Say someone gets a 500/1600 ton inland mates licence and then goes to work for a towboat company on the western rivers as a training mate/steersman. So you need a TOAR and 90 days of training to do tow work. Let’s say it takes 180 days (more realistic than 90 anyways). Does that time count as actual mate days toward your masters ticket? Or if you are pilot on a towboat, and have another wheelman with you so you can get posted on a route, is that mate days or something else?
[QUOTE=bell47;158731]Say someone gets a 500/1600 ton inland mates licence and then goes to work for a towboat company on the western rivers as a training mate/steersman. So you need a TOAR and 90 days of training to do tow work. Let’s say it takes 180 days (more realistic than 90 anyways). Does that time count as actual mate days toward your masters ticket? Or if you are pilot on a towboat, and have another wheelman with you so you can get posted on a route, is that mate days or something else?[/QUOTE]
Probably not. M<aster of Towing Vessels requires service as Mate. If you haven’t yet done the WR TOAR and have the 90 days on western rivers, you aren’t yet qualified as Mate, and can’t be serving in that capacity.
Thanks for the quick reply. Kinda what I thought.
are you looking line haul or harbor?
[QUOTE=cajuntugster;159318]are you looking line haul or harbor?[/QUOTE]
I would prefer to be on a boat that traveled. Line haul, or unit tows. I’d be willing to listen to any advice, offers, suggestions, ect… I did a few years as a deckhand and tankerman, then I left the river because I needed to be closer to home for a bit. Hoping one day to get back on the rivers. Still working on boats, and hopefully I’ll have a 1600 inland master in the next 6 months. Kinda hoping I could come back on the river in training position for the wheelhouse. Any Ideas who to talk to?