Can't figure out the proper route for license

Maritime Topics Maritime Training & Licensing
1

I’ve been working as an AB for about 6-7 years now. Initially on a 1600ton ferry and now on a 100ton tug boat. I’ve been looking at training facilities to get my Mates license (ive already taken basic and advanced fire fighting and Radar). i see there are courses for a 200ton mate upgrade from 100ton. i also see combined courses for 100ton master, 200ton mate, mate of towing. my question is: do I have to take my 100ton master before taking the 200ton mate? i always thought you could just take the highest tonnage that you qualify for. im trying to avoid taking more courses than i need since i’ll probably have to take time off from work. the 2/2 schedule doesnt allow for enough time to take all the classes. i want to bang it all out at once to cut down on travel and hotel.

also any school in the north east that are recommended? CMTI is looking like its got the best schedule. MPT is doable as well. i would love to find something closer to NY.

any help would be greatly appreciated, im struggling to find the answers on my own

2

Your better off going for the 1600 ton mate since you have the tonnage. And you will get a 100 ton master along with that i believe. Check SUNY maritime. They offer classes.

3

If you have enough time as AB on the 1600GRT ferry (180 days, I believe), go for mate 1600, if not, mate 500. 200 GRT gets you not much in the world. Master 100 GRT used to get you an easy $70k/year with a crappy schedule, but not so much since about a year ago. Good luck!

4

[QUOTE=FerrySurfer;172241]I’ve been working as an AB for about 6-7 years now. Initially on a 1600ton ferry and now on a 100ton tug boat. I’ve been looking at training facilities to get my Mates license (ive already taken basic and advanced fire fighting and Radar). i see there are courses for a 200ton mate upgrade from 100ton. i also see combined courses for 100ton master, 200ton mate, mate of towing. my question is: do I have to take my 100ton master before taking the 200ton mate? i always thought you could just take the highest tonnage that you qualify for. im trying to avoid taking more courses than i need since i’ll probably have to take time off from work. the 2/2 schedule doesnt allow for enough time to take all the classes. i want to bang it all out at once to cut down on travel and hotel.

also any school in the north east that are recommended? CMTI is looking like its got the best schedule. MPT is doable as well. i would love to find something closer to NY.

any help would be greatly appreciated, im struggling to find the answers on my own[/QUOTE]

Some of the 100 to 200 ton courses are set up in a modular format. There are separate courses for OUPV, then from OUPV to Master 100, and Master 100 to Mate/Master 200. If you do not yet have any license and are going for a 200 ton license, you take all 3. If you don’t have a license and are going for 100 tons, you take the first two. Also, if you have OUPV and want 200 tons, you take the last two, etc. Some schools use this modular format as it gives them a little more flexibility and may make the course suitable for greater audiences. Other schools have single courses for a single license.

You cannot get Master 200 as an original license, a portion of your time has to be as Mate, or Master. But you couild get possibly get Master 100 and Mate 200, and if you take a 200 tons course (or the total modules in separate courses) for Mate 200, you would not have a separate test for Master 100, and you wouldn’t test (or course) if you later upgrade to Master 200. But this may not be your best option –

Given the amount and tonnage of the sea time you already have, and that you have already taken basic and advanced fire fighting, I would consider taking Mate 500, Mate 1600, or maybe even 3rd Mate (assuming you have at least 3 years 100 GRT or more). Licenses for 200 GRT or less don’t require fire fighting, and if you later go for a 500 ton or greater license, your fire fighting courses have to be in the 5 years prior to applying. So you may “lose” those courses if you don’t go for 500 GRT or more now or in the near future. Also, having a 500 GRT or greater license will make it a lot easier for you to qualify to work as Mate on tugs.

If you do decide to go for the 200 Ton license, and want to have a viable option to work as Mate on tugs in the future, consider also applying for Apprentice Mate. Getting this will provide an alternate way to qualify as Mate for towing vessels (a license for 500 tons is probably still your best option).

