Re: sea time--how is engine room defined by the C.G.?

Professional Mariner Forum
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I am a wiper having zero luck finding that first gig. My only on board experience is on smaller working vessels (30-40ft.) in the Chesapeake bay, primarily my own. My opinion: I’ve defiantly done 180 days of Wiper work to sit for QMED.

Question: could I use form CG719s to log 180 days of “engine room” time? These smaller vessels don’t have an engine room technically and while working alone on a daily basis, you’re the Capt., deckhand, and engineer.

I’m not trying to exploit any loophole or be dishonest in any way. I want to enroll myself in a QMED program and they seem to have a prerequisite of 180 days sea time in the engine room.

I would be perfectly happy starting as a wiper but demand seems low.

SIU–I don’t think so. Both of my sons went through and it takes about one full year to get a paying job. Great for a 20 yr old, not so much for a 40 yr old. Plus, that cluster-F of a “boot camp”…I already went through boot camp.

MSC–my impression here is it’s great but I’ll never see my wife again.

I took the great advice from the “G”: get your paperwork in order (md,twic,and bst), pack your bags and head to the GoM. I spent a week in La. Last Aug. And nothing. And yes, I know, oil below $50/bbl=no bueno.

Thanks if you have any insight to the question way up at the top.

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I think the phrases needed are ‘soley responsible for engineering duties’ and ‘walk-in’ engine room. Chances are the vessels your engineering time is on won’t fall into that but you never know till you investigate further…Might be worth it to hire a consultant. Also, once you get the QMED you will need RFPEW to make yourself more marketable. If you could get with a tug company as an unlicensed engineer, or on another vessel (bigger than 50 gt) as a ‘deckineer’ it would help your cause. And yeah, that info of getting to the GOM to make good money and have opportunity turned to the polar opposite real quick. Keep at it…I would take any job you can, especially if it is on any boat with a ‘walk-in’ ER.

Also, remember that the 180 days is 8 hr days…so if you are doing 12s it is 120 days you would need for a qmed.