Rumor has it from NMC as of last week there will be a revision to policy letter 01-02. What is changing and how it affects Masters going to 3rd is the question. After browsing this site for some time I would like to thank all the contributors on this subject of the need for a revision and interoperation clarifaction.
[QUOTE=Seaamaster;42747]Rumor has it from NMC as of last week there will be a revision to policy letter 01-02. What is changing and how it affects Masters going to 3rd is the question. After browsing this site for some time I would like to thank all the contributors on this subject of the need for a revision and interoperation clarifaction.[/QUOTE]
Could you please clarify; what rumors you have heard, what the “experts in Martinsburg” are proposing, and how it will affect/effect the licensing scheme?
Just that there is a revision to the policy letter in the near future. When it will be published and the contents, No insight from the conversation with NMC.
[QUOTE=BMCSRetired;42774]Could you please clarify; what rumors you have heard, what the “experts in Martinsburg” are proposing, and how it will affect/effect the licensing scheme?[/QUOTE]
NMC has been working on this for a long time. What the letter never did anticipate was the 500 ton, and 1600 ton Masters, when crossing over to OICNW. STCW assumes that you must have been an OICNW as a stepping stone to your Master license, but there are many people that have had a 1600 ton Master for 10+ years, as an example, that were not considered OICNW by NMC. So, when upgrading to 3rd Mate, applicants were hit with ALL of the OICNW requirements. It does not make much sense to have a 1600 ton Master, with that experience, to take a class on a compass, ship handling, or be assessed in either, particularly when STCW assumes it as a precursor to the Master license to begin with.
Of course, NMC has allowed people to upgrade without all of the requirements, but they have been very inconsistent. Some might not have a problem with an application, others do and have to go through a reconsideration process that takes up to 90 days, just to get the same answer that their shipmate did the week before, depending on who read the policy letter that week, if at all . 01-02 was a disaster unless applied to original applicants, for which I think the policy does well, because it is cut and dry for those applicants - everything does apply.
My guess is NMC will rewrite the policy letter as not to leave anything up for interpretation by their own people. If it was up to me, I would write it in 3" Crayon Letters, and make the policy as part of NMC’s decor on all of the walls of the entire building. I would go as far as printing it on each sheet of toilet paper for good measure. This policy, in my opinion, is the single most important policy NMC has ever produced, and the one they did the worse on. If you think about it, when it comes to becoming a licensed deck officer, to the point where the investment becomes really great, in time and expense, the first policy that effects your career and decisions to be made, is 01-02.
[QUOTE=anchorman;42776]I would write it in 3" Crayon Letters, and make the policy as part of NMC’s decor on all of the walls of the entire building. I would go as far as printing it on each sheet of toilet paper for good measure. This policy, in my opinion, is the single most important policy NMC has ever produced, and the one they did the worse on.[/QUOTE]
Huge assumption is that they even read it and then read it through to CONCLUSION in addition to other references.
If you read the STCW code, the USCG at least since I was never in the Navy, has people standing watch without the proper training. Before I get hit with the military/government are exempt, STCW states they are exempt but must train to the level that is “Reasonable and Practicable”. Providing training is reasonable and practicable.
U r right ANCHOR MAN, they dropped the ball on this Policy Letter.
Anchorman
Any thought as to how much influence I should let this proposed change / revision have on my intension to continue to pursue, required classes and assessments for upgrade to 3<SUP>rd</SUP> ? As a upper level Master maybe you can answer this, assessments for 3<SUP>rd</SUP> as the addressed in qualification as a shipboard & assessing applicants. Enclosure 2 to 01-02 4.a. must either be a Master or C Mate. Ok to me this is a unlimited Master or C Mate assessing the candidate yet there are 1600 Masters NC assessing other Masters for the move to 3<SUP>rd</SUP> is this one of those loopholes so commonly referred to? My main concern is to make my application bulletproof for the Evaluation lottery when I submit.
[QUOTE=Seaamaster;42779]Anchorman
Any thought as to how much influence I should let this proposed change / revision have on my intension to continue to pursue, required classes and assessments for upgrade to 3<SUP>rd</SUP> ? As a upper level Master maybe you can answer this, assessments for 3<SUP>rd</SUP> as the addressed in qualification as a shipboard & assessing applicants. Enclosure 2 to 01-02 4.a. must either be a Master or C Mate. Ok to me this is a unlimited Master or C Mate assessing the candidate yet there are 1600 Masters NC assessing other Masters for the move to 3<SUP>rd</SUP> is this one of those loopholes so commonly referred to? My main concern is to make my application bulletproof for the Evaluation lottery when I submit. [/QUOTE]
It’s not a loophole, it is allowed. A Master, Chief Mate, 2nd Mate, or 1600ton Master can do OICNW assessments. 3rd Mate and 1600 ton Mate are not allowed. Obviously, they do not want a “green” mate doing assessments. Remember OICNW starts at the 500 ton Mate level - wouldn’t make much sense for them to be looking around for a Chief Mate or Master.
Thank You.
Question:
I just got a letter from NMC stating that I will get a limited 3000 ton 3rd mate, since I havev been running boats less than 1600…they also told me they “cant find” my advanced firefighting. Luckily I found that certificate from 1992 in my files.
I have to have ALL the OICNW assessments done! I feel like I have been smacked with a 2x4…what the heck to they think I have been doing for 20 years?
Can I , as a 1600 Oceans master sign off on my own STCW assessments?
I just finished my assessments for 3rd. Do you have to test?
Yea, it looks like after all this crap, I “will be approved to test”…Christ I thought it was a formality to go from 1600 to 3rd.
How did you go about the assessments, how long did it take…and how much did it cost?