I’m a New Zealand citizen and have been sailing as a deckhand on tall ships (none US-flag) for a few years now. I hold no mariner documents from New Zealand except for proof of completion of my STCW 95 Basic Safety Training. A colleague of mine told me that they knew of several non-US citizens who worked on US-flag vessels and had obtained a MMC. I know I can’t get a license but is it possible for me to get a TWIC and a MMC and then I can write for an AB endorsement? Will they count my sea time from other vessels or will I have to start over? At this time I don’t have a green card (permanent resident) for the US. The requirements for foreigners are very confusing to me, I would appreciate so much if anybody could spell it out in plain language. Thank you!
[QUOTE=DJ_Pickles;72562]I’m a New Zealand citizen and have been sailing as a deckhand on tall ships (none US-flag) for a few years now. I hold no mariner documents from New Zealand except for proof of completion of my STCW 95 Basic Safety Training. A colleague of mine told me that they knew of several non-US citizens who worked on US-flag vessels and had obtained a MMC. I know I can’t get a license but is it possible for me to get a TWIC and a MMC and then I can write for an AB endorsement? Will they count my sea time from other vessels or will I have to start over? At this time I don’t have a green card (permanent resident) for the US. The requirements for foreigners are very confusing to me, I would appreciate so much if anybody could spell it out in plain language. Thank you![/QUOTE]
You will need the Green card in order to apply for a MMC and you are correct that you cannot be licensed without a being a citizen. As far as past seatime, you would use a small vessel sea service form but I doubt the USCG would give you an AB since you don’t hold a New Zeakland seaman’s book. Pretty sure you need to sail OS for a year like all the others.
btw, I love your country. New Zealand truly got everything right imo…you’re a lucky dude.
good luck in your green card application…I don’t know how hard it is for a Kiwi like you to get one and I can’t help with that I am afraid.
I’d like to figure this out going the other way!
You don’t have to sail as an OS for a year.
You just need the sea time for the grade of AB you qualify for.
I got an AB, Chief and Master ticket on my first visit to the REC.
I guess it was 2 visits.
1 to turn everything in, the second to pick everything up.
Gidday mate. Im a kiwi myself. Did the tall ship thing for a few years ( why are they allways filled with hairy hippies?). Might have a boat or two in common. I had to get citizenship to advance to the wheelhouse but they did take my seatime on the good ship lollypop out of sydney after much, much difficulty. Remember all you need for ab unlimited is 1080 days on ANYTHING that floats including your own or parents boat. Small vessel sea service forms are your friend. If your a kiwi your have days out the ying yang if you start filling them out. Good luck mate. Let me know if you need a hand or a job. They love kiwis in the gulf. The work ethic is ingrained in uour immigrant blood.
[QUOTE=rainman;72964]. Let me know if you need a hand or a job. They love kiwis in the gulf. The work ethic is ingrained in uour immigrant blood.[/QUOTE]
what give’s?..New Zealanders are about as close to the opposite of a coonass as one is gonna find.
I don’t think we love Kiwi’s here, as a matter of fact, I think the one working at SIOPS got the boot…and Mate I don’t mean the trunk
Originally Posted by rainman
"Let me know if you need a hand or a job."
FYI, while working in the in the GOM, try not to make an offer to your mate while using "hand and “job” in the same sentence. Unless, of course, you’re offering a handjob. (Be careful with “tug” and “job” also.)
I see no irony gets by you.
Thank you for pointing out my spectacularly poor choice of wording.
Most regrettable.
I appreciate your sage and genuine advice, which was clearly intended to assist me in avoiding future exposure to derision by complete wankers, and not at all by astute literary critics such as yourself.
And here i thought a KIWI was just a FRUIT.
Trying to use alternative words by the obvious doesn’t help you with these guys. Don’t piss of the Cajuns.