Domestic endorsement. What does it mean?

Hi, I just recieved a letter from the CG about my aproval for a 3 A/E. It said that I’m aproved for domestic endorsement. What does it mean? Does it mean that I’m limited to coastal waters? My understanding that 3A/E means unlimited. Almost all my seatime been on deep sea vessels of unlimited horse power and in foreign trade.

[QUOTE=electro;47219]Hi, I just recieved a letter from the CG about my aproval for a 3 A/E. It said that I’m aproved for domestic endorsement. What does it mean? Does it mean that I’m limited to coastal waters? My understanding that 3A/E means unlimited. Almost all my seatime been on deep sea vessels of unlimited horse power and in foreign trade.[/QUOTE]

“domestic endorsement” you can also serve as a maid ?
I have never heard of this for an unlimited so I’m anxiously waiting to hear what it means too.

tengineer

I was going to say it means your wife has to sign off before you can ship out…

[QUOTE=electro;47219]Hi, I just recieved a letter from the CG about my aproval for a 3 A/E. It said that I’m aproved for domestic endorsement. What does it mean? Does it mean that I’m limited to coastal waters? My understanding that 3A/E means unlimited. Almost all my seatime been on deep sea vessels of unlimited horse power and in foreign trade.[/QUOTE]

It probably means “officer endorsement” which is the MMC section that is the license. In the rule that created the MMC, the term “license” was replaced by “officer endorsement.”

“Domestic Endorsement” refers to any non STCW qualification under the regular USCG system. For instance, Master of 1600 tons Oceans is a Domestic Endorsement but Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch (OICNW) STCW Code A II/2 is an International Endorsement. They refer to the same thing but the International Endorsement means your STCW compliant. I just upgraded a few months ago and that’s how the notifications from NMC came to me. It’s a silly way to do it in my opinion. Just confusing for no reason. Don’t know the specific STCW requirement for a 3rd A/E. I’m guessing you’ll need,"Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch (OICEW) to sail on STCW compliant vessels. Although I hear they haven’t worked out all the details for the Engineering section of the STCW code yet.

Very simple, personal point of view: as long as people recognize you recognized, any more than you can swim!


I was confused about this too when I received my MMC for my 3 A/E Unlimited. Look at the page before it. The Coast Guard sets up the MMC for both STCW and Coast Guard (only) endorsements and licenses. The Coast Guard license is only valid for domestic use. The STCW is valid for international. For example, my STCW says “Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch(3 A/E)” while the Coast Guard says 3 A/E, any unlicensed rating, etc. But domestic only. If you are missing the page on STCW you should contact the Coast Guard to get it fixed.

Basically the Coast Guard has the authority to authorize your license through STCW internationally, but there may be some differences as to what you can legally do domestically (which the CG has jurisdiction over), which is why there are basically two separate licenses, even though they might say the same thing.

[QUOTE=Capt. Itchy;48628]“Domestic Endorsement” refers to any non STCW qualification under the regular USCG system. For instance, Master of 1600 tons Oceans is a Domestic Endorsement but Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch (OICNW) STCW Code A II/2 is an International Endorsement. They refer to the same thing but the International Endorsement means your STCW compliant. I just upgraded a few months ago and that’s how the notifications from NMC came to me. It’s a silly way to do it in my opinion. Just confusing for no reason. Don’t know the specific STCW requirement for a 3rd A/E. I’m guessing you’ll need,"Officer in Charge of an Engineering Watch (OICEW) to sail on STCW compliant vessels. Although I hear they haven’t worked out all the details for the Engineering section of the STCW code yet.[/QUOTE]

With the old license you had to have to have two documents, your USCG license and a STCW certificate.

The new Merchant Mariner Credential (the little red book) combines these two documents. Mine has two sections, one is "entitled under Title 46 (Shipping) U.S. Code and says (Domestic only) - this is the old license which is no longer any good on the “high seas” (outside the Boundary lines are specified in 46 CFR Part 7.)

If I flip to the previous page it says it has been issued under the provisions of the International Conventions on STCW. and list my qualifications by regulations in roman numerals II/2 II/4 etc the meaning of which can be found at the Coast Guard NMC web siteSTCW tab here

This is what the Coast Guard is referring to when they talk about the Domestic and International parts of you credentials,.