Advice: AB or OS for 90-Days?

I am a former Naval junior officer who has been working inthe corporate world as a Project Manager and cannot see doing that for the restof my career and has been longing to go back to sea.

I am planning on sitting for my 100T NC Master’s license,but first I need to get my 90-days (within 3 years) recency requirementfulfilled.

The current project that I am on should complete around theend of October or the beginning of November and I need to finish it out, butthen I will be free to pursue a new job.

So, my thought process is that I not only need to get myMMC, but that I need to take three classes: Basic Training, RFPNW and PSC toget my AB.

My thought is that starting as an AB will make me moremarketable, even though I am only looking for my 90 days at this rate.Is this a better plan than just trying tofind a job as an OS?

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks,
Jim

You need seatime as OS to get your AB first. In all honesty, I know it might kind of suck, but If you don’t have your masters degree yet you should consider going to a state maritime academy and getting an MS with an unlimited 3/m deck license.

Edit: or you might have qualifying sea time or other relevant things from the USN depending on what exactly you did.

This is one of those situations that requires a “USCG License Consultant.” Search here or use Google.

Keep in mind, there are more opportunities for ABs than 100 ton captains, in general…and that pay is usually the same or more depending where you end up. Working a couple years as an AB then going the mate route is another option.

100-Ton < AB, in many cases. No white shirt with bars on the shoulder but who cares? Well maybe the snack bar girl…but she is high mileage anyways.

[QUOTE=z-drive;166365]100-Ton < AB, in many cases. No white shirt with bars on the shoulder but who cares? Well maybe the snack bar girl…but she is high mileage anyways.[/QUOTE]

if I knew what I knew now, I would have done the ab to mate route instead of the cacophony of a path I took…but then again I am not entirely sure I would have been a hawsepiper in retrospect either.

[QUOTE=Jim Dennis;166345][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000000][FONT=Calibri]So, my thought process is that I not only need to get myMMC, but that I need to take three classes: Basic Training, RFPNW and PSC toget my AB…[/QUOTE]

You do not need RFPNW and Basic Safety Training to get a (national) endorsement for AB, thiose are requirements for an STCW endorsement. You would only need those if you were to work on a vessel subject to STCW (generally, a vessel on international voyages). You will need to qualify as Lifeboatman or Lifeboatman-Limited for AB, and the Proficiency in Survival Craft course is a good option as you will meet both the national requirements for Lifeboatman and the STCW endorsement as PSC.

If you had completed the Navy PQS for Helmsman and Lookout you may already quaslify for RFPNW.

How much Navy sea time do you have? Look at whether you have enought to qualify for Mate 500 GRT N/C, most Navy sea service will be sufficient to meet the Mate 500 requirement for a portion of the total required service to be on vessels of at least 50 GRT

[QUOTE=LI_Domer;166350]You need seatime as OS to get your AB first… [/QUOTE]

It sounds like he has sea time, but not enough in the last 3 years to meet the recency requirement for a license (90 days ion the previous 3 years). AB does not have a recency requirement, so the “old” sea time he has can be used for that.

[QUOTE=LI_Domer;166350]You need seatime as OS to get your AB first. In all honesty, I know it might kind of suck, but If you don’t have your masters degree yet you should consider going to a state maritime academy and getting an MS with an unlimited 3/m deck license.

Edit: or you might have qualifying sea time or other relevant things from the USN depending on what exactly you did.[/QUOTE]

If you want to sail as Mate, I would recommend the Workboat Academy. Its a 2 year program and VA approved. it would be a quick route to being an officer than a 4 year state maritime academy.

Otherwise, I think Ctony and JDCavo are spot-on

Thanks to all the ideas, so far.

I should have specified, I have 3 years, 2 months sea service on a 18,000 T Navy ship in the Pacific.

I stood OOD and JOOD watches the entire time.

[QUOTE=MateChristine;166388]If you want to sail as Mate, I would recommend the Workboat Academy. Its a 2 year program and VA approved. it would be a quick route to being an officer than a 4 year state maritime academy.

Otherwise, I think Ctony and JDCavo are spot-on[/QUOTE]

But as someone suggested earlier, if he already has a BS degree he can do the masters degree program at SUNY and get a far superior license in 3 years, plus have a masters degree.

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[QUOTE=Jim Dennis;166345]Any thoughts or advice?[/QUOTE]

Find a job you can work part time. Evenings, weekends, days off, etc to get your recency. Boat jobs are scarce right now so don’t quit a paying gig to get in this business. Get in this business first, then quit your other job.

[QUOTE=jdcavo;166373] Look at whether you have enought to qualify for Mate 500 GRT N/C, most Navy sea service will be sufficient to meet the Mate 500 requirement for a portion of the total required service to be on vessels of at least 50 GRT. [/QUOTE]

Thanks. From what I can tell from the NMC’s checklists the mates need the same 90-days recency.

[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;166394]Find a job you can work part time. Evenings, weekends, days off, etc to get your recency. Boat jobs are scarce right now so don’t quit a paying gig to get in this business. Get in this business first, then quit your other job.[/QUOTE]

Thanks. I am in central Ohio, so to try to get NC time, I would need to quit my job and jump in with both feet.

I can survive for some time without a paycheck, but not super long.