The TOAR: what's it for?

I have considered telling the story of a young schoolboy mate I work with, he’s been aboard about 18 months. We’re on an ATB so many manuevering assesments aren’t possible to complete. The captain has zero confidence in the young man and refused to sign off any of his manuevering assesments at all. The captain is concerned with liability issues previously discussed on this thread. This young man worked one week over on a harbor boat and came back with his TOAR completed. The company wouldn’t give him a raise from the training mate pay to the qualified mate pay based on our captains opinions of his ability. The young man spent last hitch calling around and found a job in the GOM. This kid has 4 years in school, 5 or 6 months at MSC, 18 months on an ATB and 1 week on a harbor tug, now he’s a “Qualified Mate of Towing Vessels”.
I don’t want to scare any of you Gulf mariners so I’ve decided not to tell that story.

Thanks for not sharing.

I was reading www.regulations.gov, docket number USCG-2006-26202, the rule changes to the TOAR, and was surprised to learn only 14 comments were recieved by the CG on this issue.
We are certainly “dumbing down” our license structure, academy types can’t stand it that unlimited licenses are limited concerning towing.
I understand the Brit’s Merchant Navy has an oral exam built into their stucture and it’s really, really tough. They use a practicle assesment also, not just a multiple choice exam.

The Brits test knowledge and the applicant’s ability to relate that knowledge orally as part of the examination. They do not test one’s test-taking skills as is the American way. There was a time in the US when one wrote essays, paragraphs, sentences, etc on the Coast Guard exams, but that meant the applicant needed writing skills and that the examiners needed to know the material too. Since public education in American does not endeavour to teach students how to read and write but insteaad favors teaching them how to pass standardized mulitple choice exams, the process has had to change to what we live with today. It is so much easier to lay an answer template over an answer sheet. Which is why I’ve said in the past, and I’ll say again: passing the Coast Guard exams doesn’t qualify one to be anything but a job applicant. The assessment of one’s knowledge and skills is not part of the examination process, and is left to the employer.

If wanted to go work on tugs again, would the 59 days time I have on them, (line-haul and harbor asist, oceans and near-coastal), back in 02 and 03 be of any value wrt getting an endorsement or doing the TOAR? (I held then and now Master 1600/2nd Mate AGT both Oceans). I believe I would have to do the TOAR. If hired, what would be my position while aboard the tug while getting the TOAR signed off?

With your current license you need 30 days and a TOAR. You would probably have to sail as an AB while completing your TOAR, or find a company that sails “training mates”.

Is it true that you can only operate tugs on the route that you completed your TOAR on?
If so, how would that work with regard to obtaining a TOAR aboard an anchor handling supply vessel? Would it be good for the GOM only?

NY based Moran has a new build 198 ton ATB coming out. The rumor is it’ll be pined to a bulk barge for international trade. Canada, Russia, Scotland, Bermuda and NOLA. Rumor says 3 wheel house, 2 engineers, 2 bargemen, 2 deckhands and a cook.
Anybody else hear these rumors? What licenses would be required as a minimum? 200 ton oceans? C/E limited oceans? DDE unlimited HP?
My source was very sure, but I doubt his sources.

Yes, the particular TOAR you are signed off on determines the route. The license is only part of the equation. A TOAR completed while working in the GOM would be the NC/O TOAR and would cover you for that route. Whether anyone should be able to complete a TOAR on an AHTS vessel and have it count as an equivalency for doing typical coastal barge work on conventional towing vessels is another highly-questionable matter.
As for the Moran story, any vessel of 200 GRT or less is not subject to the requirements of the Officer’s Competency Certificates Convention of 1936.
Master / Mate of Towing Vessels (Oceans) would suffice, Anyone with 3 years of 8-hour days on a <200 GRT Master (Oceans) who completes a NC/Oceans TOAR, has 30 8-hour days of training and observation in the wheelhouse, and passes a short multiple-guess quiz from the CG would also "qualify."
An uninspected towing vessel of 200 GRT or less would not require a licensed engineer, or any engineer at all under the existing regulations, no matter how much horsepower or how sophisticated the vessel. Crazy, huh? Asuming that this is a full-size ATB with the typical 6-8k hp (or more) powerplant, a DDE-Unlimited would be the minimum engineer’s license required if the owner were interested in taking care of the vessel. Insurance underwriters and customers might demand more as well. Ditto for the wheelhouse.
The regulations would allow for a two-watch system for the wheelhouse, although prudence would demand at least 3 officers. If the ATB “towing vessel” was over 200 GRT and the round-trip voyage distance was >600 NM then a 3-watch system for the deck officers would be mandatory. 200 GRT is the magic number in all cases, for both deck officers and the requirement for a licensed engineer.