After working on a 50’ Tug (push boat) for over 150 days the C.G. has inform me that the “Tug” is listed as a passenger vessel
( I always wondered why the certificate said maximum capacity of 12 persons ?)
I was counting on the days for my “western rivers” endorsement. I hold a 200 ton master w/ over 1200 days under the scope of my license, over 30 days of observation and training for “Inland” and 60 days on “western rivers”.& completed a Apprentice Mate Steersman Upgrade & TOAR for inland and western rivers.
The company I was working for never told me that running this tug would not count as “Tug Time”. Is there something I’m missing here?
Or do I just need to hook up with someone else for another 30 days?
I would hate to “open up a can of worms” for the company I worked for, they were very good to me and I could possibly work for them again when I get my M.O.T. down the road.
What’s a DUEL PURPOSE vessel?
Is that a vessel where the only purpose for is for people to go aboard and duel? Is that maximum capacity for 12 live or dead persons? Do they become cargo after their duel? What kind of license do you need for that and what is the deadline to apply for it? Does this sound like a kind of a dead end job to anybody else? I wonder if you get buried in paperwork at this job? If you were sick and had a job aboard and got a cold, would you be coffin? I really hope if they go under the boss does not stiff you. I am guessing if you work for tips you could only expect 50% of the passengers to pay at the end of a trip. I wonder if after working an 8 hour shift, you would be dead on your feet?
Thank-you, Thank-you very much!!! I will be appearing in Trinidad for the next three weeks. Luckily I have another job that pays the bills.
Sorry, didn’t mean to bring out the swords with one wrong letter.
You’re SOL on this one. You need to get on a tug that is documented as a towing vessel for time to count towards the license you are seeking.
[QUOTE=troy;98752]You’re SOL on this one. You need to get on a tug that is documented as a towing vessel for time to count towards the license you are seeking.[/QUOTE]
So if it looks like a duck - quacks like a duck- walks like a duck ---- that don’t count here 
Companies will register their vessels in whatever service will be easier or more affordable to operate. Like some light subsea construction vessels, IMR, and ROV vessel work under the OSV service (L class). In the eyes of the USCG you can’t get a towing license on a boat that doesn’t required the crew to hold it.
For example you can’t get Tanker time for a PIC onboard an OSV carrying fuel as cargo.
Carefully excising your letter, you have a 200 ton masters license, and a completed apprentice mate license (which is NOT a MOTV) But is the method that you GET a MOTV added to your license.
So you ran a vessel that did towing (without a MOTV!) and are wondering why the vessel time does NOT count towards seatime while on a a UTV? And your argument is that the vessel WAS towing (but is not classed as a towing vessel) so it should count (even though you were NOT licensed to operate a Towing vessel) as towing vessel time? You must like fried food, because you are probably DONE!
Or is your actual dilemma: Is ANY time (regardless of vessel type) while operating on the scope of your license (200ton) valid to accrue towards the necessary time to get western rivers? It could be that your sea service (time on a suspect towing vessel, doing who knows what) is not what is required for the extension of route you are looking for. In other words, the problem may not be that the vessel was towing, or that the certificate was no good. It MAY be that your sea service letter is invalid because you are NOT allowed to operate a towing vessel. A sea service letter written with you as OPERATOR of the inspected passenger vessel “Bluemoon”(upon inland waters) may be all that is required. Often they won’t tell you exactly what is wrong with the denial letter. It can be confusing!
[QUOTE=CaptDockside;98748]Sorry, didn’t mean to bring out the swords with one wrong letter.[/QUOTE]
No need to be sorry, totally my fault in this case. My mom was a librarian so misuse of language or misspellings cause me to act irrationally, or perhaps more irrationally than normal. Which is of course is probably connected to why the wife will not allow me to go to funerals anymore, I involuntary tell off color jokes about the deceased. She routinely found me at funerals in a corner laughing and crying at the same time.
So a dead joke and a misspelling are like a super-storm.
