Does anyone know about credentials to work onboard a Honduras registered ship. I have not been able to find anything about their endorsements or whatever. Are my US credentials good just as they stand?
have not talked to a Honduras company…the companies of other flag states that I have talked to require a “certificate of competency” based primarily on your STCW…they are pretty strict about what STCW endorsements you have…reluctant to consider any of the BS about what is “inherent or implied” to the document as the USCG has always fed us…Vanautu still requires that the company “buy” your license.
**example…if you are rated II/2-master/Chief Mate-management who needs to work as II/1-OICNW/Mate-operational or II/4-RFPNW/AB-support…the endorsements of II/1 and II/4 should to be PRINTED on the MMC…otherwise companies of other flag states maybe reluctant to employ you…the comment that STCW endorsements are “implied and inherent” to the document doesn’t “float” and is suspect!!
Same with Marshall Islands. You must apply through an agent. Which in my case is the company crewing agent. They issue a Certificate of Equivalent Competency, based on your US license. It is possible to get a Marshall Islands license by testing. We had an engineer do that because he lost his US license.
Used to be (pre-STCW) you could buy an Unlimited Masters license from Honduras at the Miami consulate. Those days may be gone. You may try calling them. There Miami address and number are:
7171 Coral Way, Suite 309
Miami, FL 33155
(305) 269-9399
[I][quote=CaptAndrew;22317]…Are my US credentials good just as they stand?[/quote][/I]
Pr4obably not. Generally mariners have to hold an STCW document issued by the flag of the ship. Many countries simply “endorse” another countruy’s certificate, they will issue the document based on your holding a similar one from a country on the IMO “white list.” This is probably the case with Honduras. Try the IMO web site www.imo.org to find contacts for Honduras.
http://www.maritimegroup.info/
Upper Nav bar 2nd from left, Maritime Group drill down to Honduras Maritime Bureau; Crew Documentation; Certification of endorsements
Obtaining a flag state endorsement is usually the simplest and cheapest way to proceed. If at all possible try to avoid the CeC or certificate of equivalent competence route as it can be far more involved and much more expensive than the edorsement route. Also keep in mind that the US “lower level” license system may or may not have any equivalent in the rest of the world and this is part of what lies behind the imposition of the new (to us) STCW changes. Red Ensign Group and Central American maritime authorities are usually happy to work with those seeking an endorsement and the application with fee seems to make things go fairly smoothly. In many cases, all that is required to sail is the official acknowledgement of receipt for the application. Now that the USCG has joined the electronic age and certificates can be checked online the process should be much quicker than before.
Keep in mind too that many of the authorities require employment on national flag vessels or the application to be made by the employer. I don’t know why that is the case but that’s the way it is, as much as I want that Mongolian chief engineer’s ticket to put on my wall I don’t want it badly enough to go work on a Mongolian ship.
Marshall Islands info: http://www.register-iri.com/content.cfm?catid=15#sicd Look down the page to MI-105 application for endorsement, and MI-273 for the seaman’s book. You do not have to use an agent, you can walk in, mail in, or electroncally submit the application. The folks at the MI office are very good at their jobs and are easy to work with.