I currently have my AB sail but I have the sea time to get my AB special or AB limited. In order to upgrade do I need to take another exam to get this upgrade or do I just need to send in sea time?
I’ve also been interested in starting to work on OSVs or R/Vs is there a reason that an AB OSV would be more qualifying than a special or limited?
Thanks for any help.
AB OSV would be more limiting, (to OSVs). I believe other favors of AB, other than AB OSV, are welcomed on OSVs and a broad spectrum of vessels.
I am also interested in how exactly you submit for an upgrade to your AB. Do you need to submit a new application, physical, drug test, etc., or do you literally just send in your additional sea time?
[QUOTE=amoser;120170]I currently have my AB sail but I have the sea time to get my AB special or AB limited. In order to upgrade do I need to take another exam to get this upgrade or do I just need to send in sea time?
I’ve also been interested in starting to work on OSVs or R/Vs is there a reason that an AB OSV would be more qualifying than a special or limited?
Thanks for any help.[/QUOTE]
I’m curious, you’re the first person I’ve ever encountered with an AB Sail. I could qualify for that soon, but as others have pointed out in this forum, AB Sail seems rather useless. Did you ever encounter a job that required AB Sail? Aside from that, I wonder if there’s any COI in the U.S. that requires AB sail.
Others more knowledgeable than me can chime in here, but I recently learned that an AB (special,limited,unlimited) by itself is not going to give you an advantage at getting a job, because most companies will ask you for a RFPNW. Do you have that?
[QUOTE=Tacktician;120434]I am also interested in how exactly you submit for an upgrade to your AB. Do you need to submit a new application, physical, drug test, etc., or do you literally just send in your additional sea time?[/QUOTE]
Yo can’t get anything without applying for it. That means physical, drug tests, fees, etc. The only thing you “get out of” is another test.
[QUOTE=MariaW;120435]I’m curious, you’re the first person I’ve ever encountered with an AB Sail. I could qualify for that soon, but as others have pointed out in this forum, AB Sail seems rather useless. Did you ever encounter a job that required AB Sail? Aside from that, I wonder if there’s any COI in the U.S. that requires AB sail.
Others more knowledgeable than me can chime in here, but I recently learned that an AB (special,limited,unlimited) by itself is not going to give you an advantage at getting a job, because most companies will ask you for a RFPNW. Do you have that?[/QUOTE]
On larger vessels there is an advantage. On a larger vessel, only 1/3 of the ABs can be “green ticket”, AB-Limited or Special. The rest need to be AB-Unlimited or “blue ticket.” [I] [some one correct me if I got green and blue backwards, I forget which is which][/I].
My gawd… Green??? Blue??? Your older than dirt. (sorry CCapt!) I haven’t heard those terms in years.
Taktician and amoser: NOTHING you do as far as getting, receiving, or wanting a license, rating, endorsement, or renewal is EVER done without at least an application, and a fee. Most times it also requires a drug test, and a physical. BUT, sometimes if you are doing an upgrade AND have just completed some other action you can slide on the drug test and physical. BUT, Uncle Sams Confused Group ALWAYS gets their Fee and form. Paperwork is grand. I don’t know how we have survived on less for so long.
Unless it has changed, On uninspected towing vessels OVER 200 GT, (or any vessel which is permitted to have a two watch system) when operating past the boundry line one half the required deckhands can be AB special. So on a ‘two deckhand’ tug, one can be special, and the other has to be limited or unlimited.
More than half of my deckhands are special, of course that is a different thread entirely.
[QUOTE=“MariaW;120435”]
I’m curious, you’re the first person I’ve ever encountered with an AB Sail. I could qualify for that soon, but as others have pointed out in this forum, AB Sail seems rather useless. Did you ever encounter a job that required AB Sail? Aside from that, I wonder if there’s any COI in the U.S. that requires AB sail.[/QUOTE]
I also have AB sail (beside my AB unlimited) and have never necessarily needed it. I expect it works similarly to AB OSV in that if the sail vessel’s COI calls for an AB you can be AB sail. I’m not even sure the government knows the answer to that for sure though.