Getting ready to upgrade to 2/M AGT O. Is ECDIS a lifetime certification? Do I have to take a renewal course or not?
The NMC had to send me an ECDIS sticker for my MMC when they issued my license because they forgot to put it in my certs. The sticker says ECDIS expires with my license. Does that just mean if I renew I’m good to go?
ECDIS does not have to be repeated, at least not yet.
ECDIS isn’t a certification or endorsement. It’s a component of STCW deck officer endorsements. If you don’t have the training, your OICNW, Chief Mate, and/or Master endorsement will have a limitation that it’s not valid for ECDIS. It’s the same as ARPA. The ECDIS course is also like ARPA, it’s a one-time requirement.
What does your sticker say? Stickers are usually to add something. As described above, ECDIS isn’t an endorsement, you don’t add ECDIS, you remove a limitation. Normally, when you remove a limitation you get a new MMC.