Another Seatime an AB license question

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Hello all,

I recently received my MMC in the mail, I got my Masters inland mate near coastal as well as my BST.
I have an opportunity for work in december but the company would like me to get my AB rating.
My question is this: can I go take the AB and Lifeboatman class and use the same seatime I used for my 100 ton?

I have the time according to the CG checklist for my AB Special (360 days), I did not see anywhere where there was size of vessel restrictions except for the AB Limited so as of now I am assuming I can go take these classes and then file for the rating using my previously filed seatime and then I will be issued the AB Special rating. Am I correct in this assumption.

I am really not trying to waste $2000 on classes while unemployed if the seatime for the AB had to be earned while currently holding an MMC. My seatime is half as an unlicensed deckhand on a 500 ton vessel and half small vessel sea service time.

Thanks for your time everyone!

2

I put in for AB after sailing as master and as far as I can remember that’s how it worked. Hopefully our resident expert, @jdcavo, will see this and confirm.

3

I believe seatime is seatime… take your lifeboatmen and you could probably sit for the ab test w/out spending money on an ab course if you already have your 100ton. You already know the material…just pay the $$ and you’re good.

In case you need it

1 Like
4

Yes you can.

1 Like
5

Thanks yall,

Appreciate the responses.

6

If you wanna save money don’t do the ab course. If you just passed your 100 grt, you should pass the test fine at the uscg rec center of your choosing.
You can buy a thumbdrive for around 100 bucks to study, practice all your knots and splicing, then be good to go.
The only requirement i recall for ab special (at least 20 years ago when i first got my ab) was your time needed to be on a vessel 65ft or larger.

7

Yes. But apply and get approved before you take the courses, they have a. Limited validity period.

8

How can he get approved before he takes the corses? That doesn’t make sense.

9

Yes it does. The courses substitute for the exam, they are not a requirement to qualify for the endorsement and to be approved to take the exams.

10

I was thinking of the STCW assessments. But of course you are correct. If just applying for the national endorsements, they give you an approval to test letter that is good for a year I think.

11

The test letter is good for a year. And the courses are also good for a year, so if you take courses before you apply, they may expire before your testing period does.

12

Bear in mind that you should resubmit your sea time with your application as they currently cannot pull your legacy seatime for some reason.

13

They can. But it’s in Federal archive storage and will take several weeks to retrieve.

14

During my recent renewal I requested legacy file be pulled. I was told couple of weeks said no problem. A couple of weeks later I received email from evaluator saying my legacy file was unable to be pulled due to Covid. Finally got home and submitted seatime.

Maybe they can pull it, but if so some of the evaluators don’t know that they can or won’t bother.

I was surprised to learn submitted seatime wasn’t scanned or stored in an accessible format even when it was submitted by email to start (if that’s true). Made me make some backups of mine in case I ever need it.