# 500 ton Master to 3rd mate Unlimited **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [July 11, 2020, 9:43am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978 "2020-07-11T09:43:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jaso8828](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jaso8828](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jaso8828)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 9:43am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/1 "2020-07-11T09:43:32Z")
I hold a 500 ton master license , all sea time was on 99 grt or less. I am now sailing as an AB on an unlimited ship . Is this like starting from scratch on sea time towards my 3rd mate unlimited “1080 days” ??? How I’ve read it all tonnage sea time has to be on 200 grt or higher !!! Just trying to figure out the best route to get my 3rd unlimited . I’m aware I’ll have to test again . Just not sure sailing as an AB will get me there as quick as I’d like . Also can the master 500 automatically gonto 1600 master with just AB sea time without actually sailing as a captain ? ---
**Author:** ![ItsJody](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/itsjody/32/9624_2.png) [@ItsJody](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ItsJody)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 11:04am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/2 "2020-07-11T11:04:01Z")
Yes for 3M unlimited all time must be over 100 GRT and I believe 50 percent must be over 1600 GRT to avoid a tonnage restriction. As far as 500\>\>\>1600 Master I would think your time would have to be at the very least as mate but most likely master. The checklists that the CG provides are very accurate on this information. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/3 "2020-07-11T13:51:10Z")
> [@Jaso8828](#): > > I hold a 500 ton master license , all sea time was on 99 grt or less. I am now sailing as an AB on an unlimited ship . Is this like starting from scratch on sea time towards my 3rd mate unlimited “1080 days” Essentially, yes. You need 3 years on vessels over 100 GRT, and if half of that is’t on vessels over 1,600 GRT, you will get a tonnage limit calculated from the tonnage of the vessels you served on. See [46 CFR 11.407](https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a2758b7a665e772f8c3a2c0587d23950&mc=true&node=se46.1.11_1407&rgn=div8) and [11.402](https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a2758b7a665e772f8c3a2c0587d23950&mc=true&node=se46.1.11_1402&rgn=div8). Do you hold any STCW endorsements? To be employable as a 3rd Mate, you are probably going to also need an STCW endorsement as “Officer in Charge of a Navigational Assessment” (OICNW). This means a lot of classes, and “assessments” signed off by a ship’s officer. See [NVIC 12-14](https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/5ps/NVIC/2014/NVIC-12-14-Incl-CH-4.pdf?ver=2020-05-12-120640-947). You can’t get Master 1,600 without having sailed as Mate or Master, see [46 CFR 11.412](https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0e5d095b94c7412e7832c108bcb2394e&mc=true&node=se46.1.11_1412&rgn=div8). Master 1,600 also requires time on vessels over 100 GRT. Also, unless you are going to work entirely domestically, you probably will also need the STCW endorsement for Master, this means all of the courses for OICNW (see above) and another set of courses and assessments for Master, see [NVIC 11-14](https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/5ps/NVIC/2014/NVIC-11-14-Incl-CH-3.pdf?ver=2020-05-12-120559-460). ---
**Author:** ![Jaso8828](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jaso8828](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jaso8828)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/4 "2020-07-11T14:56:10Z")
Thanks for the clarification, I guess I won’t be getting the 1600 master then , I’ll just go to 3rd mate . I have the majority of the stcw classes already. Can you do the assessment while sailing as AB or can I get the license then get the assessments signed off ? ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/5 "2020-07-11T15:38:12Z")
You can do them before. Also, many are done as part of courses, so if you shop carefully you can get a few done that way. You probably need to do that for shiphandling, it might be hard to get those done while working as an AB. ---
**Author:** ![Jaso8828](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jaso8828](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jaso8828)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/6 "2020-07-11T16:21:24Z")
Thank you sir !!! ---
**Author:** ![portofdc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@portofdc](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/portofdc)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2020, 10:21am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/7 "2020-07-12T10:21:33Z")
> [@Jaso8828](#): > > Thanks for the clarification, I guess I won’t be getting the 1600 master then , I’ll just go to 3rd mate You can get the upgrade from Master 500 to Master 1600 based just on your AB time on the bigger vessels. That is, you don’t need to serve as master or mate on vessels above 100, just in the deck department. Since you already have master 500, you have met the requirements for service as master or mate already. ---
**Author:** ![Jaso8828](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jaso8828](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jaso8828)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/8 "2020-07-12T15:39:32Z")
That would be great , I wonder how much AB time I need to pull before submitting for the raise in grade . 360 Days ?!? ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2020, 6:05pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/9 "2020-07-12T18:05:57Z")
See [46 CFR 11.412(a)(1)](https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b719eefd561f84c4a07372f0bb42ce89&mc=true&node=se46.1.11_1412&rgn=div8). This is the total amount of service you need, you can use time you used before, provided it meets the specified criteria. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Phoenix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/capt_phoenix/32/281_2.png) [@Capt\_Phoenix](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2021, 7:02am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/10 "2021-09-05T07:02:53Z")
> [@jdcavo](#): > > Also, unless you are going to work entirely domestically, you probably will also need the STCW endorsement for Master Without STCW your effectively limited to inland on vessels over 200 GRT, even on 100% domestic voyages. ---
**Author:** ![Tugslasthitch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/tugslasthitch/32/1129_2.png) [@Tugslasthitch](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Tugslasthitch)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 11:19am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/11 "2023-05-23T11:19:31Z")
Can someone answer this, why can you go 1600 mate to 3m unlimited without testing. But 1600 master to 3m unlimited you have to take the full exam? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Phoenix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/capt_phoenix/32/281_2.png) [@Capt\_Phoenix](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2023, 12:14pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-master-to-3rd-mate-unlimited/55978/12 "2023-05-23T12:14:58Z")
> [@Tugslasthitch](#): > > why can you go 1600 mate to 3m unlimited without testing? Because it’s the same exam. > [@Tugslasthitch](#): > > But 1600 master to 3m unlimited you have to take the full exam? Because it’s a different exam.