# 500 ton STCW

**URL:** <https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934>\
**Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\
**Created:** [February 23, 2025, 7:56am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934 "2025-02-23T07:56:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sharkbite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@Sharkbite](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Sharkbite)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 7:56am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934/1 "2025-02-23T07:56:07Z")

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Can a STCW 500 ton master ll/3 sign off for an AB Unlimited?

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**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:** [February 23, 2025, 12:11pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934/2 "2025-02-23T12:11:27Z")

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Do you mean sign their assesemts?

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**Author:** ![Volk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@Volk](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Volk)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 1:56pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934/3 "2025-02-23T13:56:29Z")

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Are you a designated Qualified Assessor in writing by the CG?

The answer to my question is the answer to your question.

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**Author:** ![portofdc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@portofdc](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/portofdc)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934/4 "2025-02-23T15:03:37Z")

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Except your answer is wrong. The requirements to access are laid out in NVIC 14-14. No need to be a QA or even to hold any STCW endorsements.

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**Author:** ![Sharkbite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@Sharkbite](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Sharkbite)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934/5 "2025-02-23T16:12:29Z")

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Thats what I got from reading that except you need to hold at least the same STCW or higher that you are signing off…

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**Author:** ![portofdc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@portofdc](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/portofdc)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 4:23pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934/6 "2025-02-23T16:23:24Z")

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The only requirement until 2029 is to hold appropriate national endorsement and have at least one year experience as officer in charge of navigational watch on vessels over 200GRT or 500 GT.

So no, you don’t need any STCW endorsements currently. But in your case, you would need to have a national endorsement as master or mate of at least 500 GRT.

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**Author:** ![Volk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@Volk](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Volk)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/500-ton-stcw/71934/7 "2025-02-23T18:48:53Z")

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I stand corrected. Didn’t realize the waiver was extended.