Note that there are no courses that will substitute for the Mate 500/Mate 1600/3rd Mate exam. You’d have to take the test from the Coast Guard. But there are prep courses, and publications and software to help you study.

5

ok, lots of good info there guys… thanks

my time spent on the 1600 ton ferry was inland and my tug boat sea time is on a 99 ton ocean going tug (which drives me nuts that its not 100ton)… i have enough sea time on the ferry to sit for the 1600 license but i want a Near coastal. so heres my next question. does the Near Coastal time on the 99ton tug and the inland time on the 1600ton ferry allow me to get a 1600 ton near coastal? i’d even be very happy with a 500ton near coastal. i only need a 200ton near coastal mates license for the tug company i work for. and i will be also getting my apprentice mate of towing. I wont have trouble getting my TOAR signed off with the work my boat is doing currently.

obviously the goal is to get the biggest license i possibly can, but i also know myself and i know that a course with structure is what i need. i dont like how the 500 / 1600 ton licenses dont have classes, just test preps. i currently only have an AB special

6

First of all, you should hire a good “license consultant” to help you get every license and endorsement that you are entitled to. Search USCG license consultants on gcaptain and Google.

I believe that you maybe able use your inland seatime for up to half of the required time for a near coastal license. You can use the combined tonnage of the tug and barge two days for one for up to half of your required seatime.

As always JDcavo made a good point. If you qualify, you would be best off to test for third mate, even though you may get a 2000 ton limitation on it. That is a far superior license.

7

  1. You need to be able to read and understand the CFRs, which aren’t particularly difficult. Look up the requirements for Mate 500 & Mate 1600 near coastal and see if you qualify.

  2. As far as I know, the lower level license courses are also “just test preps” except that you test at the school as part of the course and not at the REC.

  3. Exactly how much time do you have on each route/tonnage and in what capacity?

8

You can only test at the school for 200 ton license or lower. 500 or above you must test at the REC

9

[QUOTE=tugsailor;172298]First of all, you should hire a good “license consultant” to help you get every license and endorsement that you are entitled to. Search USCG license consultants on gcaptain and Google.[/QUOTE]

A consultant is the way to go. It’s worth it spending the money to have someone go to bat for you, and save yourself some aggravation.

10

[QUOTE=NYBoatman;172368]You can only test at the school for 200 ton license or lower. 500 or above you must test at the REC[/QUOTE]

I thought that’s what I said. The lower level licenses courses are also “just test preps” (his derogatory words about the upper level courses) except you test as part of the course instead if at the REC.

11

[QUOTE=Capt. Phoenix;172376]I thought that’s what I said. The lower level licenses courses are “just test preps” (his derogatory words about the upper level courses) except you test as part of the course instead if at the REC.[/QUOTE]

Apparently there’s an echo in here. I said it too.

I am confused by your reference to a derogatory comment, you put it in quotes but I can’t see where anyone but you said what you quoted (perhaps you normally refer to yourself in the 3rd person…?). I did mention prep courses, but I did not say “just test preps” I said there were no courses to substitute for the Coast Guard exam, but there are prep courses, pubs and software for 500 Ton and up exams. Hardly derogatory.

12

[QUOTE=jdcavo;172411]Apparently there’s an echo in here. I said it too.

I am confused by your reference to a derogatory comment, you put it in quotes but I can’t see where anyone but you said what you quoted (perhaps you normally refer to yourself in the 3rd person…?). I did mention prep courses, but I did not say “just test preps” I said there were no courses to substitute for the Coast Guard exam, but there are prep courses, pubs and software for 500 Ton and up exams. Hardly derogatory.[/QUOTE]

You apparently did not read the thread very thoroughly because the op came back saying the lower level courses are better because the upper level courses are “just test preps” instead of structured courses.

Refer to the last paragraph in post number 5 (copied below):

[QUOTE=FerrySurfer;172288]obviously the goal is to get the biggest license i possibly can, but i also know myself and i know that a course with structure is what i need. i dont like how the 500 / 1600 ton licenses dont have classes, just test preps.[/QUOTE]