[QUOTE=BMCSRetired;98809]No need to be sorry, totally my fault in this case. My mom was a librarian so misuse of language or misspellings cause me to act irrationally, or perhaps more irrationally than normal. Which is of course is probably connected to why the wife will not allow me to go to funerals anymore, I involuntary tell off color jokes about the deceased. She routinely found me at funerals in a corner laughing and crying at the same time.
So a dead joke and a misspelling are like a super-storm.[/QUOTE]
Obviously you have been hanging around the ‘big easy’ after Katrina far too long! You never know what might come floating by!
[QUOTE=cappy208;98814]Obviously you have been hanging around the ‘big easy’ after Katrina far too long! You never know what might come floating by![/QUOTE]
Luckily I was still in when that tragedy occurred. I did receive a medal for being in the USCG during the period after Katrina and was not on iron lung. Everybody, whether they were there or not got one. In retrospect I should have turned it down, not being on an iron lung is no reason to receive a decoration. FAIL!!!
[QUOTE=cappy208;98808]Carefully excising your letter, you have a 200 ton masters license, and a completed apprentice mate license (which is NOT a MOTV) But is the method that you GET a MOTV added to your license.
So you ran a vessel that did towing (without a MOTV!) and are wondering why the vessel time does NOT count towards seatime while on a a UTV? And your argument is that the vessel WAS towing (but is not classed as a towing vessel) so it should count (even though you were NOT licensed to operate a Towing vessel) as towing vessel time? You must like fried food, because you are probably DONE!
Or is your actual dilemma: Is ANY time (regardless of vessel type) while operating on the scope of your license (200ton) valid to accrue towards the necessary time to get western rivers? It could be that your sea service (time on a suspect towing vessel, doing who knows what) is not what is required for the extension of route you are looking for. In other words, the problem may not be that the vessel was towing, or that the certificate was no good. It MAY be that your sea service letter is invalid because you are NOT allowed to operate a towing vessel. A sea service letter written with you as OPERATOR of the inspected passenger vessel “Bluemoon”(upon inland waters) may be all that is required. Often they won’t tell you exactly what is wrong with the denial letter. It can be confusing![/QUOTE]
You “Hit the Nail on the Head” the “Tug” I was on, was documented as “Passenger Vessel” so my time is only credited to my “200 ton time”.
My company new that and on the backside was very apologetic for it. They have since let me ride out enough time in "training and observation
to give me the needed time on another(100’+) “bigger tug”. I’ll be submitting everything to the CG in a week or two when I get back home.
Thanks to everyone for chiming in on the FORUM 
[QUOTE=cappy208;98808]…So you ran a vessel that did towing (without a MOTV!) and are wondering why the vessel time does NOT count towards seatime while on a a UTV? And your argument is that the vessel WAS towing (but is not classed as a towing vessel) so it should count (even though you were NOT licensed to operate a Towing vessel) as towing vessel time? You must like fried food, because you are probably DONE![/QUOTE]
I don’t have the policy document at hand, but…, the local OCMI has discretion when it comes to passenger barges, they may allow the vessel that tows the passenger barge to be manned by persons without a towing endorsement.
[QUOTE=jdcavo;100962]I don’t have the policy document at hand, but…, the local OCMI has discretion when it comes to passenger barges, they may allow the vessel that tows the passenger barge to be manned by persons without a towing endorsement.[/QUOTE]
I think that was the case here, I was pushing a personnel landing barge as well as anchor barge, dredge pipeline, supply barges. but I couldn’t
get "tug time"only 200ton master time. But I now have enough wheelhouse time on other tugs (training and observation) on inland and western rivers w/ over 1200 days as 200ton master in the last 36 months to complete the requirements for my pilot/mate endorsement under 46CFR 11.465(e)
Just hope I have everything covered this time when I send in the package. It seems I always miss something or use the wrong wording and it gets kicked back. Thanks for checking in, If theres anything else you can think of to help me out it would be greatly appreciated.