[QUOTE=Captnstabn;163886]I am in that situation as of now. I went from Master 1600 to 3rd using half of the time from my Unlimited Classed vessel and half from Limited. Here is the problem, getting to 2nd. Unless I find work on a “Conventional Vessel” for 180 days I’ll be stuck as 3rd forever. I can use my Sea Time for renewal purpose only. I haven’t had a day’s Sea Time count toward an upgrade in 3.5 years.[/QUOTE]
At least you have 3rd unlimited, so that you can sail as an officer on any vessel. If you want to, you can find a vessel to sail on for upgrade, albeit at a big pay cut.
Actually, I have not been able to use any of my seatime in the last 30 years for an upgrade.
It seems like no one that might know wants to try answer my question on how tug and barge combination seatime is counted toward an upgrade from a limited license to an unlimited tonnage license. That suggests that this is still uncharted territory and no one actually knows.
This is true, I can get a job sailing 3rd. Been trying to stack cash for the pay cut. Just keep digging around, or if anything submit an application for a 3rd Mate and see what the USCG requires you to have prior to a letter to test. You’ll most likely have a tonnage restriction, but you can work with that. Not that my opinion matters, but the ATB guys deserve the chance to upgrade. You are essentially handling a ship.
The last 7 years I sailed were on ATBs. There were 9 ABs I can remember that got their mates licenses going through Piney Point. 3 had time on tonnage to get their unlimited 3rds. 2 of the 3rds were able to move up to CM. One told me to move up to master, they had to sail on a vessel that had CM listed on the COI. He quit and is accumulating time elsewhere to advance. The ATBs are under 1600 and only list “mate(s)”.
Once a dozen or so guys with combined tug/barge tonnage sea time over 1600, and little or no seatime on self propelled vessels over 1600 tons apply and get processed at NMC, the USCG will come up with a policy for dealing with this circumstance.
It’s not just ATBs under the current rules. It’s any tug barge combination may be used for combined tonnage.
At the moment, I do not think the USCG has figured out how they are going to handle this yet.
Approximately 30 years ago I was considering this dilemma. Once I got my OUTV and made Mate I realized I would have to quit my ‘day job’ as Mate and find another job as AB for a year or so to get the time required on ‘vessels over 1600 tons’. Even though I wanted a thirds unlimited, I couldn’t rationalize the short term pay cut on my growing family at the time. Now it appears the ‘inland unlimited master’ is my only option for an unlimited license. BUT, it seems even that would be a pay cut in a sector with very few opportunities also.
[QUOTE=cappy208;164235]Now it appears the ‘inland unlimited master’ is my only option for an unlimited license.[/QUOTE]
Don’t forget that an Inland Master Unlimited qualifies you for 2nd Mate Unlimited Oceans…
[QUOTE=tugsailor;163785]I’d still like to know, if a tugboat guy has:
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Master 1600 and master of towing
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1000 days sailing as master on tugs over 100 GRT (mostly 199)
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Over 360 days sailing as master of documented tug and barge combination tonnage over 5000 GRT, which is credited 2/1, totaling over 180 days toward Third Mate
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But no time on conventional vessels over 1600
What if any tonnage limitation should he expect to receive on Third Mate “Unlimited” ? ? ?[/QUOTE]
I would expect you could argue convincingly for 5,000 GRT based on this line from the CFR: “The endorsement will be limited to the maximum tonnage on which at least 25 percent of the required experience was obtained”
Your 5,000 GRT tug/barge combo was at least 25% of your sea time…