUOTE=tugsailor;153645]Why not test for master 500, and then apply for third mate, and then test for it? If you do not wait too long, you will still be ready for the third mate exam. Yeah, it will take another week of your time to test for third mate, but so what?[/QUOTE]
That’s a great plan. It would be a herculean task to sit through so many modules, testing for both of those tickets at the same time.
[QUOTE=Ctony;153649]That’s a great plan. It would be a herculean task to sit through so many modules, testing for both of those tickets at the same time.[/QUOTE]
It would also be prudent to hold off on the Oceans endorsement until the Master 500 test is behind you.
[QUOTE=tugsailor;153645]Why not test for master 500, and then apply for third mate, and then test for it? If you do not wait too long, you will still be ready for the third mate exam. Yeah, it will take another week of your time to test for third mate, but so what?[/QUOTE]
This sounds like a solid idea, secure one ticket at a time, because if you botch one of the 11 modules…you get nothing and have to start over. Water’s suggestion about holding off on the oceans portion is solid advice as well. Test for 500 Master, then the 3rd Mate, and then add oceans on to both of them is the way I’d go.
I have done eleven modules in four days. It’s not so bad. The 70 percent modules are easy and merely repetitious with a lot of margin for error. The T-Nav and C-Nav modules are the only difficult part about it because it’s easy to make a mistake but there isn’t much room for error.
The USCG considers each exam separately. Y.if you pass all the modules for one license, you get that license, even if you fail some of the others.
It doesn’t matter if you fail a couple modules. As long as you pass three modules for a license, you only have to retake the ones you failed.
[QUOTE=fishyluke;153644]So you want 500 Master and Third Mate? Or 500 Master and 500 Mate? Confused…[/QUOTE]
Master 500 and Mate 500 … I was firmly convinced that I would then be finished with testing through Master 1600GRT and 2nd Mate AGT; i.e., the next test, which realistically I’ll probably never sit, would be C/M AGT. Apparently my evaluator does not agree – the second part of her denial is that Mate 500 no longer covers 3rd Mate AGT …
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[QUOTE=water;153656]It would also be prudent to hold off on the Oceans endorsement until the Master 500 test is behind you.[/QUOTE]
Why is that? I understand a lot of folks do this, and it’s an option for sure, but we’re really just talking about the addition of C-Nav, right? My strategy for that would be to take an approved course for C-Nav (following a T-Nav prep course) and then ask for an amendment to my letter.That particular strategy will likely come down to time and money (doesn’t everything?) between now and when I plan to sit the test, hopefully July.
But I’d like to hear more about reasons for waiting …
[QUOTE=txh2oman;153674]
Why is that? I understand a lot of folks do this, and it’s an option for sure, but we’re really just talking about the addition of C-Nav, right? My strategy for that would be to take an approved course for C-Nav (following a T-Nav prep course) and then ask for an amendment to my letter.That particular strategy will likely come down to time and money (doesn’t everything?) between now and when I plan to sit the test, hopefully July.
But I’d like to hear more about reasons for waiting …[/QUOTE]
The primary reason is to keep stress to a minimum, taking a series of small steps rather than one giant leap. The celestial class ranges from 2 to 3 weeks in length at most schools. That is a lot of information to take in and digest.
But it looks like you are considering a school for celestial as it is, before taking the Master 5. Be sure to check with the schools. They may require that you already hold the Master 5 before you can enroll. IIRC, that was the policy at Fletcher when Williamson was teaching.
It is along the lines of “Why did the sailor quit pounding his head against the bulkhead? Because it felt so good when he stopped.”
[QUOTE=tugsailor;153666]I have done eleven modules in four days. It’s not so bad. The 70 percent modules are easy and merely repetitious with a lot of margin for error. The T-Nav and C-Nav modules are the only difficult part about it because it’s easy to make a mistake but there isn’t much room for error.
The USCG considers each exam separately. Y.if you pass all the modules for one license, you get that license, even if you fail some of the others.
It doesn’t matter if you fail a couple modules. As long as you pass three modules for a license, you only have to retake the ones you failed.[/QUOTE]
Things have changed. I am doing 500 master near coastal. If you fail more than two out of the six modules you have to start over.
[QUOTE=water;153704]The primary reason is to keep stress to a minimum, taking a series of small steps rather than one giant leap. The celestial class ranges from 2 to 3 weeks in length at most schools. That is a lot of information to take in and digest.
But it looks like you are considering a school for celestial as it is, before taking the Master 5. Be sure to check with the schools. They may require that you already hold the Master 5 before you can enroll. IIRC, that was the policy at Fletcher when Williamson was teaching.
It is along the lines of “Why did the sailor quit pounding his head against the bulkhead? Because it felt so good when he stopped.”[/QUOTE]
LOL. Gotcha. Well, we’ll see. I do appreciate all the good advice. Okay, the word I was looking for is “reconsideration,” and I found another thread in which Mr. Cavo explains the process. Printing letter to send now, will update when there is an answer.
“*Increase in scope: Applicants increasing scope from Mate less than 500-1600 GRT to Third Mate on the same route may do so without further examination”
Why couldn’t you take the same path from MASTER 500?
“*Increase in scope: Applicants increasing scope from Mate less than 500-1600 GRT to Third Mate on the same route may do so without further examination”
Why couldn’t you take the same path from MASTER 500?[/QUOTE]
You can, Master <500 to Master <1600, which is where that particular path ends. Mate is a different animal. one would think the Master exam modules would be inclusive of Mate, but they are not.
[QUOTE=txh2oman;153674]Master 500 and Mate 500 … I was firmly convinced that I would then be finished with testing through Master 1600GRT and 2nd Mate AGT; i.e., the next test, which realistically I’ll probably never sit, would be C/M AGT. Apparently my evaluator does not agree – the second part of her denial is that Mate 500 no longer covers 3rd Mate AGT …[/QUOTE]Do you hold MATE 500, or Master 500? If it’s Master, and if you have never tested for MATE 500 or 1600, then you have to test for 3rd Mate. Someone holding Master 500 without ever having held MATE 500 or 1600 has never been allowed to get 3rd Mate withoput testing.
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[QUOTE=fishyluke;153836]It seems crazy that a mates license will get you into unlimited but a master of the same tonnage will not…[/QUOTE]
The MATE took the same test as 3rd Mate, that test has stuff on it that someobne who went from Master 100 or Master 200 to Master 500 or 1600 without getting Mate 500/1600 has never been tested on it.
The alternative to allow the Master to progress to 3rd Mate without a test would have been to not allow anyone to go from Master 100 or 200 to Master 500 or Master 1600 without first getting Mate 500 or Mate 1600.
[QUOTE=jdcavo;154047]Do you hold MATE 500, or Master 500? If it’s Master, and if you have never tested for MATE 500 or 1600, then you have to test for 3rd Mate. Someone holding Master 500 without ever having held MATE 500 or 1600 has never been allowed to get 3rd Mate withoput testing.
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I hold neither but would like to test for both and be done. I was approved to test for Master 500 but not Mate 500.
A rational licensing scheme would have everything on the third mate exam also on both the master and mate 500. Not just on the mate 500 exam. This would save mariners and the USCG time, trouble, and duplication of efforts.