HP for upgrade

Engineering
21

Wanna talk about HP limitations? Wanna good laugh over morning coffee?

My approved to test letter is for 3A/E Steam, with a 4000 HP limit. Ok, when you stop laughing and you refresh your coffee, note that this is because my Navy unlimited steam time from ancient history (1980’s) got knocked down by a few months of recency on NOAA ships of less than 4000 HP. Recency is a mother jammer. But, I made my choices and I will pay the piper.

That’s a warning to you folks who are ex-Navy and looking to sail again after x number of years like me. Sail on ships of appropriate HP for the credential you seek! I had an offer from MSC and turned it down for NOAA and it’s going to kick me in the arse for at least 2015 or so. No big deal- but I’m a bloody senior citizen so I have a certain sense of urgency, ok? :smiley:

I will take the test anyway, because aside from a completely useless steam license (with a 4000 HP limit!) I will get QMED- All Ratings, which is very valuable.

I’m now working ships of over 4000 HP but it’s just going to take time.

22

[QUOTE=bunker305;118226]I’m not seeing in the cfr’s how a dde, which is limited to 500grt goes to a 3000 ton level by simply adding on the chief osv endorsement, not the chief limited but the chief osv endorsement…[/QUOTE]

You need to stop thinking of this as one endorsement. They are two separate endorsements, so there is no “roll over.”

[QUOTE=bunker305;118226] …everywhere in the cfr’s a DDE is limited to 500 tons, but once you add the chief osv endorsement, which again says no further testing or assessments required, and whatever horsepower DDE that person has rolls over to his chief osv ticket along with the added tonnage. I understand the horsepower rolling over (1000,4000,unlimited) but why doesn’t the tonnage restriction remain the same (500grt)? [/QUOTE]

The DDE endorsement (license) doesn’t “go to a 3000 ton level by simply adding on the chief osv endorsement GT is limited to 500 GRT.” Chief Engineer (OSV) is a separate endorsement (license) that is only good on OSVs (any OSV). The restriction of DDEs to 500 GRT is in 46 CFR 15.915(a). There is no similar regulation that restricts a Chief Engineer (OSV) endorsement to vessels (OSVs) of a particular tonnage, but it is only valid on OSVs. Having two separate endorsements as DDE and Chief Engineer (OSV) doesn’t allow you to work on a vessel over 500 GRT that is not an OSV.

[QUOTE=bunker305;118226] …explain to me how a 500grt ticket goes to a 3000grt, without the need for additional sea time or tests. [/QUOTE]

See above about a DDE endorsement “growing” to 3,000 GT. There is no need for additional sea time for someone holding DDE to add another (different) endorsement for Chief Engineer (OSV) as the sea time for DDE unlimited and Chief Engineer (OSV) are the same. If you have enough time for one, you obviously have the sea time for the other. As far as no exams, 46 CFR 11.950 requires an applicant for DDE or Chief Engineer (OSV) to be tested on certain subjects, and these are substantially the same for both (seperate) endorsements. So by taking the exam for one you have also taken an exam that includes all the stuff you have to be tested on for the other (this is how Mate 500 or 1600 goes to 3rd Mate without a test, and 3rd Mate to 2nd Mate).

[QUOTE=bunker305;118226]…so again how does a 500 ton ticket magically grow? [/QUOTE]

See above. The DDE endorsement DOESN’T “GROW.” DDE and Chief Engineer (OSV) are entirely different and separate endorsements.

[QUOTE=bunker305;118226]…And if it does not make your ticket magically grow, can someone, only holding a DDE, go get a job on an offshore supply vessel as an licensed engineer that is over 500grt without the chief osv add on? [/QUOTE]

NO.

23

[QUOTE=catherder;148775]…My approved to test letter is for 3A/E Steam, with a 4000 HP limit…[/QUOTE]

The limitation is based on 46 CFR 11.503(b) which requires at least half of the qualifying time to be on vessels over 4,000 HP.

Recency alone should should not result in a HP limit. The requirement for recency is for 3 months to be in the last 3 years. 3rd AE requires a total of 36 months (3 years) of service, and in order to avoid the tonnage limit you need at leasrt 18 months on vessels over 4,000 HP. So if having to use some NOAA time under 4,000 HP to meet the requirement for 3 months to have been in the last 3 years made the difference between getting a HP limit or not, it appears that you had less than 21 months of creditable Navy time for over 4,000 HP. If you had at least 21 months over 4,000 HP, recency would not be an issue.

When I can discuss limits on “unlimited” endorsements withouit having to supress a laugh or a smirk, it will be time to retire or find another job.

24

[QUOTE=catherder;148775]Wanna talk about HP limitations? Wanna good laugh over morning coffee?

My approved to test letter is for 3A/E Steam, with a 4000 HP limit. Ok, when you stop laughing and you refresh your coffee, note that this is because my Navy unlimited steam time from ancient history (1980’s) got knocked down by a few months of recency on NOAA ships of less than 4000 HP. Recency is a mother jammer. But, I made my choices and I will pay the piper.

That’s a warning to you folks who are ex-Navy and looking to sail again after x number of years like me. Sail on ships of appropriate HP for the credential you seek! I had an offer from MSC and turned it down for NOAA and it’s going to kick me in the arse for at least 2015 or so. No big deal- but I’m a bloody senior citizen so I have a certain sense of urgency, ok? :smiley:

I will take the test anyway, because aside from a completely useless steam license (with a 4000 HP limit!) I will get QMED- All Ratings, which is very valuable.

I’m now working ships of over 4000 HP but it’s just going to take time.[/QUOTE]

catherder, you could get DDE unlimited too. Additional modules but should be same study material? If I am not mistaken all you need is a third of the time on motor and you could get motor on it.

25

[QUOTE=catherder;148775]Wanna talk about HP limitations? Wanna good laugh over morning coffee?

My approved to test letter is for 3A/E Steam, with a 4000 HP limit. Ok, when you stop laughing and you refresh your coffee, note that this is because my Navy unlimited steam time from ancient history (1980’s) got knocked down by a few months of recency on NOAA ships of less than 4000 HP. Recency is a mother jammer. But, I made my choices and I will pay the piper.

That’s a warning to you folks who are ex-Navy and looking to sail again after x number of years like me. Sail on ships of appropriate HP for the credential you seek! I had an offer from MSC and turned it down for NOAA and it’s going to kick me in the arse for at least 2015 or so. No big deal- but I’m a bloody senior citizen so I have a certain sense of urgency, ok? :smiley:

I will take the test anyway, because aside from a completely useless steam license (with a 4000 HP limit!) I will get QMED- All Ratings, which is very valuable.

I’m now working ships of over 4000 HP but it’s just going to take time.[/QUOTE]

If you are a little short on steam time over 4000 HP, you might want to consider making a trip on Premier Pacific Seafood’s fish processing mother ship, Ocean Phoenix. She is 22,000 HP steam. They have a pretty good sized black gang and are often looking for QMEDs. They also offer some in port work for QMEDs in Seattle.