Mate osv

If I hold a 1600t mates license do I need to complete any more testing/courses to receive the mate osv? I read a previous thread from a few years back that said I would just need to apply and I would receive it since the 1600t meets all the qualifications of the mate osv, wondering if this was still the case?

Most likely you will need GMDSS and EDCIS. But I don’t know exactly what you’re on. Also comes the DP fiasco Hopefully your going on as a training mate and they promised all the training.

I hold mate osv and the way i got it was i hold 1600 grt OSV master and per the marine safety manual vol 3 (if i recall correctly) a 1600 grt master OSV can get mate osv with no further testing. I am unaware if this loophole still exists.
Having gmdss, arpa or ecdis has nothing to do with this (i do not have gmdss or arpa.) Ironically, most large OSVs will have this equipment along with DP having just the mate osv won’t be good enough without the above.

Thanks for the response, I do currently have the other endorsements listed (gmdss, Ecdis) except for DP. However I have received a job offer for DP training mate and was hoping to get the osv mate ticket to allow me to operate larger vessels.

What did the Mate OSV checklist say?

Looks like you can easily be approved for mate osv but you will have to test. I think that grandfathering i mentioned ended in 2017. Maybe jdcavo will weigh in.

You need to test. If the endorsement is listed in 46 CFR 11.903(a) and there is not an exception listed in 46 CFR 11.903(c ), you need to test.

Did the policy change? After reading this thread (Mate OSV) I was convinced I would not have to test.

Seems kind of silly that I can upgrade to the 3rd mate unlimited from the 1600t with no further examination, but to upgrade to the mate osv from the 1600t I would have to test again.

Go with JD Cavo.

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Why would you upgrade to a trade restricted license if you can get the unrestricted one with no further examination?

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If he has Mate 1,600, there is a good chance he doesn’t have time on vessels over 1,600 GRT. If so, the 3rd Mate endorsement would get a tonnage limit (46 CFR 11.402). Mate OSV is not limited to less than 1,600 GRT, so it provides a way to get time on a vessel over 1,600 GRT without going on deck in a rating capacity.

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From Mate 1600 to Mate OSV 6000i s, IIRC, a series of assessments (like Master 1600/3000 to Master OSV 6000 ).

For the OSV 10,000…I am not sure. The trade restriction is the big drawback to following the OSV path, though. We sat around one afternoon and tried to work out the timelines from OS or cadet to Master AGT through the OSV and “traditional” paths…can’t remember how it worked out; time passes.

@jdcavo this is exactly the case. However, I have been working on an ATB for the past few years and after reading over 46 CFR 11.402 it appears I would qualify for the 3rd if I use the combined tonnage of the tug/barge. From what I understand, ATB time can be used for half of the time over 1600t on a 2 for 1 basis. It is also my understanding that the tonnage limitation would be the maximum tonnage on which at least 25 percent of the required experience was obtained. If 25 percent of my sea time was accrued on an ATB unit of over 10000grt would I therefore receive the 3rd without the tonnage limitation.

“Limitations are in multiples of 1,000 GRT using the next higher figure when an intermediate tonnage is calculated. When the calculated limitation equals or exceeds 10,000 GRT, the applicant is issued an unlimited tonnage endorsement”

That is an interesting interpretation. Maybe that’s how the people I know that got their unlimited from tug and barge time did it (as opposed to an evaluator screw up).

That’s the conclusion I came up with. Anyone else have any experience with this?

My experience is that the Landlubbers in West Virginia at the USCG NMC have no idea at all of how to count combined tug and barge tonnage seatime.

It took them nine months to get around to denying my application.

Then it took another 11 months to process my successful Request for Reconsideration. My Request for Reconsideration would never have been finalized if someone from USCG Headquarters hadn’t helped to build a fire under the Landlubbers.

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30+k tons with 34 foot draft is worth a bit more than what is awarded regarding the license path in West Virginia. ATB guys have their hands full, even with the much greater horsepower than what I/we had a while back.

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In Canada, and apparently most other countries, service on vessels over 25 GT is creditable toward an unlimited license.

As I understand it, Canada has 150 GT and 350 GT licenses for most coastwise tugs. They have a lot rulebeater tugs under 10 or 15 tons (about 45 feet) on the British Columbia coast that do not require any license. They also have special licenses for small passenger boats and fishing boats. Large tugs, OSVs, and everything else are all unlimited licenses.

The USCG has a bizarre and illogical fetish for a plethora of tonnage and trade restrictions, which are rather meaningless yardsticks by which to measure Mariners.

How does service on a 1600 ton vessel vs a 100 ton vessel better prepare a Mariner to be licensed for a 60,000 ton vessel?

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