No, I didnt’ think for a minit you were sailing with a ‘fake’ license. As I’ve mentioned, we’ve probably all sailed with someone who managed to embellish their sea time though.
I don’t know what I’d do having discovered someone with a fake document … tell the cpt. i guess, after ashore …?
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I remember when tug drivers that were unlicensed (vessels under 99GT) had to get the OUTV license without much fanfare. They were all grandfathered in as far as I remember. A physical was required and in those days the eye exam was given at the inspectors office. It was not uncommon to see huge cargo barges, sometimes tandem, being towed to Alaska by these “operators” aboard tugs supposedly under 99 GT. There was a way by using voids and watertight doors to manipulate the tonnage numbers. That system is still used today to get by with a smaller crew.
Crowley is modifying the Ocean Class tugs with tonnage doors to reduce their required manning.
only in America…
( port tugs in Singapore are 2 handed but only do 12 hours shifts)
Harbour Tugs here in NZ have a crew of two and work a shift system with generous time off. A friend of mine put truck mirrors on so he could see astern while in the seat and now most are fitted with them. The engineer is the deck hand and the forward winch is controlled in the deckhouse. Our local harbour authority has ordered an electric tug with 70tonne bollard pull.
With the oil patch closing there are no tugs available that can operate deep sea.
I’m old fashioned I guess. I prefer more than 4 hands on an ocean tug or even coastal towing a freight barge to Alaskan ports. Everyone has to turn out to unload including the Master, then hustle to the next port all the while standing 6 & 6. I’m glad to be retired and out of that rat race.
I know the money is really good but……………
Remember the old saying, I’m not a fast captain or a slow captain---- I’m a half fast captain.
The Ocean Class tugs run with a crew of 11 and minimum COI manning is 9. They’re reducing tonnage in order to reduce the COI manning from requiring 3 mates to only requiring 2 mates.
Nine crew required on a 150ft less than 1,600 ton tugboat?
Yes. 1 Master, 3 mates, 1 Chief, 1 AE, 3 deckhands.
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Back to the topic of fake licensing; I heard a rumor that someone in the N.O. Rec was very recently caught giving out fraudulent licenses. Anyone else heard this rumor?
How does that work when they are issued from the NMC. Specially do they have the means to print a credential? Me thinks not.
I would think easiest way is to give out answer key with test when handed out.
What job does the REC do now? The testing can be sourced out to testing companies that proctor tests. There would be more locations and better hours available to test takers.
The REC can’t do anything except send your documents to the NMC in West Virginia.
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I didn’t take it that you were stating that I was sailing on a fake license. I WAS stating that one didn’t need a fake license to be incompetent, especially back in the 70s and 80s. . … for engineers. . .
With regard to fake licensing
I recently heard of a 2m that recived help on his/her tests in Baltimore. They were both caught and disciplined.
I know people that have licenses that they don’t actually qualify for but they were issued legitimately, it’s just that the NMC messed up.
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If they were using the FALANT (Farnsworth Lantern Test) for color vision, it’s designed specifically for lights at sea and cannot be faked without collusion of the operator. The more general-purpose PIP (Isihara Pseudo-Isochromatic Plate) test can be memorized, as can of course any particular eye chart.
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Better late than never. One of the reasons I usually don’t dismiss people in some circles when they pass along information that doesn’t have a link to back it up yet.
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how about fake overseas tickets for those of you that sail with mixed crew
Hmm…it appears all that scuttlebutt I had heard for years was 100% accurate. 